Remembering Nicholas Ray

YESTERDAY CINEMA

The National Cinematheque organized a splendid cycle dedicated to Raymond Nicholas Kienzle, better known as Nicholas Ray (1911-1979), which includes 21 of his films, ranging from the first “They Live by Night” to the last one he made with Wim Wenders, “Lightning in the water”, regarding his death.

We did not know “Hate in the Soul”, one of his first films also known as “The House in the Shadow”, filmed in 1951.

Based on a novel by Gerard Butler, it tells the story of Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan), a tough police officer who as punishment is sent to a small town to solve the murder of a young woman.

The girl’s father, Walter Brent (Ward Bond), is a tougher version of the police officer, as he wants to kill his daughter’s young murderer, Fanny Malden (Summer Williams), whom her blind sister Mary (the splendid Ida) is trying to hide. Lupino) with whom he will fall hopelessly in love.

Although it is a minor film in the filmography of the director of “Rebel Without a Cause”, it has good black and white photography by George Diskant and an appreciable soundtrack by Bernard Hermann, which already foreshadows Psycho, his masterpiece.

The cast is very good, highlighting Ida Lupino, who two years later would make her first film as a director.

“On dangerous ground” is therefore a film that is very representative of the genius of one of the best Hollywood directors.