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Liked It Even More Than I Thought I Would - On WatchTCM.com 'Til 8/15/15

posted 9 years ago by Schmoozette
3 replies | jump to latest

The IMDB description blurb on movie page is incorrect--really mischaracterizes the plot. I thought it would be more like Hitchcock's "Suspicion", but it's actually more complex and involved. It's not perfect, but following it was absorbing and unpredictable. "Suspicion's" tacked-on ending seemed forced and insincere, but the climax and denouement in "Undercurrent" seemed more realistic, by comparison.

I like some of the foreshadowing touches, such as when Bangs said to Ann about Garroway [something like]: "When I talked to him about the distance controller, I felt like I knew more about it than he did."

I also thought Jayne Meadows was really great, along with the other actors.

This may not be a gem, but IMO it's great to see for Hepburn and psychological drama fans. It's now running on WatchTCM.com until 8/15/15. If you like Kate and the genre, I encourage you to go there and enjoy!

BTW, "Fruit's on!" ???? (As opposed to "Soup's on"?)

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[–] zafrom 8 years ago

Yes. Good point about the foreshadowing. Bangs was talking to Ann (at about 13:25 of the DVD): "However, in talking to him, I felt that I knew more about his own invention than he did." Ann's response: "I don't see why Alan Garroway has to be attacked just because he has a personality. It's no crime, you know. Not yet."

It's definitely a woman's picture, about a woman with a sunny, if boring, life, who gradually gets into way more jeopardy than she bargained for. It does tend to go on, for maybe 15 minutes too long, but it's fun and lighthearted in the beginning. I love the way that Ann speaks to Rummy the way that Susan speaks to George in Bringing Up Baby. And, after Ann is married, she tells Alan before returning to a crowded welcome-home party, "The condemned man ate a hearty breakfast," the same line that Terry used in Stage Door. If you like Kate, I believe that you will enjoy watching Undercurrent at least once.

[–] Schmoozette 8 years ago

Wow, I had to do a bit of research to remember the plot, but I'm glad you posted here to remind me of how much I enjoyed it. What you're emphasizing seems to be what I tend to focus on in movies--the script. It pains me what passes for good "writing" these days, and I mourn the apparent demise of intelligence and wit. I'm not claiming all contemporary films are like that, but I'm consistently disappointed compared to what the real pros created back in the day.

I also like "odd" or "one-off" movies with actors cast against type (the most noticeable here, IMO, being Mitchum). Hepburn had done a "milquetoast" before, in Alice Adams, perhaps in others. But who better to play the nerdy, quick-witted daughter of a scientist?

I just love noir and noir-ish movies, and when I "discover" one I hadn't yet seen, I'm thrilled. I love both American and British films of this genre.

There are few actresses who could toss off a line like "The condemned man...." For some reason, I could swear that Eve Arden said it in Mildred Pierce, one of my faves, but I could be wrong. However, that kind of line belongs to both Hepburn and Arden, with a bit different intonation.

BTW, in my surfing I just "discovered" Thunder on the Hill and A Woman's Vengeance. At the library right now, awaiting pickup, is Where Danger Lives. So many movies, so little time!

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[–] MsELLERYqueen2 7 years ago

This film is certainly an underrated gem. Not sure why it receives so much criticism.

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Jim Hutton (1934-79) & Ellery Queen = 