Why didn't Pete tell the policeman (and the court) about his and Jefty's competition for the girl? That could have brought suspicion on Jefty's charges of theft against Pete. Why did Pete keep quiet?
mmm, doughnut...
-Homer J. Simpson
I just watched the movie for the first time and didn't get that part either. I know if someone was falsely accusing me and I could get out of a five year jail sentence simply by speaking up and telling my side of the story, I'm pretty sure that's what I, or any other sane person would do...The funny part is that Lilly blurts out something like "why don't you tell them?" right in front of the cops. So I also wondered why the cops didn't grill her for the real story. Instead they just accepted everything Jefty said with no questions asked...A serious flaw in an otherwise fine film noir, if you ask me.
Karunesh
I didn't get why the police captain told Jefty that he saw cases like this one 5 times a day 35 times a week and yet he couldn't tell that Jefty was lying and Pete was telling the truth, even after both of the women vouched for Pete.
shareThe whole arrest and trial sequence is unrealistic and silly. Otherwise it's an enjoyable film, though it's a stretch to call it a noir.
shareI am sure that the police (and as we come to see, the Judge too) were in Jefty's pocket, no?
shareI am sure that the police (and as we come to see, the Judge too) were in Jefty's pocket, no?
How is it a stretch to call it a noir? It has pretty much all of the hallmarks.
shareFilm Noir (by my definition) has to have
(a) a crime as one of the central plot points
(b) moral ambiguity
The 1948 Road House has both.
Some people think that Film Noir also has to have
(c) an urban setting
(d) black-and-white cinematography
but this is untrue. Although many Film Noir's do have these, they aren't essential. Examples:
Violent Saturday (1955) has an Arizona locale and is shot in widescreen Technicolor.
Ride the Pink Horse (1947) takes place in rural Mexico.
Both are 100% noir.
Note that "classic Film Noir" are movies made between (approximately) 1941-1959 (their black-and-white cinematography is more often than not an artifact of economics i.e., the excessive cost of color film in that era). "Neo Noir" are noir-like films made after the mid-1960's up to today, almost all of which are shot in color.
It turns into legitimate noir about halfway through. Yes, the arrest and trial sequence makes it difficult to suspend disbelief during those scenes. Just roll with it since otherwise it's an enjoyable picture.
shareAgree the entire trial sequence is a bit of a stretch. Just watched RH again and was disappointed. I dissent from the consensus and suggest that if anything the movie is over-rated. It seemed highly set-bound, for supposedly outdoorsy locales, and had stretches of padding, most specifically Ida's songs and the fight scene in the club. RH has noirish overtones but for me isn’t noir proper, though it’s difficult to say why. But what rescues the film at least somewhat is the last thirty minutes or so where Widmark - brilliant as always - goes gradually over the edge.
I thought Celeste Holm, cast in a bland role, looked just beautiful and was a lot more fetching than nominal femme fatale Ida Lupino. Speaking of Ida, what's up with that hairdo of hers anyway?
"Stretches of padding, most specifically Ida's songs and the fight scene in the club".
From the trivia page, sez director Negulesco: "Zanuck told me: "Remember these pictures we used to make at Warner Bros, in which every time the action flagged, we staged a fight and every time a man passed a girl, she'd adjust her stockings or something, trying to look sexy? That's the kinda picture we have to have with Road House"".
"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan
stretches of padding, most specifically Ida's songs and the fight scene in the club
I agree, I loved everything else about the film but I have big problem with the police/court sequence. There was no evidence, just one man's word against another's and one of them has a motive to lie. Moreover, after the parole Jefty makes some statements, in the pesence of witnesses, that are pretty much blackmail, but nobody does anything about it.
Still, I enjoyed the film, and I'm not sure I even expect the noirs to make much sense anyway, they are more about atmosphere and characters to me.