MovieChat Forums > Beware, My Lovely (1952) Discussion > What was the point?

What was the point?

posted 11 years ago by Itsamoomoo
11 replies | jump to latest

-- Spoilers --

I watched this recently on TCM because of Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan being two of my favorite actors.

From the very beginning I started rooting for Robert Ryan's character. I thought I was in for a pleasant story that would somehow leave me with a good feeling at the end. Instead Ryan turns out to be a nut case. Which is okay if it makes for a good story. But as Lupino finds herself in a dilemma I kept waiting for her to turn things around. Ryan's character wasn't that terrifying or disturbing. He just needed some kindness to be shown his way, which Lupino did begin to offer him at first. But then things got unrealistic when Lupino began making lame attempts to make her escape.

As the film began to make its way towards an end I kept wanting Lupino to still turn things around with this man. Or, better yet, I wish they had gotten into a mad, passionate embrace like Brian and Meg on "Family Guy" or something, just to make the film more interesting. Instead help finally arrives for Lupino and Ryan meets his fate. How boring is that.

A better written screenplay with an incredible writer could have have made this a much more gripping, wonderful story of survival for Lupino's character that could have garnered her an Oscar nomination.

Oh, well.

[–] vinidici 11 years ago

You're overlooking the fact that Howard (Ryan) was mentally unbalanced and prone to dangeous and violent behavior. Though I did feel for Howard and hope for the character's sake that he received effectual professional help.

Okay folks, show's over, nothing to see here!

[–] PenTheater 11 years ago

Ryan's character wasn't that terrifying or disturbing.

Did you miss the begining when it showed he had already killed a woman in a house? Yes, she didn't know that but we did. And she surely suspected he was off.

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

altpensacola says > Did you miss the begining when it showed he had already killed a woman in a house?

It's not really clear that Howard killed the woman in the closet at the start of the movie. For that matter, we don't know that he killed anyone. We only know what he tells Helen. He has moments of forgetfulness. When he comes out of it, if he finds someone has been hurt, he doesn't know if he's responsible or if what he sees is even real. Reading about a murder in the paper, he wonders if he might have been there that day. It may all be in his head.

she didn't know that but we did

I wondered why in editing they did not fix the 'dead' woman's obvious blinking. Perhaps it was intentional; to leave us with some doubt about her condition. She may have fallen, is playing dead, or, like Helen, fainted from fear. Howard says he runs but doesn't even know what he's running from. He doesn't stick around to learn what really happened. If he doesn't know, we don't either.

While at Helen's he imagines seeing a dead man's face in the bucket of water. Is it a memory or does he just imagine these things? He's often afraid to open a closet for fear of what may be inside. He does this at Helen's too so we have to believe a lot of it is really in his mind. Again, we have no way of knowing.

she surely suspected he was off

Even if he had never physically harmed anyone, the man is absolutely, positively crazy and his presence is threatening. Helen doesn't need to suspect he's off, she knows it; she feels it. It wouldn't have mattered what he told her, his behavior in her house is more than enough proof. Locking someone in a house, trying to control them, and demanding they do or not do certain things while threatening them are crimes. I was terrified just watching him on a screen. He seems capable of anything.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] PenTheater 9 years ago

yes, after watching this again I realize we don't know if he did anything to the first woman. We might be as confused as he is.

[–] jdsuggs 7 years ago

There's no doubt whatsoever that he killed the first woman (even though she visibly blinks). Otherwise, it's one of the strangest non-sequiturs in plot history: there's an unexplained murdered woman left in the closet at his previous job.

The idea, which (admittedly) doesn't get across until much later unless you work at it, is that he goes in and out of his psychopathic personality, much like Norman Bates- ("Oh, Mother! What have you done?") and doesn't recall his earlier actions or feelings. They brought this home later with the tickets and several other things. And it sets up the powerful anti-climax of the ending (which I sort of like, just because it's so unexpectedly underwhelming).

It possibly represents the simplified understanding of schizophrenia at the time: two almost completely distinct people in one body.

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

saltednut says > From the very beginning I started rooting for Robert Ryan's character.

I don't know how you could root for him. Early in the movie we know something isn't right with him. We didn't necessarily see him doing anything but he's sure acting guilty.

Instead Ryan turns out to be a nut case. Which is okay if it makes for a good story.

I agree but only because it's fiction. Watching a lunatic in a movie is scary enough. In real life any story involving any lunatic is never good.

Ryan's character wasn't that terrifying or disturbing.

I found him terrifying and disturbing even though I was on the other side of a screen and watching it sixty three years after the movie was made.

He just needed some kindness to be shown his way, which Lupino did begin to offer him at first.

I'm really sick of people making statements like this. A lot of psychos like this character complain that no one has ever cared for them or treated them well. They act as if it's other people's fault they're who and how they are. Helen is a very nice lady who is shown treating everyone including Howard with the utmost respect. She's kind and caring and has given him, someone she didn't even know, a job in her home. How much nicer can someone be? Even after he turns out to be a nut who is holding her hostage and threatening her she tries her best to be sympathetic. One can only do so much.

But then things got unrealistic when Lupino began making lame attempts to make her escape.

I agree; her attempts to escape seem rather weak and anemic but I think that's a common problem among 'nice' people. She's used to seeing only good in people so the scenario she's in probably never dawned on her. She's overwhelmed and can't think straight. She's never had to consider alternative ways of getting out of her own house. As she says, she's never even locked the doors from the inside.

I kept wanting Lupino to still turn things around with this man.

I don't know how she could have turned things around. Once someone proves to be a threat I wouldn't trust them. If it was me, I'd be looking at ways to take him out. She never knew what he would do to her and conveniently forget about late

I wish they had gotten into a mad, passionate embrace ..., just to make the film more interesting.

Well, I'm glad that never happened. I was repulsed every time he tried to touch her or looked like he wanted to kiss her. This is the reason it would have been wrong for her to be too nice and accepting of him. Maniacs like him read into any sign of kindness; they think it's a sign of interest.

That's the problem with lunatics. They can't read feelings from people so they behave inappropriately which is off-putting. Then when the person, who may have been previously nice, pulls away they freak out and become accusatory. They can never factor their own behavior into how others treat them. If they make people uncomfortable, as they always do, people will react according; with fear and rejection.

A better written screenplay with an incredible writer could have have made this a much more gripping, wonderful story of survival for Lupino's character that could have garnered her an Oscar nomination.

I thought the movie was good as it is and Ms. Lupino's performance was perfect. Having her suddenly fall for this nut job would have been unrealistic and, for me, it would have ruined the movie. It would have shown her to be psycho too.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] ElizabethJoestar (930) 2 years ago

I agree with all of this! I'm honestly shocked the other commenters think there is any doubt about Ryan killing the first woman or that they might even want Lupino to hook up with him. I found his behavior very creepy and realistic. I found the possibility that he might attack, kill, or even try to rape the widow a high possibility. Yes, he's borderline sympathetic in that he clearly needed medical help and wasn't getting it, but that does not make him any less of a threat.

[–] IEatWords 8 years ago

Agreed. Ryan's character deserved more of a sympathetic view, and since he was the entire movie, it really made no sense in how the screenplay was written other than being hostage porn for women.

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[–] greenbudgie (2355) 3 years ago

I don't think that Howard could ever respond to any sympathy or kindness or friendship consistently for any amount of time. Trying to deal positively to a character like his is liking flogging a dead horse. He can never trust anyone for too long. His self-loathing is too ingrained.

[–] Hefferik90 8 years ago

Well my instincts kicked in and he creeped the heck out of me.
I'm not sure how old you are out if you've had much experience with men but I have and I have instincts that tell me this kind of man is a psychopath and there's no reasoning with this kind of person. They play head games. Twist things around.

Immediately Ida's character instincts also kicked in and she was trying to appease Ryan's character and was trying to tread carefully. She was guarding what she was saying and how she was acting as she was afraid for her life knowing that he could snap any moment.
It is definitely not a circumstance for a romance or passion. You're way off with that line of thinking.
I personally think the film was well done and there's nothing I'd change About it.

[–] RobbieCalifornia 7 years ago

He was nuts. Robert Ryan was a great actor. He really convinced me.

As a single woman who has had to deal with more than one horny gardener, I never would have let him in my house in the first place. The Lupino character was unbelievably naive.