That first person technique was introduced by Robert Montogomery in
his annoying adaptation of Chandler's Lady in the Lake. In Lady, it's
a stupid gimmick. In Passage it actually serves a purpose and is
easier to tolerate, since it's only used for part of the film.
On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 10:04 AM, Stephen Burridge
<stephen.burridge@gmail.com> wrote:
> I haven't read "Dark Passages", but I have seen the film and I enjoyed it
> quite a bit. The plot relies heavily on coincidence, as you note, but there
> are lots of well-played characters and the movie is good visually as I
> recall. There is the odd device of presenting part of the film literally
> from the main character's point of view, i.e. other characters look at the
> camera when addressing him, etc. Awkward but we see the scenes and people
> he's watching. Then he undergoes plastic surgery and eventually Bogart
> emerges.
>
> My guess about why it is Goodis's best know book, if it is, would be simply
> because it was made into a Bogart/Bacall fim.
>
> I'm currently about three quarters of through "Cassidy's Girl", which is
> real hardcore noir, imho, quite a ride.
>
> Stephen
>
> On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 8:44 AM, Nathan Cain <IndieCrime@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I wish I had gotten to this during Goodis month, but here goes...
>>
>> I think one of the main reasons I've never read much Goodis is because
>> of the film version of Dark Passage. It is not a good film and a large
>> part of the problem is the story, which relies on coincidence so
>> heavily as to go beyond incredible into some realm of its own. Parry
>> escapes from prison, then hitches a ride with a guy who happens to be
>> a small time blackmailer, and then he runs into Irene, who happens to
>> be obsessed with his case. Irene happens to be friends with Madge, the
>> woman whose testimony sent Parry to prison, but apparently Madge
>> doesn't know Irene was at Parry's trial every day and also Parry never
>> managed to meet Irene although they apparently ran in the same social
>> circles. And don't get me started on the fact that Parry gets the one
>> cabby in the city who happens to run a sideline businesss finding
>> customers for a crooked plastic surgeon and the fact that when Parry
>> finally confronts Madge she just happens to fall out a window.
>>
>> Now, every writer of fiction uses conicidence. The key is to use it
>> sparingly and to make it believable, and not to keep heaping it up
>> until it becomes unintentionally funny. My question to the list is,
>> does the movie follow the book closely (i.e,, is the book as
>> ridiculous as the film), and, if so, why is Dark Passage Goodis' best
>> known work? My exposure to him is limited, but surely there are Goodis
>> stories that are a tad less silly. The Wounded and The Slain, which
>> Hard Case reprinted, didn't have any outlandish plotting, and it was
>> more or less forgotten until recently.
>>
>>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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