Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Follow Me Quietly

Intriguing, though brief, noir tale of an elusive killer named The Judge and the single-minded detective determined to track him down. Despite only having 59 minutes to work with, director Richard Fleischer manages to create a tense, even creepy, atmosphere, employing rain, darkness, and a dummy without a face to great effect. Originally constructed as a physical stand-in for The Judge, of whom no known likeness exists, the dummy quickly takes on a more disconcerting role. Of particular note is the standout scene in which detective Grant stands in the doorway of a dark room, rain beating on the glass of the window opposite, and begins talking to the lifeless figure. Perched on a chair in the center of the room, with its blank face toward the window, and away from us, the dummy remains eerily silent. And yet, as the camera stares unblinkingly at the back of its head, the dummy seems increasingly alive and imbued with an aura of menace. Great stuff.

by Thomas Scalzo   on 01 Aug 2011 5:22 PM   Source: Turner Classic Movies Broadcast