The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 film)
| The Postman Always Rings Twice | |
|---|---|
Poster for the theatrical release
|
|
| Directed by | Tay Garnett |
| Produced by | Carey Wilson |
| Screenplay by | Harry Ruskin Niven Busch |
| Based on |
The Postman Always Rings Twice 1934 novel by James M. Cain |
| Starring |
Lana Turner John Garfield Cecil Kellaway Hume Cronyn |
| Music by |
George Bassman Erich Zeisl |
| Cinematography | Sidney Wagner |
| Edited by | George White |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
113 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,683,000 |
| Box office | $5,086,000 |
The Postman Always Rings Twice is a 1946 film noir based on the 1934 novel of the same name by James M. Cain. This adaptation of the novel features Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames, and Audrey Totter. It was directed by Tay Garnett. The musical score was written by George Bassman and Erich Zeisl (the latter uncredited).
This version was the third filming of The Postman Always Rings Twice, but the first under the novel's original title and the first in English. Previously, the novel had been filmed as Le Dernier Tournant (The Last Turning) in France in 1939 and as Ossessione (Obsession) in Italy in 1943.
Frank Chambers (John Garfield) is a hobo who stops at a rural diner for a meal and ends up working there. The diner is operated by a beautiful young woman, Cora Smith (Lana Turner), and her much older husband, Nick (Cecil Kellaway).
Frank and Cora start to have an affair soon after they meet. Cora is tired of her situation, married to a man she does not love and working at a diner that she wishes to own. She and Frank scheme to murder Nick in order to start a new life together without her losing the diner. Their first attempt at the murder is a failure, but they eventually succeed.
The local prosecutor, Kyle Sackett (Leon Ames), suspects what has occurred but does not have enough evidence to prove it. As a tactic intended to get Cora and Frank to turn on each other, he tries only Cora for the crime. Although they turn against each other, a clever ploy from Cora's lawyer (Hume Cronyn) prevents Cora's full confession from coming into the hands of the prosecutor.
...
Wikipedia