Street of Chance (1942), a B-movie from Paramount Pictures, is based on the Cornell Woolrich novel, The Black Curtain and revels in a twist beloved by the author: amnesia. Burgess Meredith stars as a man who brushes himself off from a blow to the head to discover that he's missing over a year of his life, where he lived another identity that is now wanted for murder and hunted by a shady character (a terrific Sheldon Leonard). It makes for simple but effective twist on the murder mystery, with the detective not just solving a murder, but going undercover in his own missing life with a woman who loves him (Claire Trevor) that he doesn't remember. Director Jack Hively and cinematographer Theodor Sparkuhl give this low budget film a dreamy, shadowy look punctuated with some startlingly dramatic imagery.
It is paired in two other 1940s productions from Universal Studios. Enter Arsene Lupin (1944) is a romantic little crime picture with Charles Korvin making his film debut as the charming gentleman jewel thief. Director Ford Beebe isn't as breezy as the film demands, but he brings out the elegance and the strength of Ella Raines. Beebe guides J. Carroll Naish to a memorable character role as Lupin's detective nemesis, who is much sharper than his seemingly bumbling patter suggest. It's not a noir as much as a breezy romantic lark.
Temptation (1946), starring Merle Oberon as a scarlet woman married to a rich archeologist (George Brent) who is leading the exploration of an ancient tomb in Egypt, is more of a melodrama in the mold of The Letter. Korvin again costars, this time as an Egyptian fortune hunter (the ever-present fez marks his cultural identity) with whom she has an affair. He's the one who concocts the plot to murder the husband, using the curse of the mummy as a cover for his poison. It's all told in flashback by Oberon's tormented character, and her performance and her journey suggests lurid dimension that the film can't quite acknowledge. It's effectively directed by Irving Pichel. As a trivia note, it was the final feature released under the International Pictures banner before its merger with Universal, and was produced on the Universal lot.
As with previous releases, the films are remastered from vault elements in 2K but not restored. You'll see some wear and minor damage in portions of the films but the image quality is strong and the films look like well-preserved vintage movies
Features commentary on Street of Chance by film scholar and film studies professor Jason A. Ney, Enter Arsene Lupin by film historian Anthony Slide, and Temptation by film historian Kelly Robinson.
What kind of film collection would this title be suitable for?
Film noir buffs and fans of classic cinema will appreciate these rarities, which have never before been on home video.
What public library shelves would this title be on?
Libraries with collections of classic movies would benefit with the films in the collection, especially the clever Street of Chance and the handsome melodrama Temptation with the glamorous Merle Oberon.
What type of college/university professors would find this title valuable?
Street of Chance is fascinating film noir from early in the movement and the first feature based on a Cornell Woolrich story and would be of interest to film history and film noir courses and for classes in adapting stories to the screen.