Another Man's Poison (2 stars)

Another Man's Poison, from 1952, is a mystery/drama starring my absolute #1 gal, Bette Davis, and her then-husband Gary Merrill.  This film was made in England, with the Merrills making the trip there at the request of the movie's producer, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.  Directed by Irving Rapper, Another Man's Poison had been on my must-watch list for the past three years, but since I haven't been able to locate it on DVD and since TCM never has it on their schedule, I haven't had the opportunity to catch it...until recently, when I discovered it on YouTube.  Thrilled beyond belief to have finally tracked this movie down, I settled in to watch it with my daughter the other night; however, much as it pains me to say it, both daughter (who also loves the fabulous Bette) and I were extremely disappointed.  (I believe this is the first Bette Davis film I have ever 2-starred.)

Mystery writer Janet Frobisher (Davis) receives an unexpected, unannounced late night visitor---one George Bates (Merrill), who is looking for Frobisher's estranged husband, George Preston.  Bates and Preston had pulled off a robbery together, with Bates being fingered as the shooting suspect, and hoping to clear himself, he is in search of Preston.  Only problem is, Janet killed her husband that very morning. 

Convinced that the answer to his problems is to pose as Preston, Bates disposes of the body and then begins to masquerade as Janet's husband.  The charade is very much against Janet's will, however, as she not only despises Bates, but is also involved with another man.  She is determined to get Bates out of her life for good, and accomplishing that may just prove to be her undoing.

While Another Man's Poison sounds like an extremely interesting film, the plot is painfully slow-moving; also, much as I hate to say it, I found zero chemistry between Davis and Merrill.  While they had sizzled together in All About Eve, that same fire just wasn't anywhere to be found in this film.  Bette, as always, was in top form, but even a fabulous actress can't redeem a bad script or an agonizingly slow-moving plot.  The final four or five minutes, when all the twists and turns play out, is the most interesting part of this film.

As a major-huge Bette Davis fan, I absolutely had to view this movie, and I figure all Davis fans probably feel similarly.  So if you want to give this one a try, HERE is its YouTube link, where you will find the film in its entirety.

Happy viewing!!

Where the Sidewalk Ends (3 stars)

Where the Sidewalk Ends, from 1950, is a film noir directed by Otto Preminger, with Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney taking on starring roles and Gary Merrill in a supporting role.  It's not overly noir---more like a crime/drama---however, Net Flix classifies it as noir, so I'm calling it that too.

Mark Dixon (Andrews) is a police officer with an anger problem.  After the department receives several complaints about his assault on criminals, the officer is warned that he needs to learn to control himself.  One evening, though, while trying to get information from a suspect, Mark punches the man, and the blow ends up proving fatal.  Desperate to cover his crime and pin it on a known crime boss (Gary Merrill), Officer Dixon sets an elaborate scheme into motion.

After first making sure it appears that the dead man has gone out of town, Mark then disposes of the body.  As it turns out, though, taxi driver, Jiggs Taylor (Tom Tully)---not the intended mobster---becomes the prime suspect in the case.  Since Jiggs is the father of Morgan Taylor (Gene Tierney), the woman with whom Mark has recently become involved, Officer Dixon is forced to decide if he is going to allow Jiggs to take the fall for a crime he himself committed.

This is an interesting, entertaining movie, with Dana Andrews giving his usual solid performance.  Gene Tierney, quite honestly, didn't have much to do.  She's her usual beautiful, charming self, but, really, this was Andrews' film, leaving Tierney as hardly more than eye candy.  Still, though, her character is essential to the plot, and since she and Andrews worked well together, I think Gene fit the bill nicely.  Gary Merrill took well to the slimey, crime boss role; I found him very believable.

The film is out on DVD, and it is available on Net Flix instant viewing.  It's also available in its entirety on YouTube (HERE).   Add to that, Fox Movie Channel has been airing it quite often these past few weeks.  It should be very easy to track down.

Happy viewing!!