Road House (1948)

Road House (1948)

„Road House“ is a 1948 film noir directed by Jean Negulesco, the screenplay by Edward Chodorov is based on a story by Margaret Gruen and Oscar Saul.

Pete Morgan manages Lefty’s Road House for his longtime friend, Jefferson „Lefty“ Robbins, who inherited the place from his father. Lefty is attracted to Lily Stevens, his new singer from Chicago, but Pete thinks she’s just another in a long string of girls he’ll eventually have to send on her way when Lefty tires of her. For his part, however, Lefty is convinced that Lily is „different“, even though she’s playing hard to get.

Pete tries to pay Lily off and put her on a train. But she refuses to leave and makes a successful debut at the club, accompanying herself on piano. Lefty asks Pete to teach Lily how to bowl in the roadhouse’s alley, but she shows little interest in the sport and quite a bit more in Pete.

Susie Smith, the club’s cashier who is fond of Pete Morgan, becomes jealous of Lily. Before Lefty leaves on a hunting trip, he tells Lily that she is not like any other girl he has ever met. Lily tries to join Pete for a boat ride on a lake, but he refuses as she is „Lefty’s girl.“ Lily disputes that notion, so Pete arranges to pick her up later. Susie also goes along, although the women’s friendship is decidedly frosty. Later, Pete comes to Lily’s rescue when a drunk causes a scene at the club.

Lily and Pete share a passionate kiss. Pete loves her, and it is obvious she feels the same way. Their idyll is interrupted when Lefty shows Pete a marriage license he has obtained in his and Lily’s names. Pete tells Lefty that he and Lily are planning to be married. Lefty throws him out. Lily and Pete decide to leave the roadhouse together and he leaves a note stating that he has taken $600 owed to him.

At the railroad station, two policemen detain Pete and Lily. Lefty claims that the entire week’s receipts have been taken from the roadhouse’s safe, but Pete insists he took only $600. After Susie states that the receipts totaled $2,600, Pete is held for trial and Lily accuses Lefty of framing him.

Pete is tried and found guilty of grand larceny. Before sentencing, Lefty talks to the judge in private and persuades him to parole Pete into his custody. The judge announces that Pete will be on probation for two years, but will have his job back and will be obligated to repay Lefty from his paycheck. Pete and Lily realize that Lefty has them trapped.

Lefty plans a trip to his hunting cabin. Pete wants to cross the Canada–US border, which is only fifteen miles from the road house but Lily refuses to go along, convincing Pete that Lefty wants the two of them to argue and for Pete to run away. At his cabin, Lefty taunts Pete and Lily while fooling around with a rifle. Lily accuses Lefty of taking the missing money, so Lefty hits her. Pete retaliates by knocking him out. Lily decides that she will go with Pete to Canada, which is now only about two miles through the woods and across a stream, and they set off on foot. Susie, meanwhile, discovers a deposit envelope for the receipts in Lefty’s coat pocket, proof of Pete’s innocence and Lefty’s false testimony. She follows and finds the couple. As she gives the envelope to Pete, Susie is shot in the arm by Lefty, in pursuit.

In the foggy lakeside, Pete cranks up the motor on Lefty’s boat and sends it off empty. After Lefty wastes bullets shooting at the boat, Pete tries to grab his gun. Lily gets possession of it and shoots Lefty when he threatens to hit her with a boulder. As Lefty dies, he reminds Pete that he once told him that Lily was „different.“ Dawn breaks as Pete, Lily and Susie (in Pete’s arms) head out of the woods and back to civilization.

A 1948 American film-noir drama film directed by Jean Negulesco, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and Edward Chodorov, screenplay by Chodorov, story by Margaret Gruen and Oscar Saul, cinematography by Joseph LaShelle, starring Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm and Richard Widmark. Screen debut of Kathleen Hughes.

This was director Jean Negulesco’s first film for Twentieth Century-Fox. Negulesco had just been fired from Warners when Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck signed him to Fox and offered him this assignment.

Soundtrack music:
„One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)“ – Music by Harold Arlen, Lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Sung by Ida Lupino
„Again“ – Music by Lionel Newman, Lyrics by Dorcas Cochran, Sung by Ida Lupino
„The Right Kind“ – Music by Lionel Newman and Charles Henderson, Lyrics by Don George, Sung by Ida Lupino
„There’ll Be Some Changes Made“ – Written by Billy Higgins and W. Benton Overstreet, Sung by Ida Lupino
„Elsa’s Dream“ (Einsam in trüben Tagen) from „Lohengrin“ – Music and Lyrics by Richard Wagner, Played in the background while Lily and Pete are together
„Don’t Blame Me“ – Music by Jimmy McHugh, Played at Jefty’s just before Lily goes on

One of the best films of that era. The main attraction is the amazing performances by Ida Lupino, and Richard Widmark. Negulesco was able to capture it all in this tale …

Cast:

• Ida Lupino – Lily Stevens
• Cornel Wilde – Pete Morgan
• Celeste Holm – Susie Smith
• Richard Widmark – Jefferson T. „Jefty“ Robbins
• O.Z. Whitehead – Arthur
• Robert Karnes – Mike
• George Beranger – Lefty
• Ian MacDonald – Police Captain
• Grandon Rhodes – Judge
• Kathleen Hughes – Bar patron
• Louis Bacigalupi – Burly Drunk
• Harry Seymour – Desk Clerk
• Tom Moore – Foreman
• Edgar Caldwell – Man
• Jack Edwards – Man
• Don Kohler – Man
• Lee MacGregor – Man
• Heinie Conklin – Man with Newspaper / Court Clerk
• Marion Marshall – Millie
• James Metcalfe – Mr. Green
• Robert Cherry – Pinboy
• Charles Flynn – Policeman at Bus Depot
• Ray Teal – Policeman at Bus Depot
• Clancy Cooper – Policeman at Road House
• Robert Foulk – Policeman at Road House
• Jack G. Lee – Sam - Bartender
• Douglas Gerrard – Waiter
• Geraldine Jordan – Woman
• Kathleen O'Malley – Woman
• Blanche Taylor – Woman
• Cecil Weston – Woman

„Nachtclub-Lilly“ (Road House“ ist ein Film noir aus dem Jahr 1948 unter der Regie von Jean Negulesco. Das Drehbuch von Edward Chodorov basiert auf einer Geschichte von Margaret Gruen und Oscar Saul.

Pete Morgan leitet Lefty’s Road House für seinen langjährigen Freund Jefferson „Lefty“ Robbins, der das Lokal von seinem Vater geerbt hat. Lefty fühlt sich zu Lily Stevens, seiner neuen Sängerin aus Chicago, hingezogen, aber Pete glaubt, sie sei nur eine weitere in einer langen Reihe von Mädchen, die er irgendwann auf den Weg schicken muss, wenn Lefty ihrer überdrüssig wird. Lefty hingegen ist davon überzeugt, dass Lily „anders“ ist, auch wenn sie sich nicht so recht traut.