The Dark Corner

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The Dark Corner

Released Apr 9, 1946

1h 39m

Crime

Drama

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100%

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10 Reviews

72%

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1,000+ Ratings

When Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens), a tough private investigator, realizes that he's being followed, he confronts his assailant, a shifty fellow named Fred Foss (William Bendix). Galt's encounter with Foss leads to a web of intrigue involving prosperous art collector Hardy Cathcart (Clifton Webb) and his young wife, Mari (Cathy Downs). Soon Galt is in over his head -- but luckily for him, his tenacious secretary, Kathleen Stewart (Lucille Ball), is on hand to help him out.

Don Druker

Chicago Reader

A pretty good thriller.

Apr 3, 2009

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

Slant Magazine

No less than other noir classics, The Dark Corner is full of sadistic bits of business.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 24, 2005

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Donald Kirkley

Baltimore Sun

When the film, directed by Henry Hathaway, is good, it is very good indeed for this sort of uninhibited whodunit. It is sparked by a most engaging performance by Lucille Ball.

Nov 19, 2020

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

It's difficult to dismiss an early performance by Ball - and a serious one, after a string of comedies and musicals - before she would become immortalized as Lucy.

Rated: 9/10

Aug 5, 2020

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a compelling, surprisingly suspenseful little film noir.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 18, 2007

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jun 28, 2005

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acsdoug D

I thought this was a very good noir. In subpar noirs the detective finds himself embroiled with bad guys for some contrived, unconvincing reason, but in this one there's a very good plot device at work. Another nice surprise is Lucille Ball showing that she is not just a comedienne. Her tough dame portrayal is much more convincing than Mark Stevens' tough guy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/28/24

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Don B

Great movie but boy do I hate that kid with the kazoo

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/24

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Daniel S

Solid casting, intricate plot that moves along at a good pace, meaningful script. This film noir is a cut above others in the genre as the characters are better developed than in most film noir. Hitchcock's talent is clear here.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/29/23

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Tamy L

The movie is fun but Mark Stevens is awful stinkeroo. The rest of the cast is quite good.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/19/23

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Audience Member

Terrific film noir. Clever, sardonic, atmospheric, well paced and performed. Nothing here to complain about. Although they're only side characters, Bendix and Webb are the scene stealers.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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paul d

Henry Hathaway's The Dark Corner is a good crime thriller with lots of evocative NY location shots, a good supporting cast and an intricate plot. Lucille Ball lights up the proceedings every time she's on screen, with her combination of wit, grit and charm. The big downfall is the lead. Mark Stevens just doesn't cut it as a leading man, his acting at times seems forced and overdone.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Henry Hathaway

Director

Lucille Ball

Kathleen Stewart

Mark Stevens

Bradford Galt

Clifton Webb

Hardy Cathcart

William Bendix

Stauffer alias Fred Foss

Kurt Kreuger

Anthony Jardine

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Synopsis

When Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens), a tough private investigator, realizes that he's being followed, he confronts his assailant, a shifty fellow named Fred Foss (William Bendix). Galt's encounter with Foss leads to a web of intrigue involving prosperous art collector Hardy Cathcart (Clifton Webb) and his young wife, Mari (Cathy Downs). Soon Galt is in over his head -- but luckily for him, his tenacious secretary, Kathleen Stewart (Lucille Ball), is on hand to help him out.

Director: Henry Hathaway
Producer: Fred Kohlmar
Screenwriter: Jay Dratler, Bernard C. Schoenfeld
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 9, 1946, Original
Release Date (DVD): Dec 6, 2005
Runtime: 1h 39m