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      Tension

      1949 1h 31m Crime Drama List
      Reviews 65% Audience Score 250+ Ratings Warren Quimby (Richard Basehart) manages a drugstore while trying to keep his volatile wife, Claire (Audrey Totter), happy. However, when Claire leaves him for a liquor store salesman, Warren can no longer bear it. He decides to assume a new identity in order to murder his wife's lover without leaving a trace. Along the way, his plans are complicated by an attractive neighbor (Cyd Charisse), as well as a shocking discovery that opens up a new world of doubts and accusations. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      Bosley Crowther New York Times It rambles from one thing to another in a most unsuspenseful way and ends with a shattering revelation which you can see coming a half-hour in advance. Rated: 1.5/5 Dec 11, 2007 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The tension seemed real. Rated: B- Apr 29, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      deke p 1949! RICHARD BASEHART! Thriller with lots tension. Seen it on tv a couple times. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member AudreyTotter sizzles in an otherwise bland noir. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Believable, and script holds up well even today. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review william s Watchable but not that watchable.A very average noir for the time that only gets exposed for it averageness as time passes. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member There's nothing too special here, but it's an entertaining enough noir. Audrey Totter plays a materialistic woman cheating on her pharmacist husband (Richard Basehart), a nice guy who is crushed when she leaves him for another man. He assumes an alter ego based on a brand new technology (contact lenses!), and plots revenge. Along the way he meets a nice girl (Cyd Charisse), who puts a delightful wrinkle in his plans. Totter has a wonderfully strong edge in this film, scheming and openly defiant of her husband. The scene where she appears with eyes flashing in the mirror is probably the film's strongest. Unfortunately the rest of the cast don't keep up with her. Barry Sullivan is reasonably strong as the detective, as is William Conrad as his sidekick, but he lacks a little in the 'tough guy' department. I liked seeing Charisse who has such a fresh face and is so likeable, but I'm not sure how deep her character or performance was. Other than Totter, there's just something missing, some grit or hardness, which prevents this from being a very good or great film. Also, quite a bit of the rest of the plot is telegraphed, and without a lot of subtlety. As for direction, it's decent, and the shots in the pharmacy and the street outside of it are good, as there is so much detail in the entire frame during these scenes. There was also something that was interesting about seeing a more obscure, 'B' film noir, which never committed any major errors, even if it didn't hit any homeruns. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review stu b Not nearly as tense as its title implies, but still quite watchable. When peroxide blonde party girl Audrey Totter steps out on mild-mannered husband Richard Basehart, he dons an unconvincing disguise and sets out to murder her lover. No sooner does Basehart have second thoughts, however, than lover-boy is shot by someone else, drawing the attention of a pair of cynical cops played by Barry Sullivan and William Conrad; after a long game of cat-and-mouse, the killer is finally arrested. (Although the culprit's identity is no great surprise, I won't reveal it here.) Basehart is fine, noir queen Totter (bearing more than a passing resemblance to a very young and very blonde Carolyn Jones) turns in a richly detailed performance that practically screams "dame", and Sullivan and Conrad do yeoman's work as the detectives. Also starring a radiant Cyd Charisse (in a non-dancing role) as Basehart's brand-new, true-blue girlfriend. Too many plot holes, but nicely paced, beautifully photographed, and a worthy addition to the film noir genre. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/09/18 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Tension

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Warren Quimby (Richard Basehart) manages a drugstore while trying to keep his volatile wife, Claire (Audrey Totter), happy. However, when Claire leaves him for a liquor store salesman, Warren can no longer bear it. He decides to assume a new identity in order to murder his wife's lover without leaving a trace. Along the way, his plans are complicated by an attractive neighbor (Cyd Charisse), as well as a shocking discovery that opens up a new world of doubts and accusations.
      Director
      John Berry
      Screenwriter
      Allen Rivkin, John Berry
      Production Co
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
      Genre
      Crime, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (DVD)
      Jul 31, 2007
      Runtime
      1h 31m