Wed 29 Jul 2009
THE WHOLE TRUTH. Columbia-UK, 1958. Stewart Granger, Donna Reed, George Sanders, Gianna Maria Canale, Michael Shillo. Screenwriter: Jonathan Latimer, based on a play by Philip Mackie. Directors: Dan Cohen, John Guillermin.
Whenever you see Jonathan Latimer’s name somewhere in the credits of a film, you know that movie lovers in general are going to have a good time with it, and mystery fans in particular. The Whole Truth, although 1958 was beginning to be a little late for a movie to be filmed in black-and-white, is no exception.
And although Stewart Granger’s career was on the downswing by the time he made this film — besides North to Alaska and a lot of work on TV and Europe, I don’t see very much else in his later list of credits — he still does a good job playing a film director in Europe having problems controlling the temper of his Italian leading lady, played briefly but most effectively by Gianna Maria Canale, an Italian leading lady herself (in one of her few English language appearances).
It also turns out that Granger, while now happily married to Donna Reed, once had a short affair with Miss Canale, and the latter is holding that over his head — give me my way, she says, or your wife? Behave, or I’ll tell her everything.
I say “briefly” because, this being a murder mystery, Miss Canale’s death comes very early on in the movie. It is very tempting to tell you exactly what George Sanders’ role is in this picture, but suffice it to say that Granger’s character is suspected, and it is up to Donna Reed’s to put up a good front. It is obvious that she has doubts, however, when his story begins to be challenged from all directions.
There are many twists and turns ahead, not all of them wholly believable, but with Latimer in charge, the characters are not idiots — far from it. Sanders, of course, out acts everyone on the set, as only he could whenever given half a chance. There is lots of fun in store if you watch this one — giving, as, I say your suspension of disbelief plenty of room to work, and even to wallow around in.
As for it being filmed in black-and-white, as pointed out in my first paragraph above, I really think the movie ought to have been made in color, even if a good portion of it takes place at night. It looks like a color film with the color turned off, if that makes sense, not a 1940s black-and-white film made by people who knew exactly how to make black-and-white films.
July 29th, 2009 at 12:43 am
This one is flawed, but great fun. Granger and Sanders are good playing off of each other and Reed takes what could be an unrewarding role and runs with it. Latimer keeps it all finely tuned, and the twists, if sometimes a bit unlikely, come so fast and so well handled by the cast you won’t care.
Granger still had a few good films in him after this and was very good in a made for television suspense film he made.
July 29th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Steve
Granger had one of his best films after this, The Secret Partner, a superior crime film. He also did Harry Black based on David Walker’s Harry Black and the Tiger, which I like even if no one else does, Sodom and Gomorah (which was a major Biblical epic even if Granger is a bit mis cast as Lot), Swordsman of Sienna (a good swashbuckler), Secret Invasion, Last Safari, Any Second Now (TVM from 1969 with Granger quite good), and his role in The Wild Geese, as well as many others of varying qualities. He did some television including as a regular on The Virginian.
And who can forget his Holmes in Hound of the Baskervilles (I know I’ve tried — though in fairness the fault isn’t his)?
Not long before his death he and ex wife and still close friend Jean Simmons had a popular and critically acclaimed run on Broadway in a Noel Coward revival of Private Lives. His autobiography did fairly well around the same time.