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Temptation Harbour (1947)

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6 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Reviewers contrasted this unfavourably with Renoir's La Bête Humaine, but Simenon's story, with the fates leading a well-intentioned hero to his destruction in the docks of Dieppe (here Newhaven), now looks like an interesting bridge between the gloomy French melodramas of the '30s and American film noir. Newton is the harbour signalman who retrieves a suitcase full of money after witnessing a murder, fails to report it to the police, and finds himself the object of murderous and mercenary interest. He gives a wonderfully tension-ridden performance, fleetingly caressing Simone Simon's slip, erupting into exasperated anger with the nervy Hartnell, but never allowing full expression to the lust and violence clearly visible beneath the kindly surface. The ending may appear disappointingly conformist, and Simone's bored femme fatale fails to fulfil her potential (despite having 'enough atomic energy in the lobes of her ears to flatten London'); but this is the price one has to pay for Comfort's dogged refusal to simplify, to sacrifice realism to melodrama, which is in itself interesting.

Author: RMy

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

Jennifer said...

Posted on Jan 28 2012 09:57 Thank you Guy. I will also check with the local Classic Film Club for info.

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Guy Budziak said...

Posted on Jan 27 2012 23:16 Jennifer:
There was an article online about the showing of this film in Folkestone. Unfortunately, in order to access this article you must pay (Kent Newspapers). You might want to contact the City of Folkestone for more information. There will likely be more media coverage of this event as we come closer to the actual date of the showing.

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Jennifer said...

Posted on Jan 27 2012 16:58 PLEASE can someone let me know when this film is to be shown in Folkestone. Gratefully, J

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eamonn rooney said...

Posted on Oct 27 2011 11:51 Hi Ken and Guy, You will be pleased to hear that a showable copy of this film has been found and it is expected to be shown in 2012 at Folkestone. Although the film is set in Newhaven, most of the scenes were shot in Folkestone.

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ken nichols said...

Posted on Apr 03 2011 15:11 i too am trying to see acopy of this film

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Guy Budziak said...

Posted on Jan 18 2009 19:22 How in the name of God does one get to see this film? I'd read about Temptation Harbour in Andrew Spicer's Film Noir book, and it sounds highly intriguing, with a great cast. This film is also given a full paragraph in Robert Murphy's essay British Film Noir found in the book European Noir (2007, Manchester University Press).

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