WHISTLE IN THE DARK

George Raft and Ava Gardner are lost in tepid 1946 drama.

A whistle stop, for any who don’t know, is a term for a small town, a place where a train pulls in for a few minutes before moving on. 1946’s Whistle Stop is based on Maritta M. Wolff’s acclaimed novel, published when she was just twenty-two. It was not only acclaimed, but controversial, as its frank language scandalized bluenoses of the era.

In the film, Ava Gardner returns from Chicago to her whistle stop home town and gets tangled up up with her ex, George Raft, who’s a gambler and all around shady guy. Tom Conway has feelings for Gardner and hates Raft, and the rivalry leads to big trouble as both try to win Ava’s affections. She doesn’t help the situation with her fickleness. Each time Raft makes her mad she turns to Conway. Nothing good can result when hearts are used as toys.

This is another one of those old films that, because it has some night scenes and a partial crime focus, is labeled on some sites as a film noir. That’s way off and you’ll be disappointed if you watch it expecting noir. It’s actually a melodrama, with star-crossed lovers, sweet violins, and a dance sequence set to the 1848 folk classic “Oh, Susanna.” Even Variety at the time called it “heavy melodrama.” There’s a heist in the film, but heists happened in the movies before, after, and outside film noir. Raft is supposed to take part in the robbery, which as a bonus would result in the death of his rival Conway. Think things work out as planned? Not quite. We wanted to like Whistle Stop, because Gardner is ravishing, but it’s not up to the standard of most old films. It premiered today in 1946.

Whistle Stop, Variety Magazine, George Raft, Ava Gardner, Tom Conway, Maritta M. Wolff, George Rozen, poster art, cinema, movie review

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