Customer Reviews

Crime of Passion

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Neat, tidy little B-picture about a woman who tries to push her husband up the ladder of success only to have it backfire on her. San Francisco newspaper writer Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) meets and quickly marries macho LA detective Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden) and finds herself plopped down in the middle of suburbia. This is all well and good until she finds her role relegated to the living room with the brainless other wives while the "boys" play poker in the kitchen. Being from a newspaper, she's used to being one of the boys and not one of the "little women". She finally snaps after one too many of these evenings and starts scheming to move her husband up in the department so she can be proud of him and mingle intelligently with the upper crust where she feels they belong. Her plans go beautifully until she runs up against her biggest obstacle, Bill's boss police chief Raymond Burr. They become close and one night he shows up at Kathy's while Bill's away and confides that he needs to retire and is looking for a replacement. Kathy siezes the opportunity to sell Bill as the replacement and commits the ultimate sacrifice via a one-night-stand with Burr thinking she's cinched the "deal" for Bill. But Burr has other plans---leaving Kathy horrified and guilty over what she's done. Her next move will be murder. Stanwyck always excelled at portraying strong, driven, ambitious women and Kathy is no exception. But the film has an obvious feminist slant unusual for the time. The director and Stanwyck make it clear what motivates Kathy and why she she goes over the edge. She loves her husband enough to go all out for him but smart enough to know that she will benefit too. She's too strong a woman to just sit around and mindlessly gossip over dresses, diets and phony aspirations. Her aspirations are real because she knows what she wants for herself and her husband. And it doesn't include cream cheese and olives. For Stanwyck fans, this is an interesting addition to her gallery of headstrong women with an agenda. It's not a "great" film but it's good and worth watching.

"Crime of Passion", it seems is never included in the pantheon of Stanwyck classics during any retrospective of her legendary career however it makes an interesting addition to her body of film work in the mid 1950's when meaty roles for maturing actresses like Stanwyck and Bette Davis were becoming increasingly scarse. Having to spend alot of her creative time in this period appearing in westerns or television, "Crime of Passion", in a way represented a return to the type of role Barbara had made her own, the non nonsense practical woman who could match a man every step of the way in intelligence and drive. While no great classic the film benefits from a powerful performance by the seasoned Stanwyck who always knew how to play both vulnerable and tough when the situation called for it. In "Crime of Passion", she begins as a fast talking, non nonsense newspaper columnist Kathy ferguson who has no time for romantic attachments. Underneath however is a woman who wants to be loved and when the opportunity for the usual option of marriage and family offers itself Kathy impulsively jumps at it. However following that "traditional", path has its pitfalls which leads Kathy into a nightmarish world of ambition, infidelty and murder. Here is where the real power of "Crime of Passion", sits as it shows an ambitious driven woman who to "improve", the very different man she marries, is prepared to involve herself in murder to make it happen. Alot of societies expectations of this mid 1950's era, of who and what men and women "should", be are vividly brought to life in this screenplay which makes "Crime of Passion", an intriguing snapshot of another time and set of expectations.

The story opens with Kathy Ferguson (Stanwyck), leading the sort of independant, no frills life she enjoys. She is a columnist on a San Francisco newspaper offering advice to the love lorn. She is successful and respected and operates very well within a traditional man's world of journalism. When some LA detectives are brought in on a case where Kathy has been offering advise to the woman of a wanted man Kathy's life is changed forever when she encounters affable Police Lt.Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden), along with his arrogant superior Capt. Charlie Alidos (Royal Dano),who believes women should only be concerned about cooking and caring for their husbands. Bill makes a refreshing change from the usual ruff and tumble crowd Kathy is used to and before much time has passed Kathy finds herself not only resigning her position on the newspaper to be with Bill, but also marrying him and moving out into the suburban life in the San Fernando Valley. However domestic bliss as the house wife with the picture postcard suburban home soon pales for Kathy as she begins to realise very quickly the mind numbing existence she is trapped in. Not only does her domestic routine appear drab and predictable but is seems that Bill very quickly settles into this type of non challenging existence and has no desire to try an improve himself. Kathy's own intelligence is also put to the test when she must endure endless evenings of silly small talk with the other police men's wives who's thoughts dont go beyond new dresses and things to do with their homes. Kathy quickly realises she needs to take matters into her own hands to get Bill into the type of responsible positions she feels he is capable of away from this suffocating existence. Kathy sees that the real person who could make a difference is Police Captain Tony Pope (Raymond Burr)and she sets out to win over both him and his wife Alice (Fay Wray)in her plan to get Bill promoted out of his mundane job. Becoming increasingly desperate to improve things in their lives Kathy learns that Tony Pope is planning on retirement so she uses every means at her disposal to win his job for Bill. Being of a similiar character Kathy and Tony square off against each other with few illusions which ultimately results in them having a short affair which Kathy naively believes will secure Bill the coveted place in the Police hierachy. Tony however has his own private views on who should succeed him in the top position and when it becomes obvious to Kathy that Tony has no intention of naming Bill as his successor things definately turn ugly. Discarded as a momentary fling by Tony Kathy resorts to the most permanent of solutions for her problems,... murder. However this supposed solution to her situation has the opposite effect where all her schemes unravel and she eventually not only looses her marriage but finds herself convicted of murder in the first degree.

A vintage noir drama "Crime of Passion", certainly is with the usual twists and turns in the sometimes incredible proceedings but it is the performances that make it interesting viewing. Barbara Stanwyck is right at home in this type of character who is ruler of her own destiny and is smart and forward thinking. Despite her at times odd chemistry with the much more placid Sterling Hayden playing her husband the two generally combine well together while Hayden would certainly never be listed among Stanwyck's more memorable leading men. Raymond Burr in a pre "Perry Mason", acting role does well as the hardnosed Police Chief who sees through Kathy's devious thinking and pays the ultimate price for standing in her way. The scenes between Burr and Barbara Stanwyck surprisingly bristle with a real sexual tension one does not expect from one of televisions most loved personalities. "Crime of Passion", also has on offer two veteran actresses playing most interesting supporting characters here in Fay Wray as Alice the unsuspecting wife of Burr's character who befriends Kathy and Virginia Grey as Sara Alidos, Kathy's rival in her quest to have Bill promoted. Both veteran actresses have some of their best later career scenes here in particular when they are performing with Barbara Stanwyck. Perhaps the main weakness in "Crime of Passion", is the sudden turn arounds that Barbara Stanwyck's character experiences. Never for one moment can you really see her Kathy Ferguson settling for a life in suburbia however that does makes an interesting point about the role of even ambitious women at this time which most often tied their futures in with marriage and families. Also Kathy's sudden transformation into a murderess even when she realises all her plans would certainly come to nothing is a bit hard to fathom when watching it. However the often unlikely proceedings make this story great viewing and it contains an interesting late career Barbara Stanwyck performance. This film effort did at least did provide this veteran actress with a role far better than many of the others she was forced to take around this time, like alot of other maturing actresses in order to remain working.

I always enjoy Barbara Stanwyck's work in any genre she tackles and film noir is idealy suited to her. Certainly "Crime of Passion", came along quite late in her starring career but I believe late Stanwyck is better than no Stanwyck at all. Watching her play a scheming minx is always enjoyable and when blackmail or murder are thrown in you are guaranteed a enjoyable viewing experience. Supported by an interesting and most able supporting cast the star here manages to make something worthwhile of both her character and the proceedings. For a good dose of intrigue and to see the original tough lady Barbara Stanwyck in one of her many anti-heroine roles you are sure to enjoy United Artists "Crime of Passion".

"Crime of Passion" is a solid basic film noir. It lacks much of the dark exteriors, night shots, strange camera angles and gloomy interiors of a complete noir film but this is still the real thing. Barbara Stanwyck is a successful newspaper columnist in San Francisco. She impulsively marries an L.A. cop, Sterling Hayden. The suddenness of the marriage might signal some future "problems". The newlyweds settle down to a neat little suburban house, which would appear right at home on an "Ozzie and Harriet" set. Hayden is happy as a clam but not the Mrs! She wants more! She quickly becomes bored with the stilted little dinner parties and catty gossip of the other police wives. Who could blame her! Then Stanwyck over reaches! She has an affair with her hubby's boss. The intent was getting him a promotion. The guy is none other than Raymond Burr, the soon to be Perry Mason of 50s TV fame. Can we imagine Perry getting involved with a hot girl like Barbara? This reviewer is straining not to give away the ending, so I'll just reveal that matters start to unravel. At least one person winds up dead! The gossip columnist is out of her league. Her ploy does not exactly work. The hard-nosed ending is quite satisfying and in line with 40s and 50s cop/noir films. A star is subtracted for the rather sudden "resolution". 2 final notes: True crime fans may be appalled at one especially egregious example of shoddy police work. Does anyone remember the term "protection of evidence"? No wonder O.J. walked 35 years later! Silver and Ward's "Film Noir" states that CP was a prime example of the "malaise infecting suburbia" in the 1950s. While that does not apply to Hayden it certainly does to his conniving spouse. If only she had stayed in San Francisco!

This review is for the 2003 MGM DVD

Barbara Stanwyck stars as Kathy Ferguson, an ambitious, independent woman who writes a relationship advice column for a San Francisco newspaper. While on the job, she gets a different assignment dealing with a Los Angeles police investigation and through some savvy detective work, helps the out of town detectives crack the case. One of the policemen is Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden) and they quickly fall for each other. But at the same time, Kathy just accepted a job with a prestigious New York paper and is clearly conflicted between going east or continuing a relationship with Bill. On impulse they elope and Kathy becomes a housewife for Bill in suburban Los Angeles. It doesn't take too long for Kathy to realize that she's too ambitious and too liberated to be a stand-by-your-man spouse and quickly devises some schemes to push Bill up the business ladder. This sets up the rest of the film where things go wildly out of control.

The movie is in some ways a slice of life picture of life in the later 1950's. The social gatherings are segregated so that the women calmly chat in one room while the men recreate and discuss business in another room. I'm sure some people viewing this movie today would argue that the Kathy Ferguson character was an oppressed victim rather than a greedy, drunk for power wife. The movie has plenty of good acting, especially from one of my all time favorite actors Raymond Burr. The irony of the movie is that this "relationship coach" turned out to be the most dysfunctional character imaginable. It's overall a very good movie, but not a great one for me. Perhaps its because the ending plays it too much by the book and also it's a bit heavy handed since it portrays housewives in the `50's as shallow, simple minded, and boring.

As for the DVD, the B&W full screen picture was near pristine with minimal graininess or contrast problems. The DVD did not have any bonus material.


Movie: B

DVD Quality: A-

Barbara Stanwyck was an actress of formidable talent, she was subtle, and elegant, yet she could bluster and lose control and do it with so much grace and grandeur. In Crime of Passion a 50's noir potboiler, Stanwyck plays a popular San Francisco newspaper columnist named Kathy Ferguson. Fiercely independent, Kathy prides herself on the fact that she's a career girl, and that she hasn't resorted, like most other women of her generation, to settling down to cook and clean for a man.

All this changes however, when she meets and falls in love with hunky detective LA Police detective Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden). Whisked off to suburban Los Angeles, Kathy finds it hard adjusting to life as a policeman's housewife, and she's frustrated at her husband's lack of ambition. It doesn't take long for the droning petty misery of suburban life and the stifling social puddle of the detective's wives to steadily unbalance her.

Without her husband's knowledge, she uses her feminine wiles to help advance his career - cleverly conspiring to associate with Alice Pope (Fay Wray) so as to get close to Chief of Detectives Tony Pope (Raymond Burr), Bill's boss. Bill remains ignorant of Kathy's dangerous schemes even when they result in him being unfairly pushed ahead of his more-qualified Captain, Charlie Alidos (Royal Dano). Things really spiral out of control when Kathy starts to put the moves on the retiring Chief Pope, in the hope that he will place Bill first on the LAPD's short list for his job.

Although the story isn't remotely believable, and the Lady Macbeth-like themes are indeed quite bizarre, the film is mostly worth watching for Stanwyck's fine performance as Kathy. She starts out as a tough, wisecracking, and no nonsense newspaperwoman, who is quick to put male chauvinist cops in their pace, and then she quietly turns into this macabre, coolly manipulative woman, who will stop at nothing to advance the career of her straight-shooting but unimaginative husband.

Made in 1957 and in a time when there was much discussion over the role of women in the workforce, Crime of Passion brings feminist issues right to the forefront. Kathy's far too cool to be shaken by conservative detective Dano's assertion that she belongs in a home cooking some man's supper. But she's getting on in years and must be feeling the need to marry, because she lands a man of her own almost before she knows what's happened. And it's quite remarkable that she jumps into the role of dutiful wife without so much as taking a breath.

Director Gerd Oswald gives us a tough and uncompromising look at 1950's suburban middle class life. Kathy is forced to live in a wasteland - here's a woman who is used to working with intelligent and creative people, now all she has for company is her doltish but loyal husband - when she can get to see him - and a bunch of gaggling unsophisticated detective wives for company; they're shallow women that seem do little more than praise the big boss and butter up the hen at the top of their pecking order.

To give away much more of the plot would be to destroy the viewer's enjoyment of this compelling film, but suffice to say as Kathy becomes even more unhinged, and her straight-jacketed life becomes too much for her, she resorts to terrible ends to get her way; this intelligent and supposedly sophisticated woman just can't accept a man without ambition. You really believe that a high flier like Kathy could fall in love with a man like Bill and then imprudently push him beyond his limits.

Barbara Stanwyck and Sterling Hayden are terrific together and there's a real chemistry going on here. Bill loves Kathy unconditionally and just wants her to be happy, but Kathy's fatal mistake is that she can't accept her husband for who he is. It is to Barbara's credit that she plays the role straight, without resorting to camp. And Sterling Hayden is a revelation as Bill. He's a sort of a sensitive stalwart, a Mr. nice guy who knows he's just good enough to do his job and is comfortable with that.

Crime of Passion is bleak and cynical in its portrayal of the claustrophobic aspects of suburbia, especially in the way that women were stifled intellectually and creatively. Full of existential angst and fuelled by a sort of quasi-macho misogyny, the film is a powerful and commanding depiction of a middle-class 50's marriage gone terribly wrong. Mike Leonard February 06.

Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) is a popular advice columnist for a San Francisco newspaper. Career-minded and unmarried, Kathy has a certain disdain for the housewives with whom she professes to sympathize in print. But when a murder suspect confides in her, Kathy is able to turn the woman in to the two Los Angeles police detectives who were on her trail. Her role in capturing a fugitive is a boon to Kathy's career, and she's offered a better job in New York. But Kathy has fallen in love with one of the police detectives on the murder case, Lieutenant Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden), a steadfast, unassuming man of whom Kathy says, "I don't think you'll get very far, but you're a nice guy." She gives up her career to marry Bill, make him happy, and keep his home in suburban Los Angeles. But she is soon frustrated by the tedium of bourgeois dinner parties and policemen's wives.

"Crime of Passion" is a female melodrama where violence and hysteria invade the idyllic post-war suburbs. What starts out as an advocacy of women leaving their careers to be homemakers, personified in Bill Doyle's chauvinistic partner Captain Charlie Alidos (Royal Dano), doesn't turn out that way. Kathy is an ambitious, self-possessed woman trapped in suburbia with nothing to do but have ambitions for her husband. She becomes obsessive and neurotic, but is as driven as she ever was. Uh oh. It's hard to say if "Crime of Passion" sympathizes with Kathy Ferguson, as a victim of ridiculous and stifling expectations, or makes her out to be an immoral monster because she's selfish and ambitious. Perhaps both.

Barbara Stanwyck gives Kathy the necessary force and hysteria, but it is painfully obvious that she is 15 years too old for the role. Her face is a mass of crow's feet in some scenes, and her neck is always covered. The hideous frosted hairdo doesn't help. Handsome Sterling Hayden looks downright ungroomed and unappealing. Raymond Burr, who is terrific as police Inspector Tony Pope, the one person who understands Kathy's character, appears younger than the film's 2 stars and is supposed to be older. Well, the actors' appearances wouldn't matter if they were not actually distracting. And Stanwyck and Hayden are perfectly cast otherwise. The film's final crime-solving sequence is contrived and implausible, but "Crime of Passion" features a captivating supporting effort from Raymond Burr, a passable performance from Barbara Stanwyck, and some interesting themes. There are no bonus features on the MGM 2003 DVD. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish.

With the exception of Joan Crawford, no-one could play the homicidal housewife more effectively than Barbara Stanwyck. CRIME OF PASSION (1957), based on a story by Jo Eisinger, is a great throwback to the noir thrillers of the 1940s, with Stanwyck delivering an amazing performance.

Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck, "Stella Dallas", "Ball of Fire") is a successful newspaper columnist who abandons her career to marry Los Angeles police lieutenant Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden, "Johnny Guitar"). Despite all her best efforts, married life doesn't come easily for Kathy. She's driven to the brink, enduring the police wives' banal small-talk, and the endless poker games of Bill and his colleagues.

Kathy decides to invest her time by helping Bill achieve his full potential within the police force - one rung at a time. But by ingratiating herself with the police chief and his wife (Raymond Burr and Fay Wray), Kathy only causes further hostility between Bill and his co-workers. When the chief announces plans for retirement, Kathy seduces him in an effort to clinch the deal for Bill to succeed him; but when the plan backfires, Kathy resorts to murder...

CRIME OF PASSION gave Barbara Stanwyck the chance to revive the kind of murderous noir heroines that had marked some of her greatest movies ("Double Indemnity", "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers"). Sterling Hayden does what he can to provide distiction as Kathy's weak-willed milquetoast husband. Former movie queens Fay Wray and Virginia Grey are sadly forced into thankless supporting roles; indeed they are hardly noticeable here.

The photography is superb, capturing the low roofs and picket fences of mundane suburbia (Kathy's self-inflicted prison). For fans of noir cinema, CRIME OF PASSION will be an entertaining title for the collection; fans of Barbara Stanwyck will naturally love it too.

(Single-sided, single-layer disc).

Ace San Francisco newspaper columnist Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) cracks a big murder case and is offered a prestigious job on a New York paper. Opting for love over ambition, she instead marries Los Angeles homicide detective Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden), leaving her, as she breathlessly tells him, with one ambition left - `to make you happy.'
A tender sentiment, but Barbara Stanwyck rarely walked through any movie with a single ambition. Even if Stanwyck's newlywed avowal is as portentous as Arnie telling a police clerk that he'll be back, it's expressive of more ambition than her husband can muster. While the housebound Kathy is slowly melting down in the dining room, chatting stuffed olives and chiffon dresses with the girls, husband Bill is contentedly debating the merits of the retirement plan with his work pals in the kitchen. If Bill isn't going anywhere it's fine enough with him. Another fifteen, twenty years on the force and he'll be able to retire with full benefits.
Enter Police Inspector Tony Pope (Raymond Burr). Enter the story, anyway. The Doyle's aren't quite in Pope's social set, and from the looks of it Pope doesn't go slumming too often. It's only when Pope goes a-knocking at a door that he ought to have stayed away from, sickly wife or no, that CRIME OF PASSION gains some last act momentum and lives up, or down, to its melodramatic title.
CRIME OF PASSION is an indictment of suburbia and suburban values, including marriage. It's a portrait of a socially ambitious woman married to a behind-the-curve, slug of a husband. It's a star vehicle for femme fatale par excellence Stanwyck, ably abetted by a strong, understated cast.

United Artists presents "CRIME OF PASSION" (9 January 1957) (84 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Kathy (Barbara Stanwyck) is a smart and tough 1950's advice columnist at a San Francisco newspaper, with her name plastered on billboards all over the city --- One day, Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden), a Los Angeles detective, walks into her office and there is instant attraction --- After marrying Bill, Kathy gives up her career and becomes a homemaker --- However, she is not your typical 1950's homemaker --- After hosting several cocktail parties in their San Fernando Valley home, she realizes that Bill is content with his position, and shows no ambition in furthering himself --- Kathy will not sit idly by while everyone around her is "moving up in the world" --- She personally takes upon herself the task of pushing Bill's career along, even if it comes down to murder.

Sterling Hayden: ever the maverick, ever the individual - he preferred to sail his yacht around the world rather than act in movies. Yet despite his lack of interest in film, he was lauded and chased by the very finest directors: John Huston, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola & Stanley Kubrick. In each of his roles, Hayden's individuality showed forth whatever the genre of film: noir, adventure, western & swashbuckler.

Under the production staff of:
Gerd Oswald [Director]
Jo Eisinger [Screenwriter]
Jo Eisinger [Story]
Herman Cohen [Producer]
Robert Goldstein [Executive Producer]
Paul Dunlap [Original Film Music]
Joseph LaShelle [Cinematographer]
A. Leslie Thomas [Art Director]

BIOS:
1. Gerd Oswald [Director]
Date of Birth: 9 June 1919 - Berlin, Germany
Date of Deatth: 22 May 1989 - Los Angeles, California

2. Barbara Stanwyck (aka: Ruby Catherine Stevens)
Date of Birth: 16 July 1907 - Brooklyn, New York
Date of Death: 20 January 1990 - Santa Monica, California

3. Sterling Hayden [aka: Sterling Relyea Walter]
Date of Birth: 26 March 1916- Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Date of Death: 23 May 1986 - Sausalito, California

the cast includes:
Barbara Stanwyck - Kathy Ferguson Doyle
Sterling Hayden - Police Lt. Bill Doyle
Raymond Burr - Police Inspector Anthony (Tony) Pope
Fay Wray - Alice Pope
Virginia Grey - Sara Alidos
Royal Dano - Police Capt. Charlie Alidos
Robert Griffin - Police Sgt. James
Dennis Cross - Police Sgt. Jules
Jay Adler - Mr. Nalence
Stuart Whitman - Laboratory Technician
Malcolm Atterbury - Police Officer Spitz
Robert Quarry - Sam, Reporter

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 84 min on DVD ~ United Artists ~ (12/02/2003)

Stanwyck is an amitious malcontent. She's married to Sterling Hayden a handsome, complacent L.A. cop who's content to do what he's been doing: clearing the streets of "gunsels." This lack of ambition drives Stanwyck to desperate measures. She tries to convince Raymond Burr, who will ultimately decide who gets the job, that her husband deserves it and that she's willing to do "anything" to see that he gets it. Burr allows her to give her all, than decides to give the job to Royal Dano. When Stanwyck asks him why, he answers that Hayden isn't up to it. But Dano is? The answer is yes and is final.

So, like a thwarted Lady McBeth, she ... well, I'll let you see for yourself. The performances are all topnotch, with special honors to Hayden, Dano and Burr. Thoroughly engrossing.