Product Details

• Actors: William Holden, Nina Foch, Lee J. Cobb, Adele Jergens, Stephen Dunne
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: RCA Columbia Pictures Home Video
• VHS Release Date: May 16, 2000
• Run Time: 75 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630282480X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #269,609 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Psychological chessmatch, February 9, 2006

By 

Cory D. Slipman (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dark Past [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"The Dark Past" is an underrated compelling psychological drama owing to the excellent acting performances by two terrific actors William Holden and Lee J. Cobb. The story surrounds the recounting by Cobb, a police psychiatrist, of an incident involving deranged killer and escaped convict Al Walker played by Holden.

Cobb at the time was a professor of psychology at a university. He had planned to spend the weekend at his country house with his family and some guests. Just at that time Holden had escaped from prison and travelling with his mob including girlfriend Betty played by Nina Foch, intending to hide out in the area. They break into Cobb's home holding the group hostage while waiting for a previously planned rendez-vous.

This set the stage for the interesting interplay between Cobb and Holden. Holden was a conflicted psychotic with a penchant for murder but unable to sleep due to recurring nightmares. His psychoses were tied to his past and so deeply ingrained as to cause paralysis of two of his fingers. Cobb, cool under the threat of violence at the hands of Holden, sincerely offered to help him work through his problems, analyzing the source of his dreams. Holden trusting Cobb's intentions and grudgingly subjecting himself to therapy is finally cured and in the process sedated, ultimately surrendering to authorities.

While the psychobabble espoused in the film is of an elementary, simplistic nature the interaction between the characters make it an interesting plot. The movie does get overly didactic at its conclusion with Cobb glorifying the benefits of psychotherapy in treating the criminal mind.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Through The Past Darkly, August 31, 2010

By 

Tom Without Pity (A Major Midwestern Metropolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Past [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a review for the VHS videotape of the 1948 film
noir drama, THE DARK PAST, directed by Rudolph Mate.
THE DARK PAST stars William Holden and Lee J. Cobb.

THE DARK PAST has its origins as a successful Broadway play
produced in 1935 titled "Blind Alley" which ran for over 100
performances and was produced as a 1939 film again called
BLIND ALLEY which was directed by Charles Vidor and starred
Chester Morris and Ralph Bellamy.

I think the chance to use sureal images in the manner of
postwar films to show dreams and mental images was one of the
reasons for filming this story again. Another reason was in
postwar Hollywood psychiatry was really coming into its own
as a possible cure for man's ills, and if you listen to Dr.
Andrew Collins, played by Lee J. Cobb, explanations of its
possibilities you might become convinced of its effectiveness.

THE DARK PAST concerns escaped killer Al Walker who with his gang
tales control of a roomy vacation home and its occupants, chief among
them psychiatrist and professor Dr. Andrew Collins, played by Lee J. Cobb.
In a plot that somewhat reminds me of THE PETRIFIED FORREST, the outlaws
have to wait for their ride to come along and as the hours go by
the professor has a chance to analyze the killer and his recurring dreams.

I think here's where noir comes in, Al Walker is in a trap because of
past incidences and can't escape what has happened to him. In fact
he keeps reliving it in surreal nightmares until Professor Collins
leads him to the light of reason and sanity but by then it's of
course too late for Al Wilson.

I know a lot of this seems dated but it is 1948 after all. THE DARK PAST
has a goodly share of tension and excitement and fine, believable performances
by all involved. I really enjoyed THE DARK PAST and give it a Four Star rating.

5.0 out of 5 stars If Your A Film Noir Fan,This Is Right Up Your Alley., January 29, 2012

By 

Brian - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dark Past [VHS] (VHS Tape)

DR Andrew Collins(Lee J Cobb)working with young street punks tells of a gangster,Al Walker(William Holden)who he once encountered while on vacation.
Walker,along with his mistress,Betty(Nina Foch)and his two thugs,Mike(Barry Kroeger)and Pete(Robert Osterloh)are planning to get across the border into Canada.Walker had escaped from prison.
The hideout is a summer cottage owned by the doctor where the gang are waiting for a boat to take them away.Dr Andrew and his family,Ruth(Lois Maxwell)Bobby(Bobby Hyatt)and several friends,Laura(Adele Jergens)her husband Frank(Wilton Graff)are also there.
DR Collins gains Walkers confidence when Collins finds Walker having crazy dreams and offers to help him.
Remake of Blind Alley 1939.(Chester Morris)