Customer Reviews

Portrait in Black [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A faithless wife(Lana Turner) conspires with her lover(Anthony Quinn) to murder her wealthy husband(Lloyd Nolan). The dastardly duo carry out the dirty deed well enough for the unsuspecting hubby is most assuredly dead; however, after the dearly departed's funeral, someone starts to blackmail them. The premise of this suspense melodrama is rather ordinary, but it is given a considerable lift by splendid decor and an agreeable cast. It's slickly produced by the distinguished Ross Hunter who worked with star Lana Turner a year before on the classic soaper IMITATION OF LIFE. Empty-headed, yet irresistable Hollywood entertainment.

Producer Ross Hunter was responsible in the late 1950's and early 1960's of reviving the careers of numerous top flight leading ladies that had earlier experienced lulls in their careers. He totally transformed the career of Doris Day with the classic "Pillow Talk",in 1959. Another of his successful collaborations was with veteran actress Lana Turner who starred in a series of highly glossy and very successful dramas for Hunter. "Portrait in Black", marked their second collaboration after the highly successful "Imitation of Life", the previous year. While certainly not as strong a film as that effort "Portrait in Black", is a beautiful looking, highly entertaining melodrama involving infidelity, murder, and deceit set against the plush surroundings of San Francisco's exclusive Nob Hill district. Lana Turner had one of her better 1960's roles in this film and of course being a Ross Hunter production no expense was spared in displaying his glamourous leading lady to perfection in beautiful clothes designed by Jean Louis, furs and jewels all set off with very flattering lighting courtesy of Russell Metty. Indeed his productions have a 1930's look to them

In "Portrait in Black", Lana Turner plays beautiful Sheila Cabot unhappily married to ruthless shipping magnate Matthew Cabot (Llyod Nolan). Neglected by her unlikeable and highly suspicious husband who keeps her on a tight leash Sheila begins a clandestine affair with the family doctor David Rivera (Anthony Quinn). It appears the affair is doomed to go nowhere as the pair have to meet secretly in David's apartment or in stores for time together. When David is offered a great medical opportunity in Switzerland the pair decide that rather than be seperated they have to take drastic action to be together and hatch a plot to murder Matthew and cover up the deed saying it was death by natural causes. Matthew administers a lethal injection however things are not smooth sailing for the pair after Matthew's death as Sheila begins to receive threatening notes in the mail which offer "congratulations on the success of your murder plans". Naturally the pair begin to see black mailers at every turn. Who knows of their guilt in the family circle? Is it Sheila's haughty disapproving housekeeper Tawny (Anna May Wong) or her unreliable driver Cobb (Ray Walston) who is riddled with gambling debts and would not shy away from black mail? Or could it be Sheila's remote step daughter Cathy (Sandra Dee)?Complication piles on complication for the pair and when suspicion falls on Cabot executive Howard Mason (Richard Basehart) , who has a passion for Sheila, it again leads to murder pulling Sheila and David further and further into the quagmire of criminial activity. After having disposed of Howard's body after a perilous drive to Carmel where Sheila is forced to drive one of the cars despite never having driven one before the real story of the blackmailing notes comes out. David learns tragically that his second murder of Howard was not even necessary for keeping their guilt quiet and that Shelia through her fear of losing David and attempting to tie him closer to her has actually ruined everything. Cathy by accident overhears the pair talking about their guilt and after attempting to call the police in an exciting climax escapes from a crazed David out onto the roof where a tragedy of a different kind results freeing her forever from the malignant influences around her.

At first glance legendary Hollywood glamour queen Lana Turner and roughly hewn Anthony Quinn would appear to make an oddly matched romantic screen couple but both actually combine well in the frantic proceedings in "Portrait in Black". Both are perfectly cast with Turner excelling in the emotional stakes and Quinn being ideal for the more excitable action elements to this story. The movie moves along at an exciting pace, in particular in the second half as suspicion of all the characters increases and as the two get more and more deeply incriminated in the murderous proceedings. The story presses the ironic situation of what was supposed to give them their happiness, ie being free of Matthew Cabot, actually being their complete undoing as they are forced to commit repeat murders. The viewer really is drawn wholeheartedly into these exciting developments. The screenplay contains many intriguing moments such as Lana Turner's frightening drive out to the coast to dump Howard's body and you really feel her terror as she must manage a car when she has never driven one before during a rain storm and has to drive it around dangerously winding roads. Another terrific moment is when Cathy learns of the pairs murderous activity and tries to escape a by now deranged David over the steep rooftop. Many enjoyable red herrings are thrown in to distract the viewer and in that area the sterling work of veteran actress Anna May Wong in her last screen appearance and especially Ray Walston playing a slimy character who as it turns out is totally innocent are first rate and keep you guessing almost up to the stories climax. Ross Hunter had a way with creating beautiful looking productions and apart from the lavish set and costume design the film benefits greatly from on location photography around many parts of San Francisco and the Carmel area.

"Portrait in Black", maybe a glossy melodrama of the old school but it has many exciting moments that will thrill any lover of murder mysteries in high society. Lana Turner was totally suited to these super glamourous, highly melodramatic Ross Hunter efforts and the two had an even greater success together later in 1966 with the classic soap opera "Madame X". "Portrait in Black", not for a second should be taken seriously but the fast moving story guarantees a most satisfying viewing experience. Old style melodrama is rare these days and films produced the way they used to be with no expense spared on the films general look come no better than "Portrait in Black". Check it out sometime you wont be disappointed.

Super campy PORTRAIT IN BLACK is, in a nutshell, about a married woman (Turner, of course) who loves too much a celibate doc (the ever intense Anthony Quinn) who's really not that into her but more into himself. Indeed, the guy's a complete narcissistic douchebag. Who in their right mind would off a man, then another, then almost kill a young woman (goodie two-shoes Sandra Dee) just for the sake of owning hysterical, co-dependent but always great-looking, even in a crisis, Turner. Pretty delusional if you ask this reviewer. But that's exactly what connoisseur of ultra glam movies Ross Hunter wants us to believe in his over the top production number penned by original "Charlie's Angels" co-creator Ivan Goff and directed by PILLOW TALK fame Michael Gordon. Yes siree, what those people behind PORTRAIT IN BLACK wish most is to captivate us with such fast speeding plot and lacquered situations that even bad movie experts like yours truly will overlook (or feel stunned by) the sheer stupidity of it all (nice try, though). But the best part in watching this impressive fiasco is witnessing la Turner completely losing it. When she's not overacting while nervously pushing back her curls, she's being slapped, hair pulled, thrown across the room and even reflection-shattered by a thrown candlestick in a mirror, all done by her entourage of men, no less. And if that's not enough, her hilarious attempt at driving a car without a permit is the tip of the celluloid iceberg. Everything from a blackout to a sudden thunderstorm to cops showing up occur in this overlong scene. That, plus a Turner fit of all fits in front a precipice makes PORTRAIT IN BLACK a definite must in bad cinema magic.-----Martin Boucher

A bit over the top but fun.
Don't try to buy any of the plot just enjoy the lush production values.
Silliest moment Lana tries to drive in the rain.

In Lana Turner, producer Ross Hunter found the ideal leading lady for a series of florid, lush melodramas, beginning in 1959 with "Imitation of Life", the movie which re-ignited Turner's waning box office appeal. The following year, Hunter reunited Turner with her "Imitation" daughter Sandra Dee for the murder mystery PORTRAIT IN BLACK. Costumed by Jean Louis and surrounded by a stunning cast including Anthony Quinn, Richard Basehart and Anna May Wong, it was clear that Lana was back on-form and relishing her second wind.

In PORTRAIT IN BLACK (based on a 1947 play by Ivan Goff), Turner plays Sheila, the second wife of ruthless, embittered shipping tycoon Matthew Cabot (Lloyd Nolan). Matt is dying, and the death can't come soon enough for Sheila, who has grown weary of Matt's blazing temper and suspicious mind. Unbeknownst to the rest of the household, Sheila is carrying on an affair with Dr. David Rivera (Anthony Quinn) - who'se also eager for the old codger to fall off the twig - so he administers a lethal concoction in lieu of Matt's daily injection... The deed goes off without a hitch, until a few days later when Sheila receives a hand-printed letter, congratulating the widow on the "success of her murder". Sheila and David's lovelife slowly unravels as the pair attempts to track a mysterious blackmailer whilst the body-count rises...

With a slight nod to Lana Turner's film noir masterpiece "The Postman Always Rings Twice", PORTRAIT IN BLACK is a gorgeously-filmed mystery thriller which had me riveted right to the end. Sandra Dee co-stars as Sheila's stepdaughter Cathy, with John Saxon as her boyfriend. Richard Basehart, Ray Walston and Anna May Wong (making a brief return to movies after a ten-year absence) are marvelous. Ross Hunter favourite Virginia Grey has a small but very well-written role as Cabot's secretary.

I'm a big Lana Turner fan, and recently watched this movie for the first time in years. Very melodramatic, the clothes are gorgeous, Lana's makeup is flawless even when she is in the middle of murder. Almost campy, but not a bad movie if you have a couple of hours to waste on the weekend.

There are 5 reasons to watch this movie: 1. The unbelievably strange cinematography by Russell Metty with its bizarre background/foreground, light/dark contrasts. 2. Lana Turner's first scene, a tour de force of Hollywood voyeurism: she's shown looking out a window so we can admire the back of her gown; as she turns and walks toward the camera, a mirror over a fireplace mantle reflects the lower half of her dress so we see front and back simultaneously. No view of her fabulous outfit is withheld. 3. Anthony Quinn's bunched-like-a-fist face which never modulates its expression no matter the melodramatic circumstances. 4.Sandra Dee's baffling outfit when she's shown boarding a boat on the San Francisco Bay. She looks like a reject from the set of "Lost in Space". 5. John Saxon's hilariously inappropiate impersonation of Marlon Brando in "On the Waterfront".