The Scarf (film)
| The Scarf | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ewald André Dupont |
| Screenplay by | Ewald André Dupont |
| Story by | Isadore Goldsmith E.A. Rolfe |
| Produced by | Isadore Goldsmith |
| Starring | John Ireland Mercedes McCambridge James Barton Emlyn Williams |
| Cinematography | Franz Planer |
| Edited by | Joseph Gluck |
| Music by | Herschel Burke Gilbert |
Production company | Gloria Productions Inc. |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Scarf is a 1951 American drama, suspense, crime, psychological, thriller film noir directed by Ewald André Dupont and starring John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge, James Barton, and Emlyn Williams.[1] The screenplay concerns a man who escapes from an insane asylum and tries to convince a crusty hermit, a drifting saloon singer, and himself that he is not a murderer.
Synopsis
Mercedes McCambridge plays a singing waitress named Cash-and-Carry Connie. John Ireland stars as John Barrington, an escapee from an institution for the criminally insane. Actually, Barrington is not a looney tune, but instead the victim of an insidious plot orchestrated by a clever murderer. The only person who believes Barrington's story is turkey-farmer Ezra Thompson (James Barton), who hides Our Hero from the authorities. Things really get hopping when the aforementioned Connie unwittingly provides the clue that will prove Barrington's innocence. Co-starring is Emlyn Williams as an all-too-cooperative psychiatrist.
Cast
- John Ireland as John Howard Barrington
- Mercedes McCambridge as Connie Carter
- James Barton as Ezra Thompson
- Emlyn Williams as Dr. David Dunbar
- Lloyd Gough as Asylum Dr. Gordon
- Basil Ruysdael as Cyrus Barrington
- David Bauer as Level Louie (as David Wolfe)
- Harry Shannon as Asylum Warden Anderson
- Celia Lovsky as Mrs. Cyrus Barrington
- David McMahon as State Trooper
- Chubby Johnson as Feed Store Manager
- Frank Jenks as Tom - Drunk cowboy
- Emmett Lynn as Jack the Waiter
- Dick Wessel as Sid - Drunk cowboy
- Frank Jaquet as Town Sheriff
- Iris Adrian as the floozy at Level Louie's Place
Reception
Critical response
Film critic Bosley Crowther panned the film, "For a picture so heavily loaded with lengthy and tedious talk, talk, talk, The Scarf, the new tenant at the Park Avenue, has depressingly little to say. As a matter of fact, it expresses, in several thousand words of dialogue—and in a running-time that amounts to just four minutes short of an hour and a half—perhaps the least measure of intelligence or dramatic continuity that you are likely to find in any picture, current or recent, that takes itself seriously."[2]
References
- ^ The Scarf at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, April 23, 1951. Accessed: August 10, 2013.
External links
- The Scarf at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- The Scarf at IMDb
- The Scarf at AllMovie
- The Scarf at the TCM Movie Database
- The Scarf is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive