Opening with an attempted suicide, that’s not what you expect when imdb says that this is a romantiv musical. The scenes of industrial grime in a factory town are stunning.
imdb is on acid, of course. This is a movie about struggling out of property and the hard-nosed grift needed. Ida Lupino is brilliant as the schemer and Joan Leslie is perfect as the ingenue.
But… the last half, when we get The Moral, just isn’t very exciting. “Oh, yeah, being relentlessly ruthless might perhaps not be healthy. Got it.”
Basically: The first half hour is great, and then it’s off into very clichéd territory. I love melodrama, but this goes all kitch.
The Hard Way. Vincent Sherman. 1943.
Popular movies in January 1943 according to IMDB:
| Poster | Votes | Rating | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 47154 | 8.0 | Shadow of a Doubt |
 | 291 | 7.6 | The Adventures of Smilin’ Jack |
 | 431 | 7.3 | Forever and a Day |
 | 810 | 7.2 | The Hard Way |
 | 554 | 7.0 | No Time for Love |
 | 1740 | 7.0 | Tarzan Triumphs |
 | 627 | 6.7 | Immortal Sergeant |
 | 379 | 6.6 | The Crystal Ball |
 | 672 | 6.4 | Hitler’s Children |
This blog post is part of the Decade series.