As a film fan, it is often fascinating to delve into how studios treated their feature archives, and it can be disheartening to see the lack of care that was taken on many of these properties. From the improper storage of camera negatives that resulted in the loss of the best sources of film preservation to studios straight up destroying them on purpose to save a bit of cash, the ramifications are still being felt to this day. One of the most puzzling decisions one can find with a major studio from the Golden Era of Hollywood leads straight to RKO. This is a studio that routinely would trim down a film to a shorter running time for theatrical re-releases or TV broadcasts, which often meant the film people would see in circulation throughout the years was a bastardized version missing important footage. Thankfully, there are companies like Warner Archive that know the importance of preservation and work tirelessly to restore films to their former glory. They did so to magnificent effect last year with Rachel and the Stranger, and they have done it again with the underrated 1947 Irving Pichel (Without Honor) film noir They Won’t Believe Me, now with 15 minutes of original footage restored.
This tale of murder and mystery starts out by setting you up with the stakes at hands before taking you back to see how we got to that point in time. Larry Ballentine (Robert Young, Crossfire) is a real cad. He is the type of loathsome individual who acts in all of the worst ways that degrade a person’s character. In fact, he is on trial for murder and all that stands between him and a conviction is his opportunity to take the witness stand and explain exactly why he is innocent of the crime of which he is accused. He has broken many hearts during his lifetime, but has he gone so far as to commit murder? It is our journey back to some time earlier where we begin to piece together the fragments of Larry’s life. He is initially seen to be quite cozy with the lovely Janice Bell (Jane Greer, Out of the Past), a woman who he is falling in love with and who happens to be friends with his wife, Greta (Rita Johnson, The Big Clock). Larry intends to leave his wife for Janice, but he is soon exposed to be a weak-willed person when Greta bribes him with her wealth to stick with her and move with her to Los Angeles.
As Larry, Robert Young is playing against his endearing image to be someone a lot more reprehensible. It is perhaps this dichotomy that allows the character of Larry to evoke subtle moments of empathy as he finds himself trapped in an unfulfilling marriage through his own greed. Though, your heart goes out to Greta more so as she has done nothing wrong except choose the wrong husband. A change of scenery soon proves that you cannot domesticate a wild dog, as Larry finds a new romance with the alluring coworker Verna Carlson (Susan Hayward, With A Song In My Heart). The movie doles out the twists and turns that lead up to her untimely demise with the deliberate pace of a classic Hitchcockian thriller. The movie keeps you off-balance from the opening scene until well into the film regarding whether or not Larry is guilty of this crime – or if a crime has even been committed. Hayward is a commanding screen presence with sex appeal for days, which leaves you wanting to know the exact details of her departure as much as a jury box.
If this film has any stumbling blocks for the average audience, it is that most of the characters have unlikable qualities to one degree or another. This may not be a classic film noir so much in aesthetics, the film actually very rarely works in the darkness of shadows, but it makes up for it in its tone. Characters are at best morally ambiguous, and at worst morally reprehensible. The film plays with your feelings about the characters, though, and the surprising climax of the film may leave you surprised at how you react to certain developments on a visceral level. At 95 minutes, the film moves along at a great clip with nary a scene intact to allow things to drag in any noticeable way. This is a densely-plotted film that creates quite an impact on an initial viewing, but grows even greater in esteem once you return to it with the full picture in your head. They Won’t Believe Me has not been treated kindly since its initial release, but for the first time in a long time it is getting the respect it deserves. This is a true gem of a film that deserves an audience that appreciates it for everything it does right.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents They Won’t Believe Me for the first time on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the nitrate preservation elements of the original 95 minute release version. The resulting image is nothing short of stunning for a film that is over seventy years old. This black and white feature has nice, natural film grain throughout that provides a great amount of detail to the image. The presentation has a good amount of depth to it including in the shadows where there is no evidence of any black crush. Print damage is virtually nonexistent throughout the duration of the movie. It is always amazing to see how film preservation can bring new life to a film, especially with this full-length version being out of circulation for so long. Some of the reinserted scenes experience the slightest dip in quality with a slightly softer appearance, but this source issue is nowhere near a dealbreaker. Warner Archive has saved another piece of film history with this excellent release.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray release comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that sounds simply wonderful. Robert Young has a deliberate delivery that always comes through crystal clear. None of the sound effects or the moody score from Roy Webb ever overpowers the dialogue on this release. The more kinetic sequences including the frenetic car crash are appropriately lively in the speakers. There does not appear to be any damage or age related wear to the track. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc for those who need it. Overall, this is an excellent audio presentation that suits the material really well.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
They Won’t Believe Me is a true gem of a film noir that takes a pretty standard murder mystery tale and gives it some energy thanks to some careful plotting and strong performances. There may not be many characters to root for throughout the narrative, but it remains engrossing from start to shocking end. Warner Archive has released this one uncut for the first time and on Blu-Ray with a stellar A/V presentation. Film noir fans should consider this release a no brainer, as it is quite excellent all around. Highly Recommended
They Won’t Believe Me can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
