Moonrise (film)

Moonrise
Moonrise
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Frank Borzage
Screenplay by	Charles F. Haas
Based on	the novel Moonrise; by Theodore Strauss
Produced by	Charles F. Haas
Starring	Dane Clark; Gail Russell; Ethel Barrymore
Cinematography	John L. Russell
Edited by	Harry Keller
Music by	William Lava
Color process	Black and white
Production; companies	Marshall Grant; Chas. K. Feldman Group Productions
Distributed by	Republic Pictures
Release date	October 1, 1948;
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$849,452

Moonrise is a 1948 American film noir crime film directed by Frank Borzage starring Dane Clark, Gail Russell and Ethel Barrymore.^[2] It is based on the 1946 novel of the same name by Theodore Strauss. The plot concerns the son of a man who was hanged for murder, leading to his own bullying by others and subsequent trials when he commits a crime in self-defense.

Plot

In a small Virginia town, Danny Hawkins (Dane Clark) is the son of a murderer who was hanged for his crime. Throughout his childhood, he is haunted by his father's past and cruelly harassed by other children. As an adult, Danny is bullied by Jerry Sykes (Lloyd Bridges). After a particularly intense confrontation in the woods during a town dance, Danny and Jerry fight and Danny kills him in self-defense. Danny is unaware that he lost his pocket knife in the struggle. Danny then dances with Gilly Johnson (Gail Russell), who was to be engaged to Jerry. While driving Gilly and two of their friends, Danny struggles with his guilt, and drives recklessly in the rain, crashing.

Gilly finds herself responding warmly to Danny's advances, even as she puzzles over Jerry's disappearance. After a few days, the body is found, and Sheriff Clem Otis (Allyn Joslyn) starts closing in on the culprit. Thinking the sheriff has placed the blame on someone else, Danny goes to the fair with Gilly, but panics when Otis appears and seems to discover his guilt. The harmless mute Billy Scripture (Harry Morgan) shows Danny that he has found his pocket knife, leading Danny to nearly strangle him. After hiding out at the swampy residence of the wise Mose Jackson, Danny visits his grandmother (Barrymore), who reveals that his father was in Danny's same remorseful position after his crime. Danny realizes he is not tainted by "bad blood" and turns himself in, giving him a more optimistic future.

Cast

Dane Clark as Danny Hawkins
Gail Russell as Gilly Johnson
Ethel Barrymore as Grandma
Allyn Joslyn as Sheriff Clem Otis
Rex Ingram as Mose Jackson
Harry Morgan as Billy Scripture (as Henry Morgan)
David Street as Ken Williams
Selena Royle as Aunt Jessie
Harry Carey Jr. as Jimmy Biff
Irving Bacon as Judd Jenkins
Lloyd Bridges as Jerry Sykes
Houseley Stevenson as Uncle Joe Jingle
Phil Brown as Elmer - Soda Jerk
Harry Cheshire as J.B. Sykes (as Harry V. Cheshire)
Lila Leeds as Julie

Production

In December 1945, Paramount Pictures purchased the rights to adapt Theodore Strauss's yet-to-be-released novel, which was serialized by Cosmopolitan in August and September 1946, and published as a book that October.^[3] Two independent producers purchased the film rights from Paramount, and reportedly spent $40,000 on advertising for the novel. The duo was unable to secure a completion bond, and were sued by William Wellman, whom they had hired as the film's director.^[3]

The film was ultimately made by Republic Pictures with Frank Borzage as director. It was a relatively high-budget film compared to Republic's Westerns, which usually cost around $50,000.^[3]

Reception

The film flopped at the box office.^[3] The New York Times wrote that "the book towers above the picture" despite the latter's fidelity to the source.^[3]

Accolades

Nomination: Moonrise received an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Recording (Daniel J. Bloomberg) in 1948.^[4]

Home media

Moonrise was released on DVD and Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection on May 8, 2018.^[5]

References

^ Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (1975). "The Economic Imperative: Why Was the B Movie Necessary?". In Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (eds.). Kings of the Bs : working within the Hollywood system : an anthology of film history and criticism. E. P. Dutton. p. 30.
^ Moonrise at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Römers, Holger (February 2007). "'The Moral of the Auteur Theory': Frank Borzage's Moonrise (and Theodore Strauss' Source Novel)". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
^ "The 21st Academy Awards (1949) Nominees and Winners". Oscars.org. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
^ Bowen, Chuck (May 18, 2018). "Blu-ray Review: Frank Borzage's Moonrise on the Criterion Collection". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2021.