Nobody Lives Forever (film)
Nobody Lives Forever | |
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Directed by | Jean Negulesco |
Screenplay by | W. R. Burnett |
Based on | Nobody Lives Forever 1943 novel by W. R. Burnett |
Produced by | Robert Buckner |
Starring | John Garfield Geraldine Fitzgerald |
Cinematography | Arthur Edeson |
Edited by | Rudi Fehr |
Music by | Adolph Deutsch |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Nobody Lives Forever is a 1946 American crime film noir directed by Jean Negulesco and based on the novel I Wasn't Born Yesterday by W. R. Burnett. It stars John Garfield and Geraldine Fitzgerald and features Walter Brennan, Faye Emerson, George Coulouris and George Tobias.[1]
Plot
Former free-wheeling con artist Nick Blake (John Garfield) is discharged from a U.S. Army hospital in New York City after recuperating from injuries sustained during World War II. He's welcomed back by old crony Al Doyle, and immediately seeks to hook up with girlfriend Toni (Faye Emerson). Ostensibly, she was holding money for him while he was in the army. But she claims she lost it investing in a nightclub where she is now employed as a singer. After getting his money back from the club's new owner, Nick and his best friend Al (George Tobias) travel to Los Angeles to visit an old friend Pop (Walter Brennan). There, they become involved in a new scam when another con man, Doc Ganson (George Coulouris) spots a rich sucker.
The plan is to have Nick, a ladies' man, romance millionaire widow Gladys Halvorsen (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and persuade her to invest in a phony tugboat business. Nick agrees on condition he get two-thirds of the proceeds. This angers Doc, who bitterly resents the younger, more successful Nick. However, Nick unexpectedly falls in love with the intended victim and decides to back out of the con. At the same time, he admits the truth to Gladys anyway. She is hopelessly in love and refuses to let him go.
Nick prepares to pay the others the $30,000 he promised them, using his own money. Toni shows up from New York, though, and learns of the aborted scheme. When she tells Doc she is sure Nick intends to marry Gladys and her millions, the gang kidnaps the widow for a larger share of her money. But Pop, in league with Nick and Al, trails them to a hideout on Beach Road. And in the ensuing gunfight, Nick rescues Gladys, but both Doc and Pop are killed.
Cast
- John Garfield as Nick Blake
- Geraldine Fitzgerald as Gladys Halvorsen
- Walter Brennan as Pop Gruber
- Faye Emerson as Toni Blackburn
- George Coulouris as Doc Ganson
- George Tobias as Al Doyle, Nick's friend
- Robert Shayne as Chet King
- Richard Gaines as Charles Manning
- Richard Erdman as Bellboy
- James Flavin as Shake Thomas, one of Doc's men
- Ralph Peters as Windy Mather, Doc's other associate
- Grady Sutton as Horace, the Counterman at Joe's Diner (uncredited)
Production
Nobody Lives Forever originated when
When the film was initially conceived, Ann Sheridan was to co-star with Bogart.[1]
Critical response
Adaptation
The film was adapted for radio on the Lux Radio Theatre. The production featured Jane Wyman and Ronald Reagan and was aired on November 17, 1947.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Nobody Lives Forever at the American Film Institute Catalog
- ^ Muller, Eddie (April 14, 2019) Intro to the Turner Classic Movies presentation of the film
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (November 2, 1946) "The Screen: Confidence Racket" The New York Times. Accessed: July 25, 2013
External links
- Nobody Lives Forever at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Nobody Lives Forever at IMDb
- Nobody Lives Forever at AllMovie
- Nobody Lives Forever at the TCM Movie Database
- Nobody Lives Forever information site and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images)
- Nobody Lives Forever trailer on YouTube
Streaming audio
- Nobody Lives Forever on Lux Radio Theatre: November 17, 1947