BURGLAR, THE (director: Paul Wendkos; screenwriters: David Goodis, from his novel; cinematographer: Don Malkames; editor: Herta Horn; cast: Dan Duryea (Nat Harbin), Peter Capell (Baylock), Jayne Mansfield (Gladden), Mickey Shaughnessy (Dohmer), Martha Vickers (Della), Wendell Phillips (Police Captain), Stewart Bradley (Charlie), Phoebe Mackay (Sister Sara), John Facenda (News Commentator); Runtime: 90; Columbia; 1957)
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A film noir that is more a character study of a small-time jewel thief than one concerned with its pulp story. A team of burglars headed by the brooding Nat Harbin (Dan Duryea), which includes the edgy jewelry expert Blaylock (Peter Capell), the vulgar strong-arm Dohmer (Mickey Shaughnessy), and the sexy young lady who cases their victim's homes, Gladden (Jayne Mansfield). After Gladden cases the Philadelphia mansion of a noted spiritualist (Mackay), they successfully steal a valuable diamond necklace worth about $150,000. The only hitch in the heist, is that a patrol car spots their abandoned car and Nat is forced to explain to the officers why the car is there.
At the gang's hideout apartment, tensions run high as the attractive Gladden stirs up Dohmer in a romantic way in which she wants no part of and the impatient Blaylock in a hostile way as he takes out his anger at the delay in getting rid of the necklace on her. Nat decides to send her to Atlantic City to wait for things to cool down, as the gang waits to sell the hot piece to a fence in Baltimore. Nat was raised when he was an orphan by Gladden's father, a professional burglar, who treated him with great kindness and taught him everything he knows about being a thief. He also made Nat promise that if anything happened to him, that he would look after his daughter. For Nat, being loyal and keeping your word means everything.
While grabbing a bite to eat at a pub, an attractive blonde seduces Nat. Later he overhears her scheming with the crooked policeman who stopped him in front of the mansion, Charlie (Bradley), as they manuever to steal the necklace from the gang. Charlie has romanced Gladden after meeting her on the beach at Atlantic City and plans to force her to tell him where the necklace is.
The story gets complicated when the gang is stopped by a state trooper on their way to Atlantic City and they shoot the trooper, causing an APB put out on them. When Nat sees Gladden in Atlantic City, she stubbornly won't leave town because of all of her frustration over the fact that he never made any advances to her. Nat decides to give her the necklace in the hopes of getting Charlie to follow him instead.
The conclusion involves a chase through the Steel Pier, with the violent cop planning to murder the gentle Nat and get the necklace. The artistic shots are like those that Orson Welles did in "The Lady from Shanghai." The film succeeds as a visual feast in noir photography, which includes shadowy framed scenes and close-ups of the characters sweating during the heist. The film's weaknesses lie in the slight story and how it came at the end of the film noir cycle, so all the artistry of the noir devices seemed to be beaten to the ground by now.
REVIEWED ON 9/20/2001 GRADE: B-
Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews"
http://www.sover.net/~ozus
ozus@sover.net
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DENNIS SCHWARTZ
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