Fear in the Night

Maxwell Shane's Fear In The Night (1947) has arrived on DVD courtesy of Alpha Video is a better-than-decent release. A startling film noir based on the Cornell Woolrich story "Nightmare," it's dropped from sight on television since the 1970's so DVD enthusiasts should savor this release. The source is a clean but otherwise slightly fuzzy 16mm dupe print, with a few frames missing and some splices in evidence, about on a par with the last theatrical showing that this reviewer saw of the movie. There are blemishes but nothing serious enough to harm our enjoyment of the film, which remains one of the more darkly entertaining examples of the mystery genre ever to come out of Hollywood -- in its defense, the producers have put the audio up at a fairly high volume, which gives very good play not only to the dialogue but also toRudy Schrager's dark, atmospheric score. The usual six chapters on this Alpha release are largely irrelevant in a plot as filled with eerie episodes as this one is, but the budget price is appreciated. What's more, given the unlikelihood of an authorized disc version apprearing anytime soon, this is probably the best chance that a lot of us will have to see this movie for years to come.