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The Night Walker, 1964
Irene (Barbara Stanwyck) is married to the jealous Howard (Hayden Rorke), a man who is so insecure about his blindness that he spies on and records Irene, hoping to discover evidence of an affair. Irene is not allowed to leave the house, and can only find solace in a man she takes as a lover in her dreams. When Howard is killed in a freak accident, strange things begin happening to Irene, including seeing the man from her dreams. Howard’s old friend Barry (Robert Taylor) helps Irene to investigate to get to the bottom of things.
Delightfully bonkers and full of twists and turns, this is a pulpy good time.
Some movies hit this amazing sweet spot where the things that are good are good, and the things that aren’t good just seem to somehow add to the weird energy, and this is one of those movies.
Starting from a stellar opening credits sequence---a nightmarish, visual feast----everything is just a little off in the best way. In the best and worst of ways, everything in the movie is just a little detached from reality. Is Stanwyck maybe about ten years older than you’d expect her character to be? Yes. Is it weirdly refreshing to see a portrayal of a middle-aged woman trapped in an unhealthy relationship instead of some young damsel? Yes.
Likewise, there’s something really funny about a conversation between Howard and Barry early in the film. Howard is like, “Well, Barry, you’re such a sexy man, you must have a lot of success.” And no shade to Taylor in this film but . . . okay, Howard. Sure.
Then there’s just the sheer strangeness of the story itself. Irene has been dreaming of a man and he is suddenly appearing to her? There are several sequences where Irene is not sure if she is dreaming or awake, and her confusion is matched by our confusion as the viewer. How is it possible that her fantasy has come to life? If she is being fooled . . . how? And if it’s all in her head, then what’s actually going on?
This is the kind of movie where you’re pretty sure that there must be a rational, non-supernatural explanation, but it’s just weird enough that part of you isn’t sure. There’s also the lingering mystery of Howard’s death. And is Howard even really dead? The questions stack up even as Irene and Barry conduct an investigation into all the strange happenings.
It might seem like the movie can’t possibly tie everything together in a satisfying way, but the last act more than lives up to all the strange events and complicated relationships that it’s been establishing for the whole runtime. The whole thing ends on a perfect note.
This was a solid, wacky thriller and I could easily see it becoming a rewatch favorite.
The Night Walker, 1964
Irene (Barbara Stanwyck) is married to the jealous Howard (Hayden Rorke), a man who is so insecure about his blindness that he spies on and records Irene, hoping to discover evidence of an affair. Irene is not allowed to leave the house, and can only find solace in a man she takes as a lover in her dreams. When Howard is killed in a freak accident, strange things begin happening to Irene, including seeing the man from her dreams. Howard’s old friend Barry (Robert Taylor) helps Irene to investigate to get to the bottom of things.
Delightfully bonkers and full of twists and turns, this is a pulpy good time.
Some movies hit this amazing sweet spot where the things that are good are good, and the things that aren’t good just seem to somehow add to the weird energy, and this is one of those movies.
Starting from a stellar opening credits sequence---a nightmarish, visual feast----everything is just a little off in the best way. In the best and worst of ways, everything in the movie is just a little detached from reality. Is Stanwyck maybe about ten years older than you’d expect her character to be? Yes. Is it weirdly refreshing to see a portrayal of a middle-aged woman trapped in an unhealthy relationship instead of some young damsel? Yes.
Likewise, there’s something really funny about a conversation between Howard and Barry early in the film. Howard is like, “Well, Barry, you’re such a sexy man, you must have a lot of success.” And no shade to Taylor in this film but . . . okay, Howard. Sure.
Then there’s just the sheer strangeness of the story itself. Irene has been dreaming of a man and he is suddenly appearing to her? There are several sequences where Irene is not sure if she is dreaming or awake, and her confusion is matched by our confusion as the viewer. How is it possible that her fantasy has come to life? If she is being fooled . . . how? And if it’s all in her head, then what’s actually going on?
This is the kind of movie where you’re pretty sure that there must be a rational, non-supernatural explanation, but it’s just weird enough that part of you isn’t sure. There’s also the lingering mystery of Howard’s death. And is Howard even really dead? The questions stack up even as Irene and Barry conduct an investigation into all the strange happenings.
It might seem like the movie can’t possibly tie everything together in a satisfying way, but the last act more than lives up to all the strange events and complicated relationships that it’s been establishing for the whole runtime. The whole thing ends on a perfect note.
This was a solid, wacky thriller and I could easily see it becoming a rewatch favorite.