Death of a Scoundrel (1956)

Director:

Charles Martin

Writer:

Charles Martin (written by)

Release Date:

31 October 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Men, Women... he used them, ruined them on his fantastic march to self-destruction

Plot:

When Clementi Suborin is found murdered, his secretary recounts to the police the story of his rise from Czech refugee to ultra-rich New Yorker...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Murder

Cast

George Sanders	...	Clementi Sabourni
Yvonne De Carlo	...	Bridget Kelly
Zsa Zsa Gabor	...	Mrs. Ryan
Victor Jory	...	Leonard Wilson
Nancy Gates	...	Stephanie North
Coleen Gray	...	Mrs. Edith Van Renasslear
John Hoyt	...	Mr. O'Hara
Lisa Ferraday	...	Zina Monte
Tom Conway	...	Gerry Monte aka Sabourin
Celia Lovsky	...	Mrs. Sabourin (Clementi's mother)
Werner Klemperer	...	Herbert Bauman (Clementi's lawyer)
Justice Watson	...	Henry (Clementi's butler)
John Sutton	...	The Actor as 'Tom' in Stage Play
Curtis Cooksey	...	Oswald Van Renassalear
Gabriel Curtis	...	Max Freundlich (as Gabriel Curtiz)

Also Known As:

Diary of a Scoundrel
Loves of a Scoundrel
The Loves and Death of a Scoundrel

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #17961) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Charles Martin Productions

Trivia:

This film and The Falcon's Brother are the only two films to feature Tom Conway and real life brother George Sanders. They played brothers in both films.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Worth Winning (1989)

The Late, Great George Sanders!

I seem, no matter what the film, to always be drawn to a George Sanders film. He usually plays the most offensive, morally bankrupt, devious, underhanded roles. If there is someone out to swindle a woman from her possessions through flattery - George Sanders is there. If a young ingénue is promised fame for the price of her physical love - George Sanders is there. If a brother is turned in for stealing rare objects d'art to the police - George Sanders is there. These are just a portion of the terrible things George Sanders does in Death of a Scoundrel, but, amazingly, Sanders remains almost likable throughout because of his innate affability and charm. No one turns a phrase better than Sanders, and it is his easy wit, dry delivery, wry sense of humor, predisposition to sarcasm, and excellent timing that make him stand out in what would otherwise be pretty routine stuff. Death of a Scoundrel opens with Sanders already dead. We then get to, through the character of lovely Yvonne De Carlo, trace the roots of how Sanders first became a scoundrel and how he eventually died. The story, though full of overstated melodrama, is an interesting one with the Sander's character actually given some depth of characterization. The supporting cast is top-notch with Zsa Zsa Gabor giving what I think is one of her all around best performances. She and Sanders appear to have strong chemistry between them(little wonder as they had previously been married/divorced). Nancy Gates does a very credible job as an aspiring actress. John Hoyt is always good and Coleen Gray gives a good turn as well. Tom Conway, the real life half-brother of Sanders, plays Sander's brother in the film. But supporting cast aside, this movie is all Sanders. I really liked Death of a Scoundrel. It is not a great film, but it was much better than I had thought it would be. It goes to show that quality acting, a coherent script, thoughtful direction from Charles Martin, and a sense of style, not just in how the film appears but in the way the film is made, all go a long way in making the mundane pretty good.