Republic went to a lot of trouble promoting this picture, but frankly I much prefer the Ethel Barrymore re-make, Johnny Trouble (1957). Mabel Paige (whom Republic categorizes as "the sensation" of Paramount's 1942 Alan Ladd vehicle, Lucky Jordan), just says her lines with little emotion in her voice but overdoes the facial mugging instead. She definitely lacks the Barrymore charisma. Unfortunately, the rest of the players are second-rate too, although admittedly hampered by Francis Hyland's slow-moving, creaky old screenplay. Director Robert Siodmak does what he can to liven the movie up with long takes – photographer Jack Marta's dramatic lighting helps too – although his most exciting effect (the extremely long, extremely fluid, extremely complicated take at the beginning of the movie in which a large array of characters are somewhat laboriously introduced) turns out to have little do with the rest of the picture! Admittedly, it's an intriguing contrast, but more is made of this device in Johnny Trouble. John Craven's weak hero doesn't help either. In fact, the film is almost a gallery of missed opportunities! If it were not for the fact that it's only 80 minutes long and that it's quite well produced, it would be a chore to sit through. True, Siodmak works overtime to make something of the movie, but it's not his usual meat (or even bread-and-butter).
Review of Someone to Remember
