She's got a dead fish where her heart should be.
Ride the Pink Horse is directed by Robert Montgomery and adapted to screenplay by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from the novel of the same name written by Dorothy B. Hughes. Montgomery also stars and is supported by Wanda Hendrix, Thomas Gomez, Fred Clark, Andrea King and Art Smith. Music is by Frank Skinner and cinematography by Russell Metty.
WWII Veteran Lucky Gagin (Montgomery) arrives in San Pablo during Fiesta time with the intention of blackmailing the man responsible for the death of his pal.
1947 was a super year for film noir as a film making style, it's also a year that still even today hides little nuggets awaiting evaluation by noir fans, Ride the Pink Horse is one such piece. It feels a bit daft to suggest it's under seen, given that Gomez was nominated for a best Supporting Actor Academy Award (deserved as well) and Montgomery had made waves this year with his gimmicky production of The Lady in the Lake, but it does scream out as being little known.
The title is a curious starting point, it's a reference to the carousel run by Gomez's Pancho character, a title that doesn't exactly scream out that this is a feverish noir, but that is exactly what it is. This is very much a bedfellow for Carol Reed's superb Odd Man Out (also 1947), the air of fatalism hanging heavy throughout, a sort of other wordly vibe that hooks you in and holds you there yearning for the resolution of the tale.
The setting is most interesting, that of a small Mexican town during its annual Fiesta celebrations. Yet as the locals indulge in frivolity and joy, Gagin (and us the viewers) are thrust into a shadowy claustrophobic world. The principal characters are suspiciously drawn, not so much Gagin - who is tough and downbeat and has a clear goal to aim for - but those who line up to hopefully aid him in some way. For the first half of the pic the makers keep the cards close to their chest, it's a nice move that ensures rewards await as the story shifts into a higher gear.
Psychologically the piece is strong, led by Gagin who was already feeling alienated after the war effort, but now also finds himself in an environment doubly alien to him, an interesting juxtaposition cunning in its placement for character development. Many noir staples shine bright, the main villain with a handicap, potential femme fatale, the macguffin, carnival imagery (the key carousel - gigantic scary looking effigy) and on it goes.
The look is terrific as Metty (Ivy/Crashout/Touch of Evil) and Montgomery bring much shadow play, the dalliances of slatted shadows and wooden beam crossbars further emphasising the imprisonment of Gagin at this life juncture. Montgomery proves a deft hand at directing a potent scene, here his piece de resistance is a violent assault shot through the carousel while it is in motion, it's the high point of technical noir work in a film that has a lot of such.
Very well performed in amongst the moral ambiguity, Ride the Pink Horse is very much recommended to those interested in film noir. As a character piece with visual treats, and as a fascinating psychological study, this one score high. 8/10
