"The Woman on the Beach" on TCM tonight

[Midnite]

Sorry this is late notice.

"The Woman on the Beach," starring Joan Bennett, airs tonight (Saturday night) at 9 p.m. Pacific / Sunday morning at 12 a.m. Eastern on Turner Classic Movies.  Luciaphil commented on the movie here:

and TCM has an article here:  The Woman on the Beach

Also, you can enter a sweepstakes on their site until April 30 to win a copy of "The Bennetts:  An Acting Family"--
http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/Community/BookCorner/0,,91624,00.html

[Luciaphile]

Woohoo! Trashy noir on a Saturday night with nothing else on TV. I am so there. Thanks for the heads up.

[Midnite]

I'm glad you spotted it in time, Luciaphil. 

This was my first time seeing it.  Wow.  The scenes between JB and Charles Bickford are amazing.  Hearing her character call herself a tramp was a trip (almost as much fun as her infamous line in the "Suspiria" finale).  And what happens on the bluffs in WOTB is like nothing I'd ever seen before.  But the plot felt like it had huge chunks missing.  You've seen it at least a couple of times, L-- does the story get any clearer with repeated viewings?

[Janet the Wicked]

the plot felt like it had huge chunks missing.  You've seen it at least a couple of times, L-- does the story get any clearer with repeated viewings?

I think the film gets worse the more times you see it.
From the TCM website, "Unfortunately RKO brass and preview audiences at a disastrous Santa Barbara screening were left cold by the film's refusal to play by the traditional murder-mystery rulebook. A frustrated and despairing Renoir returned to the editing room and then reshot numerous scenes at RKO's insistence for a drastic overhaul, which probably accounts for several noticeable inconsistencies in the dialogue."

However, for me, it's always a pleasure to watch Joan Bennett.

Janet

[Luciaphile]

This was my first time seeing it.  Wow.  The scenes between JB and Charles Bickford are amazing.  Hearing her character call herself a tramp was a trip (almost as much fun as her infamous line in the "Suspiria" finale).  And what happens on the bluffs in WOTB is like nothing I'd ever seen before.  But the plot felt like it had huge chunks missing.  You've seen it at least a couple of times, L-- does the story get any clearer with repeated viewings?

Not really. From what I have read about the making of the film, there were difficulties with the script. Renoir was apparently trying to capture bits of American culture and that, as you can probably tell, didn't work out too well. It's based on a book, which I've never read. For me the saving grace is the Bennett/Bickford chemistry. I wrote a little piece about the movie awhile back on my Joan Bennett web site.

[michael c]

i watched it but didn't really follow the plot.i had it on in the background while i read and listened to music.but joan bennett was so georgeous then that it was fine background.

i just finished "the bennetts,an acting family"btw.it wasn't something i'd normally read but i really enjoyed it.it gave me a much bigger picture of joan.before i just knew her as elizabeth.

[ClaudeNorth]

Luciaphil,

As I watched this film, I noticed that JB in one of her outfits seemed very familiar to me, and I spent hours trying to remember where I saw a still from the film.

Then I saw your avatar today and the mystery was solved...

John 

[Midnite]

Thank you, Luciaphil and artist07.  And what a marvelous review, Luciaphil!  Thanks for the link.  (Earlier I added an l to the end of it, btw.  )  The plot seemed muddled, and apparently it does for you too.  Bummer.