Themes: Assumed Identities, Crime Gone Awry, Twins and Lookalikes
Main Cast: Paul Henreid, Joan Bennett, Eduard Franz, Leslie Brooks, John Qualen
Release Year: 1948
Country: US
Run Time: 83 minutes
Plot
John Muller (Paul Henreid), an intelligent, arrogant criminal who has been a medical student and a phony psychoanalyst, believes that people are only interested in themselves and do not notice what is happening around them. Paroled from prison to a boring job, Muller is more interested in a big score, and along with his old cronies robs a crooked gambling joint owned by Rocky Stansyck (Thomas Brown Henry). Although he gets away with the money, some of his men are caught by Stansyck and identify John as the ringleader. On the run from Stansyck's gang, he is mistaken for Dr. Bartok, a psychiatrist also played by Henreid. Curious, Muller goes to the doctor's office, and meets Bartok's secretary and lover, Evelyn Nash (Joan Bennett). Needing to avoid capture, he assumes Bartok's identity, but first must scar his face like the doctor's. Working from a photograph printed from a reversed negative, he applies the scar to the wrong side. Though fooled at first, when Evelyn discovers the truth, she decides to leave, although she is in love with Muller/Bartok. Steve Sekely's Hollow Triumph (aka The Scar) is a film that requires an exceptionally hefty suspension of disbelief in its reliance on coincidence and the literal acceptance of Muller's cynical view of human blindness. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
Review
A taut and effective little film noir, The Scar is a lesser known gem that deserves a wider following. Scar is far from perfect, mind you. For one thing, the story is one of those which is built on coincidences, far too many and of too far fetched a sort to be even remotely plausible. This alone will be a major hurdle for some viewers, but there's also the problem of the central gimmick: that too few people realize that the scar which the protagonist inflicts upon himself is on the wrong side of the face. However, if one is willing to overlook these flaws, Scar has is very rewarding. Paul Henreid turns in a classic dual performance, playing both the murderer and his victim and making them both distinct and yet also giving them an indefinable similarity that goes beyond the obvious physical. It's a shrewd and commanding performance and it is a major asset. Also of benefit is Joan Bennett's fine portrayal of a woman who is simultaneously world weary and openly vulnerable to being fooled in pursuit of love. Although the film can't escape a rather low budget look, director Steve Sekely helms it with style and John Alton's compelling cinematography is forceful and evocative. The ending is also a beaut; it's one of those incredible coincidences mentioned earlier, but for those willing to accept it, it packs a punch. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Frank Durlauf - Art Director, Edward Ilou - Art Director, Kay Nelson - Costume Designer, Steve Sekely - Director, Fred Allen - Editor, Bryan Foy - Executive Producer, Sol Kaplan - Composer (Music Score), Irving Friedman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Ern Westmore - Makeup, Frank Westmore - Makeup, John Alton - Cinematographer, Paul Henreid - Producer, Armor E. Marlowe - Set Designer, Clarence I. Steensen - Set Designer, George J. Teague - Special Effects, Daniel Fuchs - Screenwriter, Murray Forbes - Book Author
