With a name like "Vendig" and an actor like Zachary Scott, you know who's ruthless without seeing the movie. Actually, the character here is an allegorical one, standing for the barracuda side of capitalism. Old Vendig doesn't give a darn who he steps on or how many "little people" he ruins in his relentless drive for power and riches. It's a heckuva climb up the proverbial ladder, told in occasional flashback that fills in the personal stories and motivations.
It's also a great cast, Scott at his most arrogant, Lynn at her sweetest, Hayward at his most likable, and of course Greenstreet at his most Greenstreet. Too bad we don't get a scene between him and the equally corpulent Raymond Burr with its interesting possibilities. This is the impressive Greenstreet's most emotional and perhaps most pitiable role, especially when he looks forlornly into the mirror. Then too, in that last scene, he's almost like a berserk rhino and just as scary.
The message here has been sharpened, I expect, by uncredited leftist writer Alvah Bessie. Except I don't take it as an attack on capitalism per-se— after all, Hayward's Lambdin wants to build things like the symbolism of bridges, but is undercut by his power-mad partner Vendig. Instead, I take Vendig as a 40's version of 1987's Wall Street where Gordon Gekko's barracuda claims that "greed is good". Likely, the movie's message would resonate with today's audiences who've also been taught a lesson by Wall Street's destructive side.
Anyway, it's a darkly riveting morality tale that gets the most out of its modest budget thanks to a shrewd cast and expert direction from cult director Edgar Ulmer. My only complaint echoes that of another reviewer— the gap between nice boy Vendig and the power-mad adult is not properly filled in; then again, maybe it's because of poor editing.
Nonetheless, what a nice bit of irony in the ending. Bad adult Vendig drowns where good boy from years earlier survived. In short, the ruthless adult has misused the opportunities earned by his earlier heroic act, and so, must return full circle to the water to right the wrongs. At the same time, the deserving Lambdin finally ends up with his beloved Martha, even if it's through her look-alike Mallory (which is why Lynn plays both parts). So things straighten out after all. All in all, it's a fine, under-rated movie, even if a rather bitter brew.
It's also a great cast, Scott at his most arrogant, Lynn at her sweetest, Hayward at his most likable, and of course Greenstreet at his most Greenstreet. Too bad we don't get a scene between him and the equally corpulent Raymond Burr with its interesting possibilities. This is the impressive Greenstreet's most emotional and perhaps most pitiable role, especially when he looks forlornly into the mirror. Then too, in that last scene, he's almost like a berserk rhino and just as scary.
The message here has been sharpened, I expect, by uncredited leftist writer Alvah Bessie. Except I don't take it as an attack on capitalism per-se— after all, Hayward's Lambdin wants to build things like the symbolism of bridges, but is undercut by his power-mad partner Vendig. Instead, I take Vendig as a 40's version of 1987's Wall Street where Gordon Gekko's barracuda claims that "greed is good". Likely, the movie's message would resonate with today's audiences who've also been taught a lesson by Wall Street's destructive side.
Anyway, it's a darkly riveting morality tale that gets the most out of its modest budget thanks to a shrewd cast and expert direction from cult director Edgar Ulmer. My only complaint echoes that of another reviewer— the gap between nice boy Vendig and the power-mad adult is not properly filled in; then again, maybe it's because of poor editing.
Nonetheless, what a nice bit of irony in the ending. Bad adult Vendig drowns where good boy from years earlier survived. In short, the ruthless adult has misused the opportunities earned by his earlier heroic act, and so, must return full circle to the water to right the wrongs. At the same time, the deserving Lambdin finally ends up with his beloved Martha, even if it's through her look-alike Mallory (which is why Lynn plays both parts). So things straighten out after all. All in all, it's a fine, under-rated movie, even if a rather bitter brew.