JACQUES TOURNEUR DIRECTS DANA ANDREWS IN 'THE FEARMAKERS'

Title: The Fearmakers Year: 1958 Rating: ****

THE FEARMAKERS is Dana Andrews' peak as a dramatic lead, and, circa 1958, is one of the last genuine (albeit disputed) Film Noirs that's more of an early Cold War Political Thriller, directed by his CANYON PASSAGE and the previous years' CURSE OF THE DEMON auteur Jacques Tourneur: a suspenseful programmer where the plot's spelled out quick, economically... 

Having been a tortured POW in Communist North Korea, and suffering sporadic fainting spells, Dana's Alan Eaton returns to Washington D.C. where his business partner has died, somewhat suspiciously, and their business is taken over by some "pretty big fish with a bad smell" according to his senator friend, so Dana has to investigate, completely from the inside...

Basically providing Tourneur low budget office setting, not counting a few restaurants and a memorable B&B scene, owned by mouthy/muscular thug Kelly Thordsen with a sultry fatale-like wife Veda Ann Borg: And eventually everything falls into b movie place with young and naive, sympathetic love interest Marilee Earle, secretary of main boss Dick Foran, shady and sophisticated, the perfect rival to Dana's completely honest businessman, who had professionally and proficiently ran this same Statistic-Research firm that's since become a hot-bed for political corruption... 

Which isn't entirely clear as the underlying theme is non-political, equally catered to both patriots and those fearing Washington's backroom wheeling/dealing; teased just enough for the plot-line, all part of an efficient Late Noir where Andrews, after basically skating through (while literally drinking through) two Fritz Lang media-centered Noirs, might not look so great physically... 

Yet Dana's 1950's tense yet understated presence ala LAURA and FALLEN ANGEL is back in gear, tight and calculating as ever, but the real surprise is musician icon Mel Torme as the most ambiguous, perhaps even the most ambitious character: A nerdy, awkward numbers-guy doing "drone" work for the villain, he's smitten with the secretary hence extremely jealous of our hero: caught perfectly in-between as a sublime scene-stealer. 

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Dick Foran

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Kelly Thordsen

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Veda Ann Borg

Marilee Earle in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Mel Torme

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Marilee Earle

Mel Tomre and Dick Foran in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Marilee Earle

Mel Torme in THE FEARMAKERS with Marilee Earle

THE FEARMAKERS with Marilee Earle

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Kelly Thordsen

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS w/ Dick Foran, Kelly Thordsen, Mel Torme

Mel Torme in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Dick Foran

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Marilee Earle

Marilee Earle in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Mel Torme

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Oliver Blake

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Dennis Moore

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Marilee Earle and Dick Foran

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS with Veda Ann Borg & Kelly Thordsen

Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Marilee Earle and Dana Andrews in THE FEARMAKERS

Dick Foran and Kelly Thordsen in THE FEARMAKERS

Jacques Tourneur's last great movie THE FEARMAKERS

Jacques Tourneur and Dana Andrews on a family vacation