PUSHOVER [1954] [Limited Edition] [Blu-ray] [1954 / 2021] [UK Release] Hot-Blooded Blonde . . . Cold-Bloodied Guy . . . and Murder!
When a bank heist yields $210,000, soon, sultry Lona McLane [Kim Novak], girlfriend of one of the robbers, meets Paul Sheridan [Fred MacMurray] and has a torrid affair. When Lona McLane finds out Paul Sheridan's a cop, to save herself she sets out to corrupt him. He's a pushover. But it won't be easy for Paul Sheridan to get his hands on the money when he's part of a complex, peeping-tom stakeout. Soon, Paul Sheridan's in much deeper than he'd planned, amid atmospheric night scenes. With its theme of surveillance and obsession of prefiguring Kim Novak’s role in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Vertigo.’ ‘PUSHOVER’ is a triumph of suspense, and an acknowledged influence on Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Breathless.’
FILM FACT: The ‘PUSHOVER’ film was known during shooting as The Killer Wore a Badge. It was developed by producer Philip Waxman who was going to make the movie, based on a Saturday Evening Post serial by Thomas Walsh and adapted into a script by Orin Jennings and Stanley Ellin. Philip Waxman sold the script to Columbia Pictures, and the studio assigned Jules Shermer as producer. At Columbia Pictures, the script was done by Roy Huggins and Producer Jules Schermer later recalled Roy Huggins. In November 1953 it was announced Arnold Laven would direct the ‘PUSHOVER’ film. Fred MacMurray's fee was $75,000. The budget was relatively low meaning the studio had to cast an inexpensive actor, Kim Novak, as the female lead. Jules Schermer said “Kim Novak was not an actress when we started shooting. The face was beautiful. The body was great. Kim Novak photographed sensationally. But she couldn’t show any emotion. So we kept Kim Novak’s dialogue to a minimum. When you can’t act, you react — which is what we counted on.” The outdoor scenes were filmed on the streets of Burbank, California. Prominent is the old Magnolia Theater on Magnolia Street. Film Critic Dennis Schwartz liked the film and wrote, “Pushover covers familiar “film noir” territory, but does a good job of showing how easy it is to lose control of one's life when one is so vulnerable, obsessed and emotionally weak. Kim Novak does a fine job in her first starring role as a heartless femme fatale who does have a heart after all.”
Cast: Fred MacMurray, Philip Carey, Kim Novak, Dorothy Malone, E.G. Marshall, Allen Nourse, James Anderson (uncredited), Joe Bailey (uncredited), Tony Barrett (uncredited), Walter Beaver (uncredited), Richard Bryan (uncredited), Robert Carson (uncredited), Phil Chambers (uncredited), Dick Crockett (uncredited), John De Simone (uncredited), Alan Dexter (uncredited), Don C. Harvey (uncredited), Anne Loos (uncredited), Mort Mills (uncredited), Ann Morriss (uncredited), Paul Picerni (uncredited), Murray Pollack (uncredited), Paul Richards (uncredited), Marion Ross (uncredited), K.L. Smith (uncredited), Robert Stevenson (uncredited), Hal Taggart (uncredited), John Tarangelo (uncredited), Mel Welles (uncredited) and Jack Wilson (uncredited)
Director: Richard Quine
Producers: Jules Schermer and Philip A. Waxman
Screenplay: Roy Huggins (screenplay), Bill S. Ballinger (novel) and Thomas Walsh (novel)
Composer: Arthur Morton
Make-up and Hair Department: Clay Campbell (Make-up Artist), Gordon Hubbard (Make-up Artist), Dotha Hippe (Hair stylist) and Helen Hunt (Hair stylist)
Costume Design: Jean Louis (Gowns)
Cinematography: Lester White (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black and White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio
Audio Description: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 87 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Columbia Pictures / Powerhouse Films / INDICATOR
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: The ‘PUSHOVER’ [1954] film, features Kim Novak in her official screen debut and they say the actress is Columbia Pictures answer to Marilyn Monroe and there are some early scenes in this film where I thought I detected Kim Novak doing an imitation of Marilyn Monroe’s breathless soft whispering style of talking and Kim Novak was only 21 years old at the time of the film’s release, and Kim Novak looks totally fantastic.
Kim Novak was continuously criticised over the years for being limited in range as an actress, but here Kim Novak is totally alluring and provides a decent performance as a femme fatale in this early work of hers. In fact, Kim Novak is so extremely enticing it is hard to blame Fred MacMurray’s character for being a pushover for her. In real life, as well as in Kim Novak’s film life, director Richard Quine became her mentor and her lover.
The film ‘PUSHOVER’ is a quick moving low level ‘Double Indemnity; without the director Billy Wilder touch, nicely written by Roy Huggins who would go on to create the classic 1960’s television series The Fugitive” and if you want proof of the superb quality of writing, them just listen to the crisp double-entendre dialogue in the very early scene in the film where Kim Novak and Fred MacMurray’s characters meet for the first time.
The ‘PUSHOVER’ film begins with a bank robbery. Harry Wheeler [Paul Richards] and his partner steal $200,000 from a bank killing the bank guard in the process. We quickly cut to the outside of a movie theatre where Lona McLane [Kim Novak], dressed in a fur coat, is exiting the movie cinema, where a double feature is showing ‘It Should Happen to You’ and ‘The Nebraskan,’ and Lona McLane heading for her car. The car won’t start when suddenly a man’s voice is heard asking if she needs help, and that man is Paul Sheridan [Fred MacMurray] someone Lona McLane noticed was sitting alone inside the movie theatre. Paul Sheridan admits to noticing her too, and how could he not. How many beautiful women do you see in a movie theatre alone who is wearing a fur coat?
Paul Sheridan tries to start up the car, checks under the hood, but admits to not being able to get enough spark, to which Lona McLane seductively replies, “I’m not enough of a spark?” and so a repairman is called who informs them it will take a few hours to fix. The two agree to wait together by going to Paul Sheridan’s apartment while her car is repaired. It’s made pretty obvious how they pass the time together.
In the following scenes, we find out Paul Sheridan is a cop and Lona McLane is under suspicion of being Harry Wheeler’s girlfriend. Once convinced she is Harry Wheeler’s main squeeze the police set up an observation post in an apartment across the street from her place, figuring that eventually Harry Wheeler is going to show up. At one point during the surveillance, Lona McLane puts on her coat and leaves the apartment. Paul Sheridan volunteers to follow her and Lona McLane ends up at a hotel waiting for Paul Sheridan who by now Lona McLane suspects is a cop. “I had my car checked” she tells him, “there was nothing wrong and what did you do to it?”
Lona McLane is ready to walk out but they are hot for each other and swiftly fall into each other’s arms. Before long the two lovers have devised a plan that will put Lona McLane’s boyfriend bank robber in jail without the police recovering the $200,000 in stolen money which Paul Sheridan and Lona McLane plan to keep and run off with. Things soon start to unravel; nosey next door neighbours, honest cops and too many cover ups all contribute to their downfall.
‘PUSHOVER’ is suspenseful with touches of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’ voyeurism thrown. From an apartment across the way the cops are keeping surveillance on Lona McLane’s apartment for a good portion of the film. They not only check on Lona McLane but also start viewing her beautiful next-door neighbour Ann Stewart [Dorothy Malone] who has a significant impact on the storyline. Unfortunately, these voyeuristic scenes do not have the erotic impact or suspense of the Alfred Hitchcock classic ‘Rear Window’ film.
In the film ‘PUSHOVER,’ you get to see what is going on in the two women’s apartments, and in the apartment the police have setup up for surveillance, it is certainly more exciting to watch the actors James Stewart and Grace Kelly in the ‘Rear Window’ film than Fred MacMurray and his police cohorts recording conversations and drinking. Of course watching any movie in itself is a voyeuristic act and we as moviegoers are all participants in this guilty pleasure.
From the very first scenes in the parking lot when Kim Novak first meets Fred MacMurray, Kim Novak is incredibly alluring and has the most amazingly seductive eyes. For an actress of supposedly limited talent throughout her career, Kim Novak managed to work with some interesting directors like Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger and Robert Aldrich.
I can only surmise that these talented men directors must have seen something in Kim Novak. At her worst Kim Novak sometimes can be stiff. But at her best Kim Novak is very alluring, sexy and possesses a captivating aura that just sucks you in. The cast in the film also includes E.G. Marshall as Police Lt. Carl Eckstrom. ‘PUSHOVER’ is a decent, entertaining thriller; but please do not expect anything new or innovative. Everything here has been done before, crooked cops, a guy who’s a sucker for a beautiful dame and stolen money.
After watching scenes in ‘PUSHOVER,’ you may walk away with the impression that director Richard Quine made a derivative work of Alfred Hitchcock, but others might not agree with that synopsis. Director Richard Quine keeps the film very claustrophobic, hard edged, and moving at a very nice pace. As a director, Richard Quine never lives up to his early promising career. At his best, his films were entertaining without standing out from the crowd. Two of his best comedies were ‘Operation Madball’ and ‘The Notorious Landlady’ that were co-written by Blake Edwards. Richard Quine’s career sadly went downhill in the 1970’s which were mostly confined to TV shows, and in 1989, very deep in depression, Richard Quine unfortunately and very sadly committed suicide.
The film ‘PUSHOVER’ is a very fine “film noir” drama and is directed by Richard Quine and adapted to screenplay by Roy Huggins from stories written by Bill S. Ballinger and Thomas Walsh. It stars Fred MacMurray, Phillip Carey, Kim Novak, Dorothy Malone and E. G. Marshall. Music is scored by Arthur Morton and cinematography by Lester White.
‘PUSHOVER’ is an underrated, little known crime melodrama from the mid-'50s that introduced the blonde beauty of Kim Novak to audiences and gave Fred MacMurray another chance to play an authority figure seduced by the charms of a femme fatale. Kim Novak is stunning physically and memorable performance wise. Fred Mc Murray is excellent on the northern-edge of his leading man days.
Very few would regard this as a classic Noir but thanks to Richard Quine's taut direction it does what it has to do in the space of a little less than ninety minutes and pretty well fulfils the promise of its excellent opening scene.
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Columbia Pictures, Powerhouse Films + INDICATOR presents us the film ‘PUSHOVER’ with a wonderful remastered 1080p image experience and is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Like the other “film noir” films from Columbia Pictures, ‘PUSHOVER’ has been fully remastered and looks amazing on this Blu-ray release and especially the density levels could have been better, but overall the presentation is very convincing, and also the grey scale looked particularly impressive, also a lot of the darker night time footage I thought was about as convincing as it could have been. Image stability is excellent and the entire film is spotless as well and I think this current master is very solid and because of that it makes watching this film a totally pleasurable experience. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Columbia Pictures, Powerhouse Films + INDICATOR brings us the film ‘PUSHOVER’ with a 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio experience and I did not encounter any age-related anomalies to report with my overall review. The audio is very clear, clean, and very stable. The audio balance is also really excellent. I thought that the dynamic audio intensity was really excellent as well, and of course having a good audio experience makes watching this film a really joyous audio experience, so well done Powerhouse Films + INDICATOR.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: ‘PUSHOVER’ Audio Commentary with Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson [Audio only] [2021] [1080p] [1.85:1] [86:40] With this featurette, we get to hear this audio commentary with Film Historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson and are here to talk about the 1954 film ‘PUSHOVER,’ and as the film begins, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson introduces themselves and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas also inform us that she is a film critic from Melbourne, Australia and says sitting next to her is Josh Nelson and are here to talk about Richard Quine’s 1954 Columbia Pictures film and also mentions that Josh Nelson is an academic and film critic and says the film is set in the heart of New York City and thanks us for listening to their audio commentary and also says they are here to debunk the myth that ‘PUSHOVER’ is the poor man’s ‘Double Indemnity’ film which a number of people has described the film, but they also say that the film ‘PUSHOVER’ was the inspiration for the 1960 French New Wave crime drama film ‘Breathless’ written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Now they say the film ‘PUSHOVER’ was made roughly for $400,000 and they feel that is very cheap for this “film noir” and a very bare bone film. They also talk about the main actors in this film like Fred MacMurray ans the film also introduced the actress Kim Novak who they thought brought a great energy to the film, and they also talk in-depth about how Kim Novak became deeply involved with the film, but we also find out that the actress real name was Marilyn Pauline Novak and was born in Chicago, Illinois on the 13th February, 1933 and during her summer break from William Penn Elementary, Farragut High School, Kim Novak went on a cross-country tour as a promotional model for Detroit Motor Products Corporation's Deepfreeze home freezer at trade shows and was pronounced “Miss Deepfreeze.” Then Kim Novak went to San Francisco, after the refrigerator company tour ended, Novak and two other models decided to go to Los Angeles, to check out the film industry. Then Kim Novak was discovered by an agent, who signed her to a long-term contract with Columbia Pictures. From the beginning of her career, she wanted to be an original and not another stereotype. Therefore, Kim Novak fought with Columbia Pictures chief, Harry Cohn, over the changing of her name and he suggested the name “Kit Marlowe,” arguing to her that “Nobody's gonna go see a girl with a Polack name,” but Kim Novak insisted on keeping her name, saying, “I'm Czech, but Polish, Czech, no matter, it's my name!” They eventually settled on the name “Kim Novak” as a compromise, and Columbia Pictures intended for Kim Novak to be their successor to Rita Hayworth. They also mention that Kim Novak has great sexuality between actor Fred MacMurray and Kim Novak to great effect, especially throughout the 1954 film, but they also feel Kim Novak portrays a great fem fatale character. As we go throughout this audio commentary, both of them just waffle on about nothing of interest and especially about other films they feel related in “film noir” style to this 1954 film and starts to get very boring. But suddenly as we get more in the film, they both start talking about the other main actors in the film and mentions the other films they have appeared in, and no information about the film ‘PUSHOVER.’ Now as we are getting near to the end of the film, they now both mention the film career of Fred MacMurray and all the different characters he has portrayed in his other films and of course during 1959 – 1973, Fred MacMurray appeared in numerous Disney films, including ‘The Shaggy Dog,’ ‘The Absent-Minded Professor,’ ‘Follow Me, Boys!’ and ‘The Happiest Millionaire’ and they also feel Fred MacMurray the actor in the last part of the film feels lost and does not seem to have much drive with his character, but is also at the same time out of control and totally out of his depth because of his emotional attachment to Kim Novak’s character. Now for some unknown reason they go into the film history of the director Richard Quine and the many films he has directed of different genres. Now as we really get to near the end of the film, they both say the actress Kim Novak’s character really flourishes and really feels the actress gets the victory for the climax of the film and also has a morale climax to the film, and at that point they both thank us for joining them, and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas says she has had great fun and Josh Nelson agrees with her, and also says thank you for listening to us, and at that point this audio commentary comes to and end thank goodness, as I did not enjoy this audio commentary and I was so pleased when it came to the end.
Special Feature: Partners in Crime and Comedy: Glenn Kenny on Kim Novak and Richard Quine [2021] [1080p] [1.78:1] [18:19] With this featurette, we get to meet author and critic Glenn Kenny who discusses the careers and collaborations of director Richard Quine and actress Kim Novak. Glenn Kenny also informs us that he writes film reviews for the New York Times and RogerEbert.com, and has contributed to the Criterion Collection website. He is the author of Made Men: The Story of “Goodfellas” (Hanover Square Press, 2020). Glenn Kenny informs us that here is here to talk in-depth about the 1954 film the ‘PUSHOVER’ and also talks about the careers and collaborations with director Richard Quine and the actress Kim Novak which is not talked about a lot. Glenn Kenny now turns his attention that the 1954 film ‘PUSHOVER’ was the first of four movies that Richard Quine has directed films starring Kim Novak. Now Glenn Kenny now goes into the history of Richard Quine who basically was born in a trunk on the 12th November, 1920 in in Detroit, and Richard Quine's father was an actor in Vaudeville. Richard Quine and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was six years old and began acting as a child in radio, vaudeville, and stage productions before being signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in his early twenties. When his acting career began to wane after World War II, Richard Quine began working as a film director and later on later moved into producing and directing television. In 1939, Richard Quine made his Broadway debut in the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II stage musical “Very Warm for May” in 1939, which ran for 59 performances. The following year, he was cast as Frank Lippincott in the hit Broadway production of “My Sister Eileen” starring Shirley Booth which was a big hit in 1940 which led to Richard Quine's being signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and his first film for MGM was ‘Babes on Broadway’ [1941], starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, and Mickey Rooney and Richard Quine had been friends since childhood. Columbia Pictures borrowed Richard Quine to reprise his stage role in the film ‘My Sister Eileen’ [1942] and starred Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne and Janet Blair. Then Richard Quine wrote the script for a musical remake of the CinemaScope comedy musical film ‘My Sister Eileen’ [1955] with screenwriter Blake Edwards that starred Janet Leigh, Betty Garrett, Jack Lemmon and a young Bob Fosse as Frank Lippincott. Then Richard Quine produced and directed ‘Synanon’ [1965] for Columbia Pictures. Glenn Kenny said that Richard Quine had a charmed life and married the actress Susan Peters who was American actress who appeared in more than twenty films over the course of her decade-long career. Though Susan Peters began her career in uncredited and ingénue roles, she would establish herself as a serious dramatic actress in the mid-1940’s. But tragically Susan Peters on New Year's Day 1945, Susan Peters' spinal cord was damaged from an accidental gunshot wound by her husband Richard Quine, leaving her permanently paraplegic and Richard Quine was totally devastated. Susan Peters went onto portraying a villainess who used a wheelchair in ‘The Sign of the Ram’ [1948] and Susan Peters then transitioned to the theatre. By 1952, however, Susan Peters had very bad clinical depression for several years due to the dissolution of her marriage to Richard Quine and her limited career options. In late 1952, Susan Peters began starving herself, which combined with her paralysis led to chronic kidney infections and pneumonia. Susan Peters sadly died of ensuing health complications that year at the age of 31. But from then on Richard Quine seriously concentrated on directing films and the film ‘PUSHOVER’ was his fifth film. Glenn Kenny now wants to talk in-depth about the actress Kim Novak and repeats the history of the actress Kim Novak which you can read in the above audio commentary. Now Glenn Kenny says that the film ‘PUSHOVER’ at the time of its release got very lukewarm reviews and the motion picture was adapted from two novels, Thomas Walsh's The Night Watch and William S. Ballinger's Rafferty, by Roy Huggins. Now Glenn Kenny again talks about the actress Kim Novak who was 21 year old in the 1954 Columbia Pictures film ‘PUSHOVER’ and says the outline of the film is all about a woman, honesty and money and that Fred MacMurray characters says that the Kim Novak’s character is all about money, but also adds that her character is scared of being hungry, is also scared being alone and needing money to survive. Glenn Kenny also goes into detail about some of the films Kim Novak has appeared in and mentions other notable films including ‘Bell, Book and Candle’ [1958], ‘Strangers When We Meet’ [1960], the British mystery/comedy ‘The Notorious Landlady’ [1962] with Jack Lemmon and Fred Astaire, and also mentions that Kim Novak gained prominence for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock's thriller ‘Vertigo’ [1958], which is recognized as one of the greatest films ever made. Now Glenn Kenny mentions the last collaboration between Kim Novak and Richard Quine with the movie ‘The Notorious Landlady’ which was a 1962 American comedy mystery film starring Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Fred Astaire and the film was directed by Richard Quine, with a script by Blake Edwards and Larry Gelbart and feels the film should have been directed by Blake Edwards. Glenn Kenny now turns his attention about other films Richard Quine directed, but sadly he struggled with a strong addiction to alcoholism in a very bad way and hated conforming to the Hollywood system and was a very good close friend to Blake Edwards and mentions his most famous movie ‘S.O.B.’ which was the 1981 American satirical black comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards. It stars Julie Andrews, Richard Mulligan, Robert Preston, Larry Hagman, Robert Vaughn, Robert Webber, Loretta Swit, Shelley Winters, and William Holden in his final film role and Glenn Kenny says this 1981 film had a lot of controversy when it was released. As we get near to the end of this featurette, Glenn Kenny feels the best films that Richard Quine directed were ‘PUSHOVER,’ ‘Bell, Book and Candle,’ and ‘Strangers When We Meet.’ Glenn Kenny reveals very sad information about Richard Quine where after an extended period of very depression and poor health, Richard Quine shot himself in the head at his Los Angeles home on the 10th June, 1989 and was taken to UCLA Medical Center, where he died at the age of 68. Richard Quine remains are interred in the Room of Prayer columbarium at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Finally Glenn Kenny says, “I am pleased to talk in-depth about Kim Novak and Richard Quine and I am Glenn Kenny and we will hopefully see you again and thank you.” By the way, while viewing this featurette, we get to view a few clips from the film ‘PUSHOVER.’
Special Feature: Image Gallery: With this featurette, we get to view 30 wonderful 1080p black-and -white dramatic images of publicity and promotional stills, and also coloured international posters related to the 1954 film ‘PUSHOVER.’ Please Note: To advance the images you have to press the right hand NEXT button on your remote control. To EXIT this featurette, you have to press MENU or TOP MENU buttons on your remote control.
Special Feature: Theatrical Trailer [1954] [1080p] [1.78:1] [1:50] With this featurette, we get to view the Original Theatrical Trailer for the 1954 Columbia Pictures ‘PUSHOVER’ film.
Special Feature: Blunder Boys [1955] [1080p] [1.37:1] [15:58] With this featurette, we get to view a comedy short starring The Three Stooges. After serving in the Army, The Three Stooges decide to head off to college and major in criminology. Graduating with the lowest possible honours, The Three Stooges join the police force and they receive an assignment, which is to search for a bandit called the Eel who is going to rob the Biltless Hotel. They go to the hotel, but fail to catch the criminal or retrieve the money Eel stole. As a result, they are booted off the force and the three ends up as ditch diggers.
Finally, ‘PUSHOVER’ [1954] is an early widescreen black-and-white gem of a film. It comes late in the “film noir” cycle but it crackles with precision and very sharp acting. This is a fairly tight little thriller, a good but not quite good enough “film noir” to be counted among the classics and was a very pleasant surprise. I'd never heard of this film before and I am glad I gave it a try. It's the classic “film noir” set-up of a robbery plan that goes awry due to unforeseen circumstances. The movie centres around an all-night police stakeout of Kim Novak's apartment, after her boyfriend robs a bank and takes it on the 1:00 am survellance. Fred MacMurray is a cop and figures his inside knowledge of both sides of the investigation should allow him to pull off the proverbial “perfect crime” and lifting the loot while delivering the crook. There is some great suspense in the movie as things begin to unravel and the 1950’s black-and- white photography is really great. All in all, it was a very enjoyable “film noir” experience that I feel may go under the radar and is a must film that should be checked out. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
