I’ll be focusing more on movies in this feature, especially film noir. I am both a film noir buff and obsessive. I’m no Eddie Muller but we’re both cat people who grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area so there is that.

Tension is a 1949 noir that’s a particular favorite of mine. It’s one of the best acted movies in the genre. Audrey Totter gives a bravura performance as Richard Basehart’s evil scheming wife, Claire Quimby. She’s so good that Kitty Claire Trevor wishes her human namesake had gotten the part. We’ve also taken to calling our cat Claire Quimby when she misbehaves.

There are also standout performances by Barry Sullivan and William Conrad as the cops investigating the case.

It’s grading time. I give Tension 3 1/2 stars and an Adrastos Grade of B+

On to the artwork:

Let’s all go to the lobby:

I love how lobby cards for black and white movies are often in color.

Tension was recently on TCM’s Noir Alley. The last word goes to Eddie Muller.