Sunday, October 8, 2023

STRANGE FASCINATION 1953 (TUBI)

The first teaming of Hugo Haas and Cleo Moore.

This is a fairly conventional film about a famed pianist named Paul Marvan (Hugo Haas) who is brought to America by a wealthy woman who also happens to be a widow. Her name is Diane Fowler (Mona Barrie).

She takes a liking to Paul, but he seems to have no romantic interest in her. Paul's success grows as Diane sets him up with some good bookings. However, one night he is staying at a hotel and he goes to the bar for some food and it becomes a life chamnging event.

There he meets a beautiful dancer named Margo (Cleo Moore) and before you know it he is totally smitten with her and she with him. They quickly marry and while this secretly hurts Diane she pretends she isn't bothered.

Paul and Margo seem happy for a while, but Paul hasn't been making a lot of money and so Margo becomes restless. To get money Paul calls Diane and she says she cannot help him anymore and so he decides to stick his hand in a press and collect the insurance money.

This backfires after a witness comes forward and tells the insurance company that Paul did it on purpose. Margo leaves him and he falls into utter despair and lives at a local homeless shelter.

This would become a somewhat typical plot in the following 7 films Moore and Haas would make together, but some of them are just wonderfully over the top.

Haas wrote, produced and directed this film as he did with most of the others. I simply find Cleo Moore one of the most attractive women to ever be in any movie and I enjoyed this film because of her.

I hope TUBI will bring a lot more of Cleo films to TV. This is Highly Recommended by me for anyone who is a fan of film noir and Cleo Moore.

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