Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Radio review – Suspense – “Community Property” (1947) ***

Kirk Douglas never minded playing a prat at the height of his career, so it’s no surprise at this early stage (when his only really notable credit was The Strange Love of Martha Ivers) to hear him depict a real bastard. It’s one of the darkest Suspenses – he’s a man who inherits some money but doesn’t want to share it with his wife, so he kills her. Normally murder victims on this show kind of deserve it but not here – she’s a nag, but only because Douglas badgered her into it, even smacking her around – when he apologies to lure her into a false sense of security she sobs and tells him she loves him and sounds really nice… but then he kills her. He gets his comeuppance but not enough. Strong stuff.

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