Overview
A private investigator navigates the treacherous world of post-war New York, where danger lurks around every corner.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- moody
- tense
- hard boiled
- late night noir viewing
- classic cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an exciting, well-acted, atmospheric example of studio-era film noir, while noting occasional narrative sluggishness and contrived scenes.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film uses dark New York interiors, looming shadows, and high-contrast compositions to externalize Galt's danger.
Bradford Galt arrives in New York after imprisonment caused by Tony Jardine, only to face renewed pursuit and betrayal.
Galt investigates who is tailing and possibly trying to kill him while personally occupying the conspiracy's crosshairs.
The art-gallery world, extramarital affair, and jealous-husband dynamics connect personal obsession to the criminal plot.
Films like The Dark Corner, and why
The Big Sleep
shared hard-boiled private investigator, conspiracy mystery, urban noir atmosphere, and betrayal
Out of the Past
shared film noir fatalism, private-eye investigation, jealous relationships, and shadowy criminal intrigue
The Killers
shared postwar urban crime plotting, morally compromised characters, and atmospheric noir tension
Murder, My Sweet
shared hard-boiled detective framework, paranoia, and stylish studio-era crime melodrama
Movie Details
- Director
- Henry Hathaway
- Release Date
- 1946-04-09
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (73)
Cast
- Lucille Ball
- Clifton Webb
- William Bendix
- Mark Stevens
- Kurt Kreuger
- Cathy Downs
- Reed Hadley
- Constance Collier
- Eddie Heywood
- Colleen Alpaugh
Common questions
- What is The Dark Corner about?
- A disgraced New York private eye and his resourceful secretary unravel a conspiracy that turns his old betrayal into a deadly present-day threat.
- What is The Dark Corner like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Dark Corner as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Dark Corner violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Dark Corner as mild.
- What did critics think of The Dark Corner?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an exciting, well-acted, atmospheric example of studio-era film noir, while noting occasional narrative sluggishness and contrived scenes.
- Which films are like The Dark Corner?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, The Killers, and Murder, My Sweet.
- How long is The Dark Corner?
- The Dark Corner runs 99 minutes.
