In a Lonely Place (1950)
94%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Led by extraordinary performances from Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, In a Lonely Place is a gripping noir of uncommon depth and maturity.
In a Lonely Place is a classic noir film that will leave you feeling like you need a stiff drink and a hug. Humphrey Bogart’s performance as Dix is both charming and terrifying, and Gloria Grahame shines as his love interest. The film is a scathing critique of Hollywood and a psychological study of a troubled man, but let’s be real, the real star of the show is Bogart’s grapefruit-cutting skills. Seriously, who knew slicing fruit could be so menacing? Overall, In a Lonely Place is a must-watch for any film noir fan or anyone who wants to see Bogart at his brooding best.
Production Company(ies)
Santana Pictures, Corporation,
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
City Hall – 455 N. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1950
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:1h 31m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 17, 1950 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2003
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy, Carl Benton Reid, Art Smith, Jeff Donnell, directed by Nicholas Ray, written by Dorothy B Hughes, Edmund H North, Andrew Solt, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Ela Bittencourt, Peter Bradshaw, Richard Brody, Keith Uhlich, J Hoberman, Dave Kehr, Roger Moore, Matt Brunson, MPAA rating, produced by Robert Lord, Columbia Pictures, mono sound mix, flat aspect ratio, Hollywood, screenwriter, murder, police, psychological study, film noir, romance, neighbor, alibi, hothead, big heart, authenticity, character study, murder-mystery, scathing critique of Hollywood, aging, fighting the system, fighting himself, Oscar nomination, revised ending, misunderstood artist, creative persona, emotional stability, film and TV guides, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates, Fresh Kernels
Worldwide gross: $21,493
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Gloria Grahame – Laurel Gray
Frank Lovejoy – Det. Sgt. Brub Nicolai
Carl Benton Reid – Capt. Lochner
Art Smith – Mel Lippman
Jeff Donnell – Sylvia Nicolai
Director(s)
Nicholas Ray
Writer(s)
Dorothy B. Hughes, Edmund H. North, Andrew Solt
Producer(s)
Robert Lord
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (1)
In a Lonely Place isn’t so much a straightforward thriller as it is a poignant psychological study of a person and a milieu, veiled as an atmospheric noir.
February 25, 2020
Ela Bittencourt
Hyperallergic
TOP CRITIC
Humphrey Bogart’s world-weariness and romanticism take on something brutal and misogynist in this 1950 noir masterpiece directed by Nicholas Ray – and it’s a marvellous performance by Gloria Grahame.
November 22, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Few movies suggest such a forthright flaying of their director’s soul.
November 24, 2014
Richard Brody
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
The genre trappings of this noir masterpiece don’t matter a whit. There’s a murder and a mystery, but whodunnit? is just the punch line to the gut.
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Keith Uhlich
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The grayest, most morally ambiguous of film noirs — and arguably the most self-reflexive.
July 15, 2009
J. Hoberman
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
It’s a breathtaking work, and a key citation in the case for confession as suitable material for art.
October 23, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A classic noir that stands among Bogart’s best.
May 6, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Roger Moore
Movie Nation
A beautiful yet devastating piece of cinema that operates as a bleak film noir, a compelling murder-mystery, a scathing critique of Hollywood, and a character study of penetrating depth.
October 13, 2020 | Rating: 4/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
What matters isn’t whether or not he’s innocent, but that he could have committed the crime just the same.
August 23, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Bogart, always brilliant at playing bitter, adds a frightening aspect of fury to Dix, casting his impulses as well beyond his control — he manages to make cutting a grapefruit seem like an act of vengeance.
August 11, 2020 | Rating: 7.5/10
Piers Marchant
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
One of the most acidic looks at Hollywood – and one of the best.
July 14, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Michael J. Casey
Boulder Weekly
Bogey has got himself a pretty good picture here, the best he has had of the last several.
June 19, 2020 | Rating: 2/4
Dudley Early
Austin American-Statesman…
Plot
Screenwriter Dixon Steele, faced with the odious task of scripting a trashy bestseller, has hat-check girl Mildred Atkinson tell him the story in her own words. Later that night, Mildred is murdered and Steele is a prime suspect; his record of belligerence when angry and his macabre sense of humor tell against him. Fortunately, lovely neighbor Laurel Gray gives him an alibi. Laurel proves to be just what Steele needed, and their friendship ripens into love. Will suspicion, doubt, and Steele’s inner demons come between them?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Humphrey Bogart’s performance in In a Lonely Place is considered one of his best.
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