Roadhouse (1948)

Directed by John Negulesco; produced by Edward Chodorov

Pete Morgan (Cornel Wilde) returns from a business trip to the roadhouse that he manages to find that the owner, his friend Jefferson T “Jefty” Robbins (Richard Widmark), has hired an entertainer, Lily Stevens (Ida Lupino). Pete is miffed, as he figures the situation will turn out like all those before: Jefty, hiring the singer because he’s attracted to her, eventually tires of her; it will then be up to Pete to fire her. This time, though, Jefty’s infatuation becomes obsession, a dangerous desire all the worse because of Lily and Pete’s feelings for each other.

As Roadhouse starts out, the viewer guesses that it will be a romance and, very likely, a triangular conflict. But with Widmark as one of the angles, the second guess is that the story will turn unpleasant for the other two soon enough. This is precisely what happens - I don’t think I’m spoiling the film by divulging this - but the movie still maintains an interest for the audience. It in fact grows more interesting as the menace increases. This is due to the directing and the acting.

Negulesco had already accumulated an impressive list of good directing jobs by the time Roadhouse was made, and was able to handle a variety of genres (from film noir such as The Mask of Dimitrios, to drama like Johnny Belinda, to musicals of the likes of Daddy Long Legs). He handles the story and actors of Roadhouse well, making the most of them.

The actors are all capable, right down to the bit parts. Wilde doesn’t seem to come to the fore when leading men of the 1940s and ‘50s are considered. He is, perhaps, unremarkable, but nonetheless gives yeoman service in every movie he’s in. He added directing to his skills later and did as well in that field. Lupino - also to turn director later - gives a more subtle performance: without any really explicit explanation, we see how her character’s cynicism is a shield for unhappiness.

The real star is fourth-billed Widmark, though his role here is a variation on those which he had already played twice. Roadhouse was his third film and the third time he’d portrayed a character with psychotic tendencies. He must have been growing fearful of stereotyping. Nonetheless, his Jefty is a good study in obsession and how it can break down everything else in a personality. He is actually a sympathetic character at first, childish and naive, but not unlikeable.

The story is rather ordinary, without any particular spark. This may have been the result of having five writers (not including the producer, who was responsible for the actual screenplay). Multiple contributors to a movie’s script - unless they are a very compatible team - often create either something horrible or something bland. In this case, it is the latter. One possibly unforeseen result is that Susie (Celeste Holm), the roadhouse’s accountant and Pete’s general factotum, comes across as a livelier, more appealing woman than Lily. This may, however, have been due to Holm’s performance.

In any case, Roadhouse is a minor success: given another set of lead actors, or a different director, it would hardly have left a mark. As it is, the film is a moderately entertaining night at the movies.