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Download, Watch online Road House (1948) Movie.
| Genres: | ActionThrillerRoma |
| Starring: | Richard Widmark, O.Z. Whitehead, Grandon Rhodes, Ida Lupino, Ian MacDonald, Robert Karnes, Cornel Wilde |
| Director(s): | Jean Negulesco |
| Country: | USA |
| Year: | 1948 |
| IMDB Rating: | 7.2 |
Jefty, owner of a roadhouse in a backwoods town, hires sultry, tough-talking torch singer Lily Stevens against the advice of his manager Pete Morgan. Jefty is smitten with Lily, who in turn exerts her charms on the more resistant Pete. When Pete finally falls for her and she turns down Jeftys marriage proposal, they must face Jeftys murderous jealousy and his twisted plots to punish the two.
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Visitor Reviews: (20)
sticks114 17 May 2012
Pete's "parole" to Jefty
A poster wondered why Pete agreed to accept a sentence of being"paroled" to his boss Jefty. First of all, I think the proper readingis that he was put on probation with Jefty acting as his probationofficer. Parole occurs after a person is released from serving a prisonsentence. As to why Pete would accept this arrangement; since thealternative was a state prison sentence I guess he felt it was thelesser of two evils. Little did he know what was to follow!Why Jefty would be allowed to act as Pete's probation officer is amystery. I'm guessing that in this one-horse town in the north woodsthe state had very limited resources for supervising people onprobation and may not have had a local probation office. Also, Jeftymay have been one of the leading citizens in town and not perceived asthe deranged individual he was.
bmacv 17 May 2012
Behind a white piano gouged with cigarette burns, Lupino proves her mettle
'...and then by bus to a throaty restless obsessed temptress 'thrush'slouched in mortal danger atop a white piano, singing the blues andchain-smoking, somewhere in the long, dark, wet and winding nightbetween Chicago and 'the coast.'  James McCourt, "Mawrdew Czgowchwz"Jean Negulesco's Road House must have inspired that sentence (or ratherfragment). With her voice shredded by Scotch and Luckies, Ida Lupino isthe thrush, the canary, whose smoldering cigarettes leave a bar-code ofburns scarring the smart paint of her white piano. She's been broughtup from Chicago by Richard Widmark to lure paying customers into thecocktail lounge of his establishment  Jefty's Road House  up in thepiney woods a few miles from the Canadian border. (On one side, it's abowling alley  that kind of joint; the only game in town). In the past, Widmark has been known to engage no-talents who strike hisromantic fancy. So when Lupino arrives, Widmark's boyhood pal and nowMan Friday Cornel Wilde, cruel to be kind, tries to send her packing.He fails ('Silly boy,' she scolds him after slapping his face). ButWilde was wrong; Lupino brings down the house at her debut, with agravelly, sprechstimme rendition of the Mercer/Arlen 'It's A Quarter ToThree.' ('She does more without a voice than anybody I've ever heard,'marvels Celeste Holm, another worker toiling under Widmark's thumb.)Maybe it would have been better had she packed. Widmark assumes thatLupino's as mad about him as he about her and runs off to get amarriage license. But after starting off on the wrong foot, Wilde andLupino find a grudging romance kindling between them, to Holm's chagrin she assumed she was Wilde's girl. (The whole plot's based onunfounded assumptions.) When Widmark stumbles upon the truth, he frames Wilde for stealing theweek's take. And that's only the start of Widmark's delusional plot toredress the wrong he thinks been done him, to an extent that Lupinoturns on him: 'And you know what else? Your mind's gone. You're crazy,Jefty. Crazy!' Since, in film noir, that's about the worse thing youcan say to someone with a mad little glint in his eye (and dementedgiggles to match it), Widmark goes totally unhitched....Like the following year's Beyond The Forest, Road House is anoverheated melodrama set in the cool climate of hunting lodges and icylakes where loons (not only the avian kind) call through the dusk. It'sa pastoral backwater where routine passions build up to explosiveforce, without the many vents cities offer for release. (We see it in adrunken bear of a backwoodsman who comes violently onto Lupino,thinking her torch songs were sung not for a paycheck but expressly forhim.)Negulesco was working at the top of his game in Road House, as wasWidmark (though we had seen his gleeful psycho before). With hisconstitutionally dour manner (maybe it's just his face), Wilde was notone to set celluloid aflame, but the part of victim fits him; Holm,alas, has to grapple with a thankless, ill-thought-out character (it'san Eve-Ardenish part that needs another splash of vinegar). But Lupino gets one of her best roles, and runs with it. Scion of aBritish theatrical family whose roots go back to Renaissance Italy, shenever received the star treatment or the prestige productions hertalents deserved (she did, however, help to shatter the directorialglass ceiling). As Lily Stevens, world-weary chanteuse of a certainage, she stays the headliner in a dark, accomplished and entertainingmovie. It's a late-show treasure that makes a television an applianceworth having.
planktonrules 16 May 2012
Despite quite a few plot holes, this is an enjoyable Noir thriller
There is a lot to like about ROAD HOUSE. The plot idea is very good andit's enjoyable throughout. The only problem is that the film reallylooked like the script should have been polished a bit first as thereare just a few too many plot holes--particularly at the end.The style of this film is rather Film Noir, though it doesn't featurethe usual gangsters or cops. Instead, Ida Lupino plays a world-wearylounge singer who acts much like your typical Noir femme fatale. She'sa chain-smoking and smart-mouthed dame through and through, thoughlater in the film she inexplicably changed to a "nice girl in badgirl's clothing". This is a bit unexpected because I assumed the filmwas about how she trapped poor Cornell Wilde in her evil clutches--butthe film takes a much more unexpected detour. You see, once Lupinocatches Wilde, their boss (Richard Widmark) oddly switches from a niceguy to a calculating psycho bent on destroying the lovers. This iswhere the plot really kicks into high gear and the next 20 minutes ofthe film are exciting.Unfortunately, the ending where there is a final confrontation doesn'twork at all because again and again there are plot problems. Widmark isobviously crazy and dangerous, but once Wilde beats him up, he doesn'teven bother to tie up Widmark or plug him to make sure he doesn'treturn for round 2--which he naturally does. Again and again they needto fight off this mad man even though one time should have been enough!Despite the hole-riddled ending, it's still worth seeing because ofLupino's and Widmarks' performances. She is great as the 2nd-ratesinger (singing her own songs with a decent but obviously less thanstellar voice--which was perfect for the role) and she exuded sleazysex appeal. Widmark was interesting because he combined two totallydifferent performances in one film--one a nice guy and the other highlyreminiscent of his psycho from KISS OF DEATH! A great film? Nah. But anenjoyable bit of Noir, that's for sure.
16 May 2012
JEAN NEGULESCO, OPUS 9
This review is from: Road House (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) **** 1948. Directed by Jean Negulesco. When Lily Stevens is hired by Jefty to sing in his bar/bowling, everybody knows that Lily will soon be his mistress. But she's rather attracted by Jefty's friend and employee Pete Morgan. Jefty will imagine an ingenious scheme to get his revenge. ROAD HOUSE is a film I've always enjoyed very much for years. I particularly like the first part of the movie until Pete Morgan's trial. Ida Lupino clearly overshadows Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm and Richard Widmark then with her hoarse voice and her sexy wardrobe. I also like a lot the bowling lesson given to her by Cornel Wilde. The last part of ROAD HOUSE is more outdated and the final game hunting reminded me at times of The Most Dangerous Game - Criterion Collection. But, all in all, I highly recommend ROAD HOUSE, a film that will defintively stay in ma library.
14 May 2012
Gorgeous movie, but the worst audio commentary ever
This review is from: Road House (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) I know a friend who likes to comment on good pictures' first five minutes. She would be absolutely delighted!!! You see a film noir which is tempted to be more realistic and tougher than some pictures several years before, you are introduced to the four main characters, you learn to know all their relevant characteristics and the upcoming relations by little hints, their way to use their voice, the dialogue, some brilliantly phptographed superimpositions, etc...The rest of the movie will not always keep that density, but is very good, with an excellent Ida Lupino as a nightclub singer who maybe has not a classically beautiful voice, but "she's a cutie with more than beauty, she's got a lot of personality" and she would pass any round of a TV casting show better than 10.000 of the would-be-starlets you can see in such shows.Well, and all this is missed by the audio commentators, who giggle to themselves and annoy us with silly anecdotes and praisings of each other. I really got furious. I admit of course that anyone has his expectations, but I would have liked a deep-focus analysis of the movie, which you won't find here.However, the picture itself and its technical quality are excellent.
14 May 2012
Slow-paced but sizzling film noir
"Road House" (20th Century Fox, 1948)Although Cornel Wilde had top billing, Richard Widmark steals the show as a twisted man driven mad with jealousy -- so mad that he frames his best friend in order to keep him from getting away with "the girl". She, of course, is an ice-cool Ida Lupino, in one of her best acting roles as Lily Stevens, a world-weary nightclub singer who comes between two friends, even though she initially resists both their advances. Although the film moves slowly, it has plenty of atmosphere and some tart dialogue, made even better by the laconic, offhand delivery. Lupino's character, especially, is one of the best cynics ever onscreen -- and she sings a lot, too! This was only Widmark's third feature film, and he's the one to watch, as he works his way up to some serious scenery chewing at the end. Although he became a familiar, frequently typecast character actor in the 1950s, it's fun to see him here in his fresh-faced youth. Both he and Lupino had a remarkable modernity to their work; in this film he reminded me quite a bit of Steve Buscemi, while Lupino is in a league all her own. Definitely worth checking out, particularly if you're an Ida Lupino fan. (Joe Sixpack)
acdavis 14 May 2012
Killer noir
Great noir, fantastic bowling scenes, Ida Lupino...What else do you need?One of the best noir films I've seen, terrific acting, and the dialogue ishilarious. Ida Lupino does not disappoint. If you can rent this one, doit.
13 May 2012
Worst Commentary EVER!
Sometimes something can be so spectacularly bad as to hypnotize the audience into staying with it just to see the grizzly end (such as a train wreck or say "Showgirls"), no I'm not referring to this middle of the road noir, but rather the most god-awful commentary track I've ever heard, which plagues this disk. Let's face it, Fox was a long way from being the Mount Olympus of what would later be called film noir (as evidenced by the fact that they are currently trying to sell any old movie by slapping the "noir" label on it: I'm looking at you "Daisy Kenyon"), however that being said this film is a solid entry into the genre, and boasts wonderful performances by Ida Lupino and Richard Widmark, a poorly thought out plot, some good dialogue, and cinematography that captures nothing of the noir atmosphere (no high contrast German Expressionism here, just flat greys). In short it's not bad, well worth seeing for fans of the genre, but nobody will confuse this with a classic like "Out of The Past", "Night and the City", "A Touch of Evil", or even "Kiss of Death" (with which it shares a similar Widmark performance). No the really remarkable thing about this disk is the rank commentary by Kim Morgan and Eddie Muller. I really can't do justice in words to the trite vapidity of Muller and Morgan's effort, but I'll give it a try. Muller spends the bulk of the commentary verbally drooling over Ida Lupino in such a way that crosses the line of creepiness well within the first twenty minutes, while Morgan likes to describe for us Lupino's wardrobe ad nauseum. I realize that allot of commentators fall into the trap of narrating for us that which we can plainly see, but this commentary brings it to a whole new level with insights such as "LOOK it's Ida Lupino!" or "... I forgot what I was talking about, just LOOK at Ida Lupino...", variations on this theme take up the bulk of the commentary. However when the pair do tear themselves away from Ida Lupino we get insightful theories such as "I think Richard Widmark's character is a virgin...", or "I want to name my cat Jefty.", it just has to be heard to be believed, and the realization that these people were paid actually money for their inane babbling is a terrible shock to the system.In closing if one wishes to sample a solid but far from classic noir with a train-wreck of a commentary, this effort from Fox will make your day.cheers.
13 May 2012
I never finished this movie....
This review is from: Road House (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) I watched this a few times, but never managed to finish it. The trouble is that I just can't get past that part in the middle where Ms. Lupino sings a few numbers in a smoky cocktail lounge...OH YEA!! It ALWAYS entrances me - that's why I haven't gotten to the rest yet! I'll finish it one day...but that part in the middle where she sings is worth the entire cost of the dvd alone!!
12 May 2012
Road House
This review is from: Road House (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) An attractive film, especially with Ida Lupino's singing and acting, not to mention Richard Widmark, also excellent.
12 May 2012
One of Widmark's good ones!!!
I am a huge Richard Widmark fan and love seeing him play the psycho. He doesn't disappoint in this movie. All of the supporting cast are very good in this one too. Nobody could play the laughing or giggling creep better than Richard could. Ida Lupino was great too but I'm not sure about her singing? Cornel Wilde does a good job as the partner Widmark turns on. I totally enjoyed this one but I'm a sucker for the older B&W movies.
11 May 2012
Gorgeous movie, but the worst audio commentary ever
This review is from: Road House (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) I know a friend who likes to comment on good pictures' first five minutes. She would be absolutely delighted!!! You see a film noir which is tempted to be more realistic and tougher than some pictures several years before, you are introduced to the four main characters, you learn to know all their relevant characteristics and the upcoming relations by little hints, their way to use their voice, the dialogue, some brilliantly photographed superimpositions, etc...The rest of the movie will not always keep that density, but is very good, with an excellent Ida Lupino as a nightclub singer who maybe has not a classically beautiful voice, but "she's a cutie with more than beauty, she's got a lot of personality" and she would pass any round of a TV casting show better than 10.000 of the would-be-starlets you can see in such shows.Well, and all this is missed by the audio commentators, who giggle to themselves and annoy us with silly anecdotes and praisings of each other. I really got furious. I admit of course that anyone has his expectations, but I would have liked a deep-focus analysis of the movie, which you won't find here.However, the picture itself and its technical quality are excellent.
kenjha 11 May 2012
Uneven Film Noir
The employees of a road side nightclub become involved in a lovequadrangle, leading to tension. Lupino is fine as the tough saloonsinger, even warbles a few songs at the piano. Wilde is the earnest buthunky fellow she is attracted to, much to the dismay of Widmark (wholikes Lupino) and Holm (who likes Wilde). As was often the case earlyin his career, Widmark plays a psycho with a maniacal laugh, overactingto the hilt. Holm is given little to do but she does it well enough.The script is contrived and melodramatic, but Negulesco creates a nicefilm noirish atmosphere, culminating in an exciting finale infog-filled woods.
10 May 2012
One of Lupino's Best
This is by far one of Ida Lupino's finest films. She looks terrific and she sings too. This is one actor and director who is sadly missed.
Alex da Silva 10 May 2012
Poor Susie!
Road House manager Pete (Cornell Wilde) falls in love with singer Lily(Ida Lupino) brought to entertain customers by Road House owner Jefty(Richard Widmark). However, Jefty has his own interest in Lily andintends to marry her. While Jefty is away getting a marriage license,Pete and Lily become involved and decide to go away together. Well,once Jefty discovers this, he is not happy and plans revenge againstthe pair and it's a good revenge, which leaves the pair only one realchoice..........they make a run for it.......Throughout the film, I felt a little sorry for Susie (Celeste Holm) asshe is made out to be Pete's girlfriend but her feelings seem to bepapered over. She gets a bum deal in this film. She even covers for herboyfriend's philandering with Lily once Jefty returns to claim Lily forhis wife. There is some snappy dialogue between Susie and Lily and Lilyand Pete and the most memorable line for me is delivered by Jefty onhis entrance. He greets pal Pete with a cheeky delivery of the line"Hey, you son of a gun" on meeting Pete and Lily in the Road Houseoffice.The cast do well with Richard Widmark being my favourite, despite being4th billed. Ida Lupino sings a few songs with her gravelly voice and wehave been pre-warned that she may not be much good at singing, so theoutcome is not too bad. Overall, it's an interesting and enjoyable filmwith memorable scenes including every time Widmark appears and aninteresting sparring between Lupino and Wilde while he is teaching herto bowl. You don't need to see a bedroom but you get the gist....
jpdoherty 09 May 2012
Silly Noir
20th Century Fox's ROAD HOUSE 1948) is not only quite a silly noir butis an implausible unmitigated bore of a movie. Full of unconvincingcardboard characters it is blandly written by Edward Chodorov, who alsoproduced, and is surprisingly directed by Jean Negulesco from whom onewould expect a great deal more. Miscast is Ida Lupino in the leadingrole! Lupino, a lady who was capable of exuding about as much sexappeal as a blood orange, is here under the illusion she is RitaHayworth playing the part of a sexy bar-room Torch Singer. HandsomeCornel Wilde as her lover is as wooden as usual and totally wasted isthe talented Celeste Holm who's role is little more than a bit part.Then we have Richard Widmark who has the most ludicrously written partin the picture! When we first see him he is a nice O.K. guy who runs athriving Road House. Then suddenly - and for reasons that are notsufficiently made clear - he becomes insanely jealous of his manager(Wilde) when the latter tells him that he is about to marry Lupino. Yousee Widmark wanted to marry her himself but - 1) He never proposed toher - 2) They never had a relationship (they don't even have anythingthat resembles a love scene together) and - 3)without telling anyone(including Lupino) he has obtained a marriage license. Wow! So howWidmark was to achieve something like wedded bliss with Lupino aftersuch a "courtship" is anybody's quess. Huh? Well, when Widmark goes topieces over the whole affair so also does the movie I am sorry to say.From here on the Widmark character turns unintentionally comical! Hislosing his marbles so early in the proceedings is totally implausibleand unconvincing. He finally goes over the edge, becomes completelyderanged and with a few Tommy Udo sniggers, he laughably goes gunningfor poor Cornel Wilde before biting the dust himself. And if that isn'tenough of a mess of a movie for you - the whole thing is marred withthe constant use of studio sets and indoor exteriors. There's not asingle outdoor shot in the entire film! Added to this - 95% of thepicture takes place at night.Besides an interactive press book and a photo gallery the extras alsoincludes a featurette "Widmark & Lupino At Fox". Whatever prompted sucha documentary is beyond me! As far as I know they were never beforetogether in a movie at Fox or anywhere else for that matter! Howeverthe featurette is hosted by such heavy hitter know-alls as RobertOsborne, Eddie Muller, Rudy Belhmer and a few others who amazingly heappraise on this wearisome and cringe - inducing affair. All I can saythen is it must be me I guess. But "Road House" up to now was aforgotten and buried Noir and as far as I am concerned it should haveremained so.Fox would do better if they issued DVDs of superior and thus farelusive Widmark movies like "Down To The Sea In Ships" (1949) and thecolourful "Red Skies Of Montana" (1952).
09 May 2012
Excellent Film Noir
Wonderful Film Noir movie. Four great performances from Ida Lupine, Richard Widmark, Cornel Wilde and Celeste Holm
09 May 2012
Noir at its Best!
Currently I'm taking a Film Noir class in college and I must say this isonefine piece of work. Ida Lupino is so overwhelming there are no words toexpress it but Richard Widmark is surely the finest actor in Noir! He wassoooooooo creepy - a real human monster. The fight scene in the bar washysterically funny though. It looked like it had been lifted out of aWestern. Cornel Wilde was also sensational and I wish I'd seen this beforemeeting him years ago.
07 May 2012
I loved Ida Lupino
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Ida Lupino was a revelation of inner strength and beauty. What would this movie be without Richard Widmark? For that matter, what would many movies be without him? Can we say boring together. Richard Widmark is always priceless. The consummate bad guy that you just love to hate. I could watch this movie over and over and over.
07 May 2012
Another good film noir
This review is from: Road House (Fox Film Noir) (DVD) Ah, the joy of an old film noir! It's wonderful to watch a crimestory without being offended by gory, bloody scenes and shocking language of present-day Hollywood movies. I recommend this filmalso for the pleasure of watching great movie stars at their bestand looking soooo young!