The Fearmakers (1958) directed by Jacques Tourneur
seen May 23, 2020
Synopsis:
Alan Eaton has returned the US having been released from captivity and torture by the Chinese during the Korean War. His doctor is concerned about his headaches, but Eaton assures him that he no longer has them, and the doctor assures him that he will recuperate soon. He takes a flight to Washington, DC, where he plans to return to the public relations firm he founded, Eaton & Baker. On the plane, he meets Dr. Jessup, a peace activist, who gives him the address of a private hotel run by his friends. Eaton shows up at the PR firm, only to discover that his partner, Baker, was killed the previous year in a car accident. Before that, he sold out to Jim McGinnis. Eaton is angry, and comes to blows with McGinnis, but his secretary, Lorraine, intervenes. He is shown the contract which appears to be legitimate, as it was witnessed by Barney Bond, a timid data analyst for the firm. McGinnis offers him a position with the firm as a consultant, and Eaton says he will think it over.
He goes to visit Sen. Walder, an old client and friend. Walder's committee is investigating the influence of lobbyists on Congress. Over lunch, he asks Eaton to help him out by taking the position at the PR firm, and feeding him information. A newspaper reporter, Hillyer, stops at their table. He isn't sure that Baker's death was accidental.
Eaton returns to the firm and accepts the offer. Barney shows him to his new office, and Eaton queries him about their current clients, especially the political work they are now doing. Eaton argues that their job is to measure public opinion, not mold it. After Barney leaves, he speaks with Lorraine, whom he suspects has negative feelings about McGinnis. As he is getting ready to go that evening, he has another conversation with Lorraine, but he has a fainting spell. She offers to drive him to the hotel where he has left his baggage. He has been unable to find a hotel, but he remembers the address given to him by Jessup, so he goes there.
The couple who run the boarding house (Vivian and Harold Loder) take him in. Harold claims to be a war veteran himself. Vivian is obviously flirtatious. Harold shows Eaton to his room.
Eaton awakens from a nightmare recollection of his imprisonment, and overhears the couple fighting.
The next morning VIvian serves him breakfast. She then goes to his room and starts looking through his uniform. Eaton catches her, but she pretends that she's just attracted to uniforms. Harold catches them in the clinch and starts to beat up his wife. Eaton intervenes and decks him. He takes his things and leaves.
At the office, he queries Barney about what appear to be loaded questions asked in the gubernatorial race they are working on. He asks to see the card files, so he can determine if the survey was conducted with a representative sample. Barney explains that those files are under lock and key in McGinnis's office. After Barney and McGinnis leave, he asks Lorraine what she knows. He takes a chance and asks her to help him get the key. She agrees.
In the foyer, McGinnis calls Lorraine in for some dictation. Before she can get to his office, Barney tries to hit on her, but she refuses. In his office, McGinnis takes out his keys to open a drawer, and goes into another room to shave. As he is dictating, Lorraine, manages to get the file key. She and Eaton arrange to meet at a nearby restaurant, and Eaton calls the reporter to meet them there too.
At the restaurant, Lorraine gives him the key. The reporter shows up, but he has not been able to find a whole in the car accident story. Two witnesses provided McGinnis with an airtight alibi. But one of the witnesses was Jessup and the other was Loder. He tells Lorraine to stay at the restaurant while he goes to the office. As he leaves, we see Barney. Alarmed, he goes to phone McGinnis.
At the office, Eaton removes a case file from the locked file drawer as well as the data cards. Unexpectedly, McGinnis arrives at the office with Loder. They have stacks of phony letters with signatures forged by Vivian. Eaton has overheard the whole thing. He accuses them of forging Baker's signature and then killing him. Barney shows up to find McGinnis trying to buy his silence, but Eaton is having none of it. Loder pulls a gun on him.
At the restaurant, Lorraine is worried and leaves to go after Eaton.
Loder tries to beat Eaton into submission, but Eaton is used to torture by the Chinese. He won't cooperate. So they decide to stage a suicide by having him "jump" off Memorial Bridge. Barney, who is clearly unnerved by this, points out that it won't work because Lorraine knows too much. McGinnis and Loder give Barney the gun to hold Eaton, while they go to take care of Lorraine. Eaton tries to reason with Barney.
Lorraine arrives at the building and sees McGinnis's car out front. She tries to walk away, but it's too late. She is confronted by them.
In the office, Eaton tries to convince Barney that they are not only going to kill him, but they will also kill Barney and Lorraine. Eaton gets close enough to Barney that he is able to grab the gun. McGinnnis and Loder return with Lorraine. Eaton calls Sen. Walder's office, and leaves a message for him to return the call Unfortunately, he has another dizzy spell, and Loder grabs the gun from him. Barney, realizing that they intend to kill Lorraine, tries to stop them, but Loder shoots him. Loder and McGinnis drive away in their car with Eaton and Lorraine.
The phone rings in the office, and Barney, not quite dead, manages to crawl to the desk and answer the phone. He gives Sen. Walder the information about the car, before he expires.
Walder calls the police, who put out an APB on the car.
In the car, Eaton pretends to have another dizzy spell, and in so doing, is able to grab the gun from Loder. The police spot the car and give chase. The car pulls up in front of the Lincoln Memorial. McGinnis runs up the stairs with Eaton giving chase. They fight it out at the top of the stairs, and McGinnins tumbles down the stairs and collapses. Sen. Walder shows up to give his appreciation. Eaton and Lorraine make plans for the future and, finally, kiss.
COMMENTARY:
I may have seen this years ago, in Roger and Howie's loft. I have a vague recollection of the ending, but nothing else. That's not surprising because the film is unmemorable. The direction is efficient, but none of the suspenseful moments build up to anything.
What's interesting in watching the film today is the message about the evils of lobbying and the concern about how polls and public relations can manipulate the opinions of the public. In that, the film is prescient.
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