DVD review: Hangover Square (1945)

There is some historical notoriety tagged onto the 20th Century Fox film “Hangover Square,” in that it was released two months after its star, portly Laird Cregar, died of a heart attack. Cregar had left an impact on such films as “This Gun for Hire” and “The Lodger” and was carving something of a niche in creepy roles that had escalated to starring parts. “Hangover Square” is a good culmination, albeit premature, as it may be his best work. Kino Lorber has released a nice clear blu ray of the film.

Revamping Patrick Hamilton’s period novel into one set in the early 20th century, this quintessential noir was directed by John Brahm. Cregar, a fan of the original novel, wanted to play the lead, but was tiring of villainous parts and hoped to someday be a leading man. He hoped his romantic scenes with co-star Linda Darnell could open up such opportunities. The film had to be shot in sequence in order to respond well to Cregar’s real-life crash dieting.

The filming of “Hanover Square” was fraught with problem. Cregar, director Brahm, and co-star George Sanders frequently clashed at different levels. Sanders challenged the script. Cregar was popping pills to help with his weight loss, resulting in erractic on-set behavior. Brahm had to somehow keep all of this together. And somehow he did.

Brahm approaches each scene with a vision and a concentration that is evident in his framing of each shot. The tight shots of Cregar’s hands. The way the camera encircles his frame before cutting to a close-up, the quick edits alternating with longer sequences, are all effective methods that help propel the narrative. Cregar completely envelopes himself in the role of the betrayed, jittery composer who descends into madness as others taken advantage of his talents.

Buoyed by Bernard Herrmann’s music, direction that takes advantage of the film’s dark themes, brilliant cinematography by Joseph LaShelle, and very strong performances, “Hangover Square” is truly an exceptional film. At the time of its release it received mixed reviews and did not make much of an impact at the box office. But now it is hailed as among the finest films of its time and its kind.

Kino Lorber’s blu ray includes such extras as a documentary on Cregar and two commentary tracks – one by Richard Schickel and the other by Steve Haberman and actor Faye Marlowe, who appears in the film. It also includes a radio version starring Vincent Price, Darnell, and Marlowe.

The blu ray is available here.