REPEAT PERFORMANCE remains one of those quasi-forgotten films that were the product of Eagle Lion films. Joan Leslie had been semi-blacklisted by Jack Warner etal because she had sued to exit her Warner Bros. contract. This film marked her entrance into the free-lance market - sadly, at a low-budget studio - and her emergence as a beautiful adult woman in a powerful drama. The cast is remarkable for Eagle-Lion; it includes Louis Hayward as a wayward-drinking-cuckolding husband of a Broadway star (Leslie); Richard Basehart(his first major film and a stellar performance); Virginia Field, Benay Venuta, Tom Conway, and Natalie Schaefer! the film debuted at the beautiful Rivoli Theater on Broadway. Its opening scene is as dynamic as the similar openings in "The Letter" and "Rope". This time, Alfred Werker created the skillful scene which becomes noir-superb in its juxtaposition of murder against a New Year's Eve setting. Leslie not only looks her best...but turns in a whallopping performance that runs a tricky gamut. This film demands restoration. Yes, it is that hypnotic.
Review of Repeat Performance
