They Won't Believe Me (1947)
(Irving Pichel, US 1947, 95 min., 35mm)
This diptych of Jane Greer film noir starts with her supporting turn as the mistress of Robert Taylor in this courtroom drama. Larry Ballentine (Taylor), on trial for murder, attempts to relay the facts of the case. In order to distract him from his NYC tryst, Janice (Greer), Larry’s wife Greta (Rita Johnson) buys him a stake in an investment firm in Los Angeles, where Larry promptly picks up with a secretary at the firm, Verna (Susan Hayward). Caught between money and infatuation, Larry tries to make the best of the situation, but at least one of the women has to go. The convoluted plot travels from both coasts to Nevada and Latin America before Larry faces his fate in the courtroom. Post-film discussion with Curator of Film Exhibitions Jared Case.
35mm collection print courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive