The Film Detective recent Blu-ray and DVD releases of the John Sturges ("The Great Escape") action/romance/western film "The Capture" (1950) adds to the mountain of proof that the style and substance of tales of the not-so-final frontier greatly extends beyond cattle stampedes and showdowns. This film also is further evidence of the skill of Detective as to finding the best films that you never watched.
Despite this typically masterfully restored film meeting the high Detective standards in most regards, the absence of an insightful and entertaining Ballyoo Motion Pictures documentary is disappointing. The truly good gumshoes at Detective compensate by having Boston broadcasting legend and righteous dude Dana Hersey narrate insightful and entertaining featurettes on Sturges and leading lady Teresa Wright.
The well-earned fame of Hersey stems from hosting the must-see "Movie Loft" series on WSBK Channel 38 in The Athens of America long before TCM existed and Robert Osborne earned well-deserved fame for sharing insights about a wide variety of films. Hersey also co-hosted the HILARIOUS Channel 38 series "Ask The Manager" that involved answering the letter from viewers about fare such as "The Three Stooges," "Hogan's Heroes," and "Rocky and Bullwinkle."
These features make one hope that Hersey screened "Capture" on "Loft" back in the day.
The following Detective SPOILER-LADEN promo. for "Capture" highlights the awesome Silver Age noir vibe of the film and the playful chemistry between Wright and leading man Ayres. This not-necessarily fatal attraction fully comes through in a scene in which Lin Vanner (Ayres) entertains Ellen (Wright) with a bath that is much more vaudeville than burlesque.
Our story begins with a noir staple cum modern film trope. We meet Lin riding through desolate country on the run from the law. This leads to taking refuge at the rustic home of a priest and the subsequent figurative "24 hours ago" time shift to the commencement of the events that brought us to the present conflict.
Lin begins his tale of woe by stating that he is the well-liked and respected boss at an oil-field when the latest in a series of essentially stage-coach ambushes of the company payroll triggers the series of unfortunate incidents that bring us to the present. This commences with the "bros before hos" 'tude of Lin ending his office romance.
The hunt of Lin for the prime suspect ends with finding that man on the trail. An ultimately fatal misunderstanding leads to our upstanding citizen essentially shooting the "outlaw" in the back. Guilt and other negative emotions result in Lin deciding to get out of Dodge.
An epitome of a Hollywood coincidence results in Lin ending up on the home turf of the suspected robber. This pattern continues with Lin becoming the sole hired hand of unsuspecting young widow/mother Ellen. The obvious underlying theme is that Lin feels that he is doing penance for his "sin."
Of course, the awful truth comes out. This fully turns our story into a combination of "The Goodbye Girl" and "The Taming of The Shrew" as Lin tries to endure the gleeful torment of Ellen while also scheming to have true love prevail. This culminates in one of the best scenes of "Capture" in which all the dirty laundry gets a thorough cleaning.
This confrontation leads to Lin once again hitting the trail in search of truth, justice, and the American way. Thus leading to the subsequent manhunt supports the theory that no good deed goes unpunished.
Our return to the present leads to the Hays Code Hollywood ending in which justice prevails and those who deserve to live happily ever after achieve that ideal.
The timeless appeal of this fable about love and honor is that it reminds us of the not-so-distant past in which movies did not rely on "shock-and-awe," the performances of stars rather than actors, or franchises that should have ridden off into the sunset decades ago.
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