Monday, April 16, 2012

Filmed In The Fourth Ward In 1947: A Double Life


I never new about this movie being filmed in the Fourth Ward until I read Victor Colaio's book.
Note the elevated train that is shown. It was probably the 3rd Avenue El near the junction at Chatham Square. Victor said some of the street scenes shown in the clip above were on Roosevelt Street. About the movie:
A Double Life (1947) Anthony John is an actor whose life is strongly influenced by the characters he plays. When he's playing comedy, he's the most enjoyable person in the world, but when he's playing drama, it's terrible to be around him. That's the reason why his wife Brita divorced him; although she still loves him and works with him, she couldn't stand living with him anymore. So when Anthony accepts to play Othello, he devotes himself entirely to the part, but it soon overwhelms him and with each day his mind gets filled more and more with Othello's murderous jealousy.
The successful middle-aged Broadway actor Anthony "Tony" John is a dedicated lonely professional that still loves his former wife Brita. They are playing Othello for almost two years and Tony has a breakdown, beginning to lose his mind and sense of reality, confusing his identity with his characters. One night, he meets the waitress Pat Kroll in a distant bar and he spends the night with the easy woman. Then he proposes Brita, who is his best friend, but she refuses to marry him again triggering a jealousy process against their friend Bill. Tony decides to visit Pat late night and in an insanity process, he lives the situation of Othello killing Desdemona. The police arrest a suspect but Bill wants to prove that Tony is responsible for the murder. 
Ronald Coleman won an Oscar for the part of Anthony John.  So if anyone asks you to name two Oscar winning movies shot in the Fourth Ward (the other being French Connection) you will know.

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