“Hollow Triumph” (1948)

 Hollow Triumph

Also known as The Scar

Brief Description:

On the run from the law and the big-time gambler he just ripped off, thief John Müller assumes a psychiatrist’s identity with unfortunate results.

(from Tubi)

Date: 1948

Genre: American crime drama thriller film noir

Running time: 1 hour 22 minutes

Cast: 

Paul Henreid (John Müller / Dr. Victor Emil Bartok)

Joan Bennett (Evelyn Hahn)

Eduard Franz (Frederick Müller)

Leslie Brooks (Virginia Taylor)

John Qualen (Swangron)

Mabel Paige (Charwoman)

Herbert Rudley (Marcy)

Charles Arnt (Coblenz)

George Chandler (Artell, Assistant)

Sid Tomack (Aubrey, Manager)

Alvin Hammer (Jerry)

Ann Staunton (Blonde)

Paul E. Burns (Harold)

Charles Trowbridge (Deputy)

Morgan Farley (Howard Anderson)

Thom Browne Henry (Rocky Stansyck)

Jack Webb (Bullseye)

Henry Brandon (Big Boy)

Director: Steve Sekely

Production company: Bryan Foy Productions

Based on: Hollow Triumph by Murray Forbes

Wikipedia page

Watch on Archive

(watched on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 4/5

Good 1940s feel, with an unusual setting in psychiatry. As for aesthetic, it was dark, gloomy, bitter, hard, and sharp, with crescendos of passion for Müller and Evelyn. 

Characters: 2/5

Ok, so I didn’t love Müller from the beginning. He wasn’t good to Marcy! But I was rooting for a second chance/new life/redemption arc when he met Evelyn… and then promptly lost all liking when he decided to murder a perfectly innocent man to save his own skin (item: because he’d robbed another man). I was also not crazy about Evelyn, because she was so hard, but I felt sorry for her with her obvious rough past and really wanted a new beginning/redemption arc for her too. She was a very interesting character, anyways. As for Frederick, he was the only one I truly felt sorry for. 

Plot: 2/5

I already said a lot about the plot above, specifically what I disliked about it. There was action, but mostly it was just Müller using his brains and people to figure out how to stay safe. Like I said, I did like the addition of the 1940s psychiatry, because that was a new thing for me. 

Romance: 2/5

Why in the world did Evelyn fall for him?? She knew better—but she chose to do it. And it didn’t work, and it just broke her. 

Theme/Message/Topics: 3/5

A sobering real life answer to the popular romantic “love the bad boy and redeem/change/fix him” trope.

A reminder of how you can run and scheme as hard as you can but evilness is always punished—“hollow triumph,” indeed.

A warning about becoming bitter and expecting no good from life.

And more lightly, an interesting perspective on how unobservant and self-centred the average person is. 

Content: 4/5 (medium)

Besides the above: kissing & hugging; language?? 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

Off-screen violence.

Overall: 2/5

A very sobering film, but not one I enjoyed or will watch again. Worth one shot though, I think.