Decoy (Jack Bernhard, 1946)

This seldom seen film noir was recently rescued from obscurity by the “Film Noir Classics Collection.” The film stars Jean Gillie and was intended to be a showcase for her talents by her husband, director Jack Bernhard. She turns in a great performance as spider woman Margot Shelby, who plays three men against each other — the idealistic Dr. Craig (Herbert Rudley), condemned gangster (with a stash of dough) Frank Olins (Robert Armstrong), and tough guy Jim Vincent (Edward Norris). All the while she’s got straight-arrow Sergeant Joe Portugal (Sheldon Leonard in a huge hat) sniffing at her heels.

You have to hand it to Margot. She’s got an elaborate plan to spring Olins from the joint and get her mitts on his loot. She also knows what drugs the state will pump into Olins to execute him and, better yet, that there’s a cure. It’s Methylene Blue, and who better to administer it than Dr. Craig when he examines the “corpse” to declare Olins dead? Once he’s back amongst the living, the main characters engage in a series of double and triple crosses all in the hope to get the hidden $400K.

A staple of film noir, the story of Decoy is told as a flashback. What’s unusual, though, is that Margot — the femme fatale — narrates the tale. Apart from the overbearing score, it’s is a solid thriller and a notable entry in the noir pantheon. — Mike White

Tags: Decoy, Jack Bernhard, Jean Gillie, Herbert Rudley, Robert Armstrong, Edward Norris, Sheldon Leonard