Vicki (film)

1953 film by Harry Horner

Vicki

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Harry Horner
Screenplay by| Dwight Taylor
Based on| I Wake Up Screaming
1941 novel
by Steve Fisher
Produced by| Leonard Goldstein
Starring| Jeanne Crain
Jean Peters
Cinematography| Milton R. Krasner
Edited by| Dorothy Spencer
Music by| Leigh Harline
Color process| Black and white

Production
company

20th Century Fox

Distributed by| 20th Century-Fox

Release date

* October 5, 1953 (1953-10-05)

Running time

| 85 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $560,000[1]

Vicki is a 1953 American film noir directed by Harry Horner and starring Jeanne Crain and Jean Peters. It was based on the novel I Wake Up Screaming, written by Steve Fisher.[2]

## Plot

[edit]

Vicki Lynn (Jean Peters) is a waitress who is transformed into a fashion model by press agent Steve Christopher (Elliott Reid). When Vicki is murdered, detective Ed Cornell (Richard Boone) tries to blame the crime on Christopher. In fact, the cop knows who the real killer is, but he is so hopelessly in love with the dead girl Vicki, who despised him, that he intends to railroad an innocent man to the electric chair. With the help of Vicki's sister Jill (Jeanne Crain), Christopher tracks down the real killer, Harry Williams (Aaron Spelling), and exposes the crooked cop Cornell, who had manipulated Williams into murdering Vicki.

## Cast

[edit]

* Jeanne Crain as Jill Lynn
* Jean Peters as Vicki Lynn
* Elliott Reid as Steve Christopher
* Richard Boone as Lt. Ed Cornell
* Max Showalter as Larry Evans (as Casey Adams)
* Alexander D'Arcy as Robin Ray (as Alex D'Arcy)
* Carl Betz as Detective MacDonald
* Aaron Spelling as Harry Williams
* John Dehner as Captain J. Donald

## Background

[edit]

Vicki is a remake of the 1941 film I Wake Up Screaming starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature, and Carole Landis.[3]

## Reception

[edit]

Peters in a promotional photo for the film

New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther did not like the screenplay, but appreciated the acting. He wrote:

> Meanwhile, the rest of the performers—Jean Peters, as the girl who gets killed; Jeanne Crain, as her misgiving sister; Mr. Reid and several more—make the best of Harry Horner's brisk direction to make it look as though they're playing a tingling film. It might be, indeed, if the story were not so studiously contrived and farfetched, and if Mr. Boone did not wear a label that virtually says, 'I'm IT.'[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p248.
2. ^ Vicki at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
3. ^ I Wake Up Screaming at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
4. ^ Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, September 8, 1953. Accessed: August 14, 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* Vicki at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
* Vicki at IMDb
* Vicki at AllMovie
* Vicki at the TCM Movie Database
* Vicki information site and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images)
* Vicki film clip of Jean Peters singing "I Know Why and So Do You" on YouTube