Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Pushover Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 22, 2021

Richard Quine's "Pushover" (1954) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with critic Glenn Kenny; new audio commentary recorded by recorded by critics Alexandra Heller-Nichols and Josh Nelson; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

My place or yours?

Ignore what appears to be a popular consensus that Pushover is a very close and cheap relative of Double Indemnity. There are a few minor details in the manner in which its two leads begin a doomed relationship that may appear familiar, but this isn’t enough to link these films and argue that the former was modeled after the latter. Indeed, both set out to impress in completely different ways and have very unique identities.

After a small crew of thieves hit a bank somewhere in the heart of the city and then manage to get away with the loot, Detective Paul Sheridan (Fred MacMurray) is ordered to begin tracking down Lona MacLane (Kim Novak), the very sexy mistress of the man who ran the operation. Soon after, at a parking lot nearby a small movie theater, Sheridan notices that MacLane has trouble starting her car and offers to help. The mechanical malfunction -- which Sheridan has carefully engineered -- turns out to be so serious that MacLane agrees to have a drink with Sheridan at a nearby bar while a mechanic fixes her car. But then the mechanic announces that he can’t figure out what is wrong with the car and would need more time to investigate, so MacLane agrees to have Sheridan give her a ride – either to her or his place. A few hours later, the two end up in bed.

Making progress while in MacLane’s company, however, becomes a very complicated business after Sheridan unexpectedly begins to fall in love with her, and she realizes that he is a detective on a mission to nab her lover and recover the stolen money from the bank.

Richard Quine directed Pushover from a screenplay by Roy Higgins, which apparently combined original material from two novels, Thomas Walsh’s The Night Watch and Bill S. Ballinger’s Rafferty. This implies that plenty of efforts were put into developing an attractive story for a good film with a solid noirish identity.

The main reason why Pushover works so well, however, is the solid chemistry between its two leads, MacMurray and Novak, which is a bit surprising considering that the latter made her acting debut in it and Quine had to work with a very modest budget. Indeed, Novak does not just look astonishingly attractive, she routinely matches everything MacMurray does and where necessary actually confidently leads. This is essentially why the drama that ensues after MacMurray’s detective begins improvising looks legit -- the girl he is risking everything for convinces that she is a lot more than just an attractive object, so his repetitive errors make perfect sense.

The economical cinematography works perfectly for the film as well. After the stakeout is initiated, Quine quickly proves that pointing the camera the right way is a lot more important than constantly choosing new locations and capturing more with it. The simple but effective lighting then provides the type of ambience these genre films always need to do their magic.

The supporting cast is great. A very young Dorothy Malone plays a clueless nurse who accidentally exposes the detective’s double play. Philip Carey is the detective’s partner and the first one to become suspicious of his actions during during the stakeout. E.G. Marshall is the police lieutenant in charge of the stakeout and the efforts to nab the thief that has gotten away with the stolen money. Allen Nourse is another member of the stakeout team who struggles with a drinking problem that could cost him his pension.

Pushover Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Pushover arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

Like the other films noirs from the Columbia collection, Pushover was fully remastered by the folks at Sony Pictures some time ago. I think that the film looks lovely on Blu-ray. Yes, density levels can be slightly better, plus there are a few spots where the master produces some slightly sharper than usual edges, but overall the presentation is very convincing. On my system the grayscale looked particularly impressive, so a lot of the darker nighttime footage I thought was about as convincing as it could have been. Image stability is excellent. The entire film is spotless as well. To sum it all, while a new 4K master will produce an all-around better balanced organic appearance, I think that the current master is very solid. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Pushover Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any age-related anomalies to report in our review. The audio was very clear, clean, and stable. Balance was excellent as well. I thought that the dynamic intensity was excellent as well, though the film does not really have any material that offers good opportunities for notable dynamic contrasts.

Pushover Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Pushover. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for Pushover.

• Partners in Crime and Comedy: Glenn Kenny on Kim Novak and Richard Quine - in this new program, critic Glenn Kenny discusses Kim Novak's career and her professional relationship with director Richard Quine, as well as the production and style of Pushover. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by critics Alexandra Heller-Nichols and Josh Nelson.

• Blunder Boys (1955) - a short film featuring the three stooges. Directed and produced by Jules White. Fully remastered. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (16 min).

• Book - a limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Beth Ann Gallagher, Bob Herzberg, Sophie Monks Kaufman, Omar Ahmed, Jen Johans, and Monica Castillo, archival articles and interviews, and film credits.

Pushover Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kim Novak's acting debut could not have been any more impressive. For obvious reasons, someone wanted her to be the next Marilyn Monroe, or at least a lot like the iconic star, but she was in a category of her own. Novak instantly proved it, too. Her first performance is vastly superior than everything Monroe did early in her career. I like Pushover a lot, but not only because Novak looks great in it. Fred MacMurray and the supporting cast are excellent as well, plus the film has a tremendous style. This upcoming release is sourced from an older but very good remaster that was prepared by Sony Pictures. It is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' upcoming Columbia Noir #4 box set, which streets later this month. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.