Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Man Who Cheated Himself Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 17, 2018

Felix E. Feist's "The Man Who Cheated Himself" (1950) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Flicker Alley. The supplemental features on the disc include a newly remastered vintage trailer for the film; new featurette about the history of the film; and then-and-now featurette. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring rare photographs, poster art, original lobby cards, and an essay by film noir specialist Eddie Muller. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

On the run

Eddie Muller is right that the casting choices are unusual. He is also right that they are a big reason why you should want to see The Man Who Cheated Himself because all of the leads are actually forced out of their comfort zones. This is rare to see in a film noir. They do what they were hired to do but there are a lot of odd things happening along the way, and the sooner you begin to recognize them, the more amusing the film becomes.

For some time now veteran detective Ed Cullen (Lee J. Cobb) has been secretly seeing the wealthy socialite Lois Frazer (Jane Wyatt) and the two have started making plans for the future. But with her husband still a permanent part of her life Lois has realized that she is wasting precious time and is now on the verge of a serious nervous breakdown.

During a short altercation and with Cullen present in her home, Lois accidentally shoots her husband in the chest and he drops dead. Her lover reacts quickly and dumps the body at the local airport where a “shocking murder” would not shock anyone. When later on the body is discovered, the old pro takes over the case. But Cullen is eventually asked to work together with his rookie brother, Andy (an excellent John Dall), who is determined to solve his first murder case and prove that he is just as good.

Director Felix Feist did not have a huge budget to make The Man Who Cheated Himself which is probably why all of the locations that were chosen for the film in different areas of San Francisco are so great. They add elegance to the visuals that makes the entire film look like a much more expensive project than it actually was.

The real gold, however, is hidden in the profiles of the three leads, which are so unusual that some of the contrasts that emerge as their relationships develop actually begin to erode the film’s noir identity. For example, Wyatt’s socialite does not emerge as a classic irresistible femme fatale but a middle-aged suburban wife who has suddenly discovered that she has a brilliant opportunity of a lifetime to imitate an unknown cinematic character. So there is an extra dose of melodrama in just about everything she does that quite successfully hides the fact that she was miscast and then creates the impression that she is a surprisingly skilled chameleon that is with her lover for a completely different type of emotional rush. Cobb’s transformation is equally intriguing. Like a hardcore drug addict his veteran detective refuses to walk away from what is clearly a risky lifestyle but he does it with an awareness which implies that he may very well be on a mission to prove something that also has very little to do with romance. Then there is Dall’s rookie brother who should be the happiest man on earth because he is about to get married to the girl of his dreams but shortly after he begins working on the murder case abruptly evolves into an agitated hound that could become a real monster.

The curious characterizations coupled with the casual atmosphere ensure an interesting viewing experience. There are various segments where it feels like you are viewing a romantic melodrama which after a series of missteps has permanently gone off the rails, but as the narrative becomes darker and more comfortable with the noir elements more and more pieces fall in their intended slots. At the end it all makes perfect sense, and the film even delivers a legit warning: The world is full of players. Learn to recognize them, or prepare to be a loser.

The Man Who Cheated Himself Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Felix Feist's The Man Who Cheated Himself arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Flicker Alley.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K remaster that was completed by UCLA Film & Television Archive, with support from the Film Noir Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Charitable Trust (The HFPA Trust).

The film has a strong organic appearance, but some minor inconsistencies, primarily in terms of density and delineation, remain. My guess is that there are a few inserts that actually come from alternate sources because density changes rather significantly, but it is also possible that there are more prevalent signs of aging there (see screencapture #10). Also, a few minor white specks and tiny scratches remain, but the rest certainly looks quite good. The best news is that there are no traces of digital scrubbing or sharpening so on a large screen even with the mentioned fluctuations fluidity is very pleasing. The grading is excellent. The blacks are stable but never appearing boosted, while the grays and whites are nicely balanced. All in all, while there is some room for minor cosmetic improvements this is indeed a very nice organic presentation of the film. My score if 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Man Who Cheated Himself 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.

The audio is stable and clean. Clarity is very good and there are no unnatural dynamic fluctuations. The film does not have a dramatic score that could produce any striking dynamic contrasts, but there are quite a few sequences where the music does make an impression. There are no audio dropouts or distortions to report.

The Man Who Cheated Himself Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - remastered vintage trailer for The Man Who Cheated Himself. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The Man Who Cheated Himself Revisited - an excellent new featurette with great information about the conception of The Man Who Cheated Himself and its stylistic appearance and tone. Included in it are clips from new interviews with film noir expert Eddie Muller, writer/film historian Alan K. Rode, author Raymond Feist (son of director Felix Feist), and writer Julie Kirgo. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• The Man Who Cheated Himself: Locations Then and Now - a look at locations where key sequences were filmed and what they look like now. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring rare photographs, poster art, original lobby cards, and an essay by Eddie Muller.

The Man Who Cheated Himself Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am not ready to argue that The Man Who Cheated Himself is as effective in its unconventionality as Ride the Pink Horse, but there is plenty in it that will raise eyebrows, especially amongst seasoned film noir connoisseurs. I quite liked its casual cynicism and thought that it worked surprisingly well with the less-than-ideal characterizations. Flicker Alley's upcoming release is sourced from a nice 4K remaster and has a very informative new featurette that digs into the film's history. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.