HOPE EMERSON (Caged 1950, House of Strangers 1949, Thieves Highway 1949, Adam’s Rib 1949) is a pretty formidable lady. Hope Emerson is 6’2″, 230 pounds of actress as she reprises her fluent ‘vicious & sadistic’ characterization of larger-than-life-evil incarnate-much in the vein of her cruel bon bon eatin’ prison matron Evelyn Harper who tortured poor Eleanor Parker in Caged 1950. Oh that hair shaving scene just sticks with ya…
In Robert Siodmak’s sublime noir Cry of the City 1948 Emerson plays Madame Rose Given who runs a massage parlor, loves to cook, is a pancake eatin’ -looming ‘heavy’… who loves jewels and just wants a little place in the country where she can cook, eat pancakes and fresh eggs… yeah that’s livin’. From her brawny swagger to her grumbling yet leisurely voice, Emerson is the highlight of the film!
That’s why she didn’t even break a sweat when she strangled old lady DeGrasia for her jewelry. Darn old gal had the nerve to put up a struggle! And does she give self-serving on lam career criminal Marty Rome (Richard Conte) some neck rub while he’s hiding out at her place trying to make a deal. Rose finally gets the jewels as a trade for money and some wheels to get out of town with his girl Debra Paget…
Marty-“Pearl choker with a Ruby pendant. Seven rings. Diamond bracelet with the clasp broken. You must have been in a hurry ha?”
Rose-“Where are they?”
Marty- “In a locker in the subway station… I thought if you went to all that trouble to get ’em once you may wanna get ’em again.”
Rose chuckles-“You’re a cute little man Martin..”
Rose ‘massaging’ Martin- “Hmmm…It is good, isn’t it? I have the touch. It’s only given to a few. It’s a matter of knowing the currents of the body. Why waste this on fat old women who think they can lose a few pounds and be beautiful again… Fat old women who have too much money and too many jewels. They think the jewels make them beautiful and they fight to keep them like they fight the years that make them ugly.”
Rose ain’t someone I’d want giving me a rub down, and I sure wouldn’t want to meet her at the door as the Avon Lady either- Gee wiz.. that woman could scare the horns off the devil- She’s got a smirk & leer that makes her seem like she could eat small children. This pistol-packing, masseuse whose hands should be registered as lethal weapons- is one menacing lady who has earned her place here at The Last Drive In as Fiend of the Day!
Just look at that mug! Nah, I bet she was really a pussycat. I mean she was the voice of Borden’s Else the Cow after all! Sadly-Hope Emerson died of liver disease in 1960… Here’s to you Hope Emerson-and your bigger-than-life acting style!-Love Joey
PS: Cry of the City is perhaps one of my new favorite film noirs in Siodmak’s collection. I’m going to have to cover it, because of the great acting, from the entire cast-small parts even for Shelley Winters to the gritty dialogue and sensational cinematography so stay tuned!- Your ever-lovin’ MonsterGirl in the city.
I adore Hope Emerson in EVERYTHING. I have not seen this film, though, so I’m looking forward to your review. I can only imagine how great she is.
I know I just adore her too! I’m starting to watch her as ‘Mother’ in Peter Gunn. Great noir tv show-She really had such charisma –
It’s only come conjecture but I think Emerson’s having to live type-cast as a ‘circus freak’ with a (strong)man’s physique must have eaten away at her over the years and the ‘liver disease’ was the cirrhosis that inevitably came from hitting the bottle to ‘cure’ her bitterness.Her success on screen came at a price, as it seems to have done for so many movie- and stage personalities.
(Ingnore the errant “come” in my text: it was created by the predictive text set-up and slipped past me).
Yes, it’s truly sad what happens to people in show business and film particularly those who are type cast. I always feel horrible when the narrative blatantly suggests that actresses or actors are homely or unlovable– taking a role knowing that you are depicting a negative image of yourself. Just sad…
I like your comparison to the ‘strongman’ side show label wrapped around her neck most of her career. Hope was a great actress and I bet you’re right about it being connected to her bad health.
And don’t you hate when those impulsive corrective text words just put themselves in the midst of your writing… what a pain! Thanks so much for stopping by!!! Cheers Joey