Hollow Triumph (1948): A Film Noir Thriller Starring Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett

"Hollow Triumph" is a film noir released in 1948, directed by Steve Sekely and starring Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett. The film tells the story of John Muller, a convicted criminal who, after being released from prison, plans to rob a casino. However, his plan goes awry, and he ends up accidentally killing a security guard. To escape the police, Muller assumes the identity of Dr. Bartok, a psychiatrist who looks just like him but has a distinctive scar on his face.

Muller's plan seems to work as he successfully takes over Dr. Bartok's life, but complications arise when he falls in love with Bartok's secretary, Evelyn Hahn, played by Joan Bennett. As he tries to keep up his charade, Muller becomes embroiled in a web of lies and deceit, leading to a dramatic and unexpected conclusion.

The film is notable for its moody and atmospheric cinematography, which creates a dark and foreboding atmosphere throughout. Paul Henreid delivers a gripping performance as John Muller and impressively portrays the character's struggle with his own identity and morality. Overall, "Hollow Triumph" is a tense and engrossing thriller that explores themes of identity, redemption, and the consequences of one's actions.

Paul Henreid as John Muller/Dr. Bartok
Joan Bennett as Evelyn Hahn
Eduard Franz as Frederick Muller
Leslie Brooks as Virginia Taylor
John Qualen as Swangron
Margo Woode as Receptionist
Charles Arnt as Joe
George Chandler as Bellboy
Jack Webb as Detective Sentry
Harold Vermilyea as Police Captain

Hollow Triumph (working title The Man Who Murdered Himself, reissued in the United States as The Scar) is a 1948 American film noir crime film directed by Steve Sekely starring Paul Henreid, Joan Bennett and Leslie Brooks. It was released by Eagle-Lion Films, based on the 1946 novel of the same title written by Murray Forbes. The film's sets designed by the art director Edward L. Ilou.
Plot

Just released from prison, John Müller (Paul Henreid) masterminds a holdup at an illegal casino run by Rocky Stansyck (Thomas Browne Henry). The robbery goes bad, and the mobsters capture some of Müller's men and force them to identify the rest before killing them. Stansyck has a reputation for tracking down and killing his enemies, no matter how long it takes, so Müller decides to leave town and hide. He takes an office job recommended by his law-abiding brother, Frederick (Eduard Franz), but quickly decides that working for a living is not for him.
Joan Bennett as Bartok's secretary

A chance encounter with dentist Dr. Swangron (John Qualen) reveals that Müller looks exactly like a psychoanalyst who works in the same building, Dr. Bartok, the only difference being a large scar on the left side of the doctor's face. Seizing the opportunity, he begins researching Bartok, even slipping into his office to examine his records. He is discovered by the doctor's secretary, Evelyn Hahn (Joan Bennett). She mistakes him for her employer and kisses him, but quickly realizes he is someone else. He persuades her to go out with him, though she has become embittered and claims to have given up any dreams of finding love.

Müller sets out to impersonate Bartok, aided by the fact he studied psychoanalysis in medical school before dropping out. He takes a photograph of the doctor and uses it as a guide to cut an identical scar on his own face. Unfortunately, the developers of the photograph reversed the negative, so now Muller has the scar on the wrong side. He discovers the mistake only after he has already murdered Bartok and is preparing to dump the body in the river. He has no choice but to go through with the plan anyway. Luckily, no one (except the office cleaning lady, whose suspicions he manages to lull) notices the difference, not even Evelyn or Bartok's patients.

Müller discovers "he" has a girlfriend, Virginia Taylor (Leslie Brooks), and that they frequent Maxwell's, a high class casino. It also turns out Bartok has been losing heavily.

When a worried Frederick Müller tries to contact his brother, the trail leads to Bartok. The scar convinces Frederick that the man he sees is merely a lookalike. Evelyn, previously unaware of the switch (but now very suspicious), reveals that John Müller said he was going to Paris. Frederick Müller tells "Bartok" that his brother no longer has to hide; Stansyck was convicted for "income tax problems" and is scheduled to be deported.

Afterwards, Evelyn realizes that Müller is an imposter and that he must have killed the psychoanalyst. Though he admits to her he did, she does not turn him in to the police; instead she purchases a ticket to sail to Honolulu. Müller finds out and promises he will go with her, but she does not believe he would leave such an opportunity to enrich himself. Müller arranges for other doctors to take care of his patients and heads to the dock. There, however, he is intercepted by two men who want to discuss Bartok's $90,000 gambling debt. When Müller tries to break away, they fatally shoot him. Evelyn sails away, unaware that Müller lies dying on the dock.
Cast

Paul Henreid as John Müller / Dr. Victor Emil Bartok
Joan Bennett as Evelyn Hahn
Eduard Franz as Frederick Müller
Leslie Brooks as Virginia Taylor
John Qualen as Swangron
Mabel Paige as Charwoman
Herbert Rudley as Marcy
Charles Arnt as Coblenz
George Chandler as Artell, Assistant
Sid Tomack as Aubrey, Manager
Alvin Hammer as Jerry
Ann Staunton as Blonde
Paul E. Burns as Harold (as Paul Bruns)
Charles Trowbridge as Deputy
Morgan Farley as Howard Anderson
Thomas Browne Henry as Rocky Stansyck
Jack Webb as Bullseye (uncredited)
Henry Brandon as Big Boy (uncredited)

Production

Henreid wanted to move into production after being under contract with Warner Bros. He optioned a novel which had been suggested to him by director Steve Sekely and set up the project at the newly formed Eagle Lion. Henreid was keen to play the lead role, a gangster, as it was a different sort of part for him. He hired Daniel Fuch to write the script having admired the latter's work on Between Two Worlds. He wanted Evelyn Keyes for the lead but she was under contract to Columbia and Harry Cohn refused to loan her out, so Joan Bennett was cast instead.[1]

Henreid says Eagle Lion were unhappy with Sekely's direction, so they replaced him with Henreid.[1]
Reception

Henreid says the film did well at the box office but the film was linked financially with three other movies from star producers. None of these did well so Henreid saw no profits.[1]
Critical response

The New York Times critic Thomas M. Pryor called it "an adequate examination of an intelligent criminal type. There is not quite enough logic in the plot to enable it to stand up under scrutiny, but the story moves along briskly, the performances are sound and there is always the promise of more violence just around the corner."[2]

Alain Silver in Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style notes "As in many of these B thrillers, the plot is contrived although the film's conclusion is as downbeat as any noir film since Scarlet Street."[3]