What makes "I Wake Up Screaming" a compelling thriller are the supporting performances, starting with Laird Cregar as an obsessed homicide detective and Elisha Cook, Jr. as a weedy hotel clerk. Investigating the murder of a hash slinger-turned-sex bomb, Cregar's soft-spoken, unemotional persona hints at a dangerously disturbed mind. He's as frighteningly effective here as he was in "The Lodger" and it only makes it more tragic that he would die soon after the film's release at the age of 31, the victim of a disastrous attempt to lose weight. Cook, on the other hand, would live into his 90s, having a field days playing gunsels, whiners and slimy con artists. Allan Joslyn and Alan Mowbray also contribute as a hack newspaper columnist and an over-the-hill actor respectively and...what the heck...even Victor Mature manages to come off well. Bruce Humberstone's slick direction -- and the film's multiple flashbacks -- are reminiscent of another 20th Century Fox noir thriller, "Laura." And that's meant as a compliment.

It was the dynamic title that drove me to this oddity. Then there was also the cast, Betty Grable in a noir drama? She's very pleasing in her early strait role (was that magnificent blond hair truly real?) Victor Mature demonstrates his increasingly nervous discomfort throughout the progress of this story via his iconic facial expressions, belying his characters over-confident exterior. The cause of this discomfort comes in the form of a creepy Laid Cregar, a strange detective who is determined to nail Mature for a serious crime. An interesting scene has him wake to the sense of an ominous presence in his apartment that would have had me screaming too - I can't too readily recall another actor that could signal fear, with just one instant facial expression.Carole Landis, who tragically took her own life at only 29, following a scandalous affair with married philanderer Rex Harrison, is OK in the part of Grable's sister. With so many others in the support cast also being noteworthy, this just had to be seen.The Director; Bruce Humberstone, whom I had associated more with comedies, musicals, and outdoor actioners (Tazan and westerns) seems to be in his element with this fast moving crime story by prolific writer; Steve Fisher ("Lady in the Lake" '46) Good one liners come rapidly and often.It gets off to a cracking opening with striking sets by multi award winning Thomas Little; "Grapes of Wrath" '40 ~ "Razors Edge" '46 ~ Viva Zapata" '52. With Art Direction by two up and coming directors, Richard Day, and Nathan Juran. Another veteran, Director of Photography; Edward Cronjager, "Roberta" '35 ~ "House by the River" '50 ~ "Relentless" '48 ~ "Beneath the 12 mile Reef" '53, all combine to assure this film a stylish look and feel.It may not always work as well as you might like, but it keeps you watching and guessing to the end. The biggest draw back for me was the musical direction by English born Cyril J. Mockridge. He must have been given only a few days to prepare a score and I don't think he wrote a note of original music. Instead, he uses music tracks from the library of popular standards. The best of these is Alfred Newman's "Street Scene" put to good use under the opening credits. Another is Harold Arlen's immortal "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Both these melodies keep popping up at the most unnecessary moments during the story, so much so, that by the time the end title arrives you may well wake up screaming too...Not great, but still good entertainment.

How many millions did Fox pay MGM to use Over the Rainbow throughout this film without being sued??? It used way too much and overkills it. And it doesn't even fit with the movie anyway. Also overused is the Street Scene music--it seemed to play everywhere--the apartment scenes, nightclubs,on the streets. And neither Harold Arlen nor Alfred Newman (the composers of each) are even mentioned in the opening credits. I guess back then studios didn't have to legally give credit for using music from other sources? The other thing I didn't get about this is the title (later to be simply Vicki). Who wakes up screaming in this?? A better title might have been "A View to A Frame Up" or "How to Marry A Fight Promoter". ;-) I like both the leads in this, although Mature does grimace too much, which he seemed to do in all his roles. And Grable gets to wear a nice swimming costume, however briefly. I loved the seedy scenes where the two leads hide out in the 24 hour porn cinema watching something called "Flames of Passion"!! And the cop who yells to Grable, to put her shoes back on. At least that was all she had taken off in that place! Fox Noirs always have a slick polished look to them, and loved the lighting in this one. For an early noir, it has all the elements.

Sometimes it's the acting that makes a movie good. Other times it could be the directing or the script and other times the music or cinematography. In this movie, all the elements of movie-making are brought together to produce a great movie. In this movie the film-noir technique is used to great effectiveness to bring out and compliment the essential coldness of the story. Also, the performances of Betty Grable and Carole Landis as sisters was incredible. First, they looked like sisters and second, they acted like sisters. Of course, it helps an actress's career if she's attractive, but she still has to be able to act and both of these ladies could act. Laird Cregar's performance was uncanny. He was the epitome of obsession. His performance carried the movie. Victor Mature was wonderful. He could act and in this movie displays an wide range of emotions. The story is itself is compact, concise, and coherent and moves along at a fast pace. This movie is a classic and warrants a lot more attention.