mark.waltz In 1945, Producer's Releasing Corporation took the rising film noir genre by surprise with low budget film noir classic "Detour". A nearly similar classic, "Decoy", followed the next year. Unfortunately, even with the casting of the legendary Erich von Stroheim here, "Dijon" barely makes the mustard, closer to French's than Grey Poupon. It's your standard "Svengali" like melodrama with hypnotist von Stroheim obsessed with assistant Jeanne Bates so much that through a trance like manipulation, he gets Bates to marry him. She's really in love with pianist William Wright, but von Stroheim is obsessed so much that he continues to stalk Bates even though it's a lost cause. A complete meglomaniac, von Stroheim harasses Bates to the point of murderous intent, leading to a scheme to where he hypnotizes Bates into killing her true love.This, for the most part, is pretty standard melodrama with only von Stroheim's commanding presence to keep it from sinking into poverty row muck. PRC does a great job with lavish sets and a few surprises, but nothing like that final which comes after a rather standard chase sequence and shoot out. Psychologically, this is fascinating as a study of the mental illness surrounding complete self absorbtion, and is another reminder of Shakespeare's immortal words that whom God intends to destroy, he drives mad first. I much prefer von Stroheim's similar tale of conceit, "The Monster and the Lady", made at Republic just two years before. But what fails in this film won't make you forget this film, leaving you with a dropped jaw followed by uncontrollable laughter and possibly even applause.

Panamint Deserves a fairly good rating because it has one of the most skillfully set up and well done endings ever. Once in a while a golden nugget of movie brilliance can be found lodged within a cheap forgotten film. That is the case here.Most of the cast is lively if not memorable and they are better than the film itself. They keep it watchable despite the drabness of the PRC production values and undoubtedly rushed filming schedule. Von Stroheim is his usual menacing self and does a good job in the title role. Von Stroheim is effective but the hypnotism techniques used in this film are rushed and not well thought out. Despite many such weak elements "The Mask of Diijon" holds together and moves along in a fairly well paced linear b-movie style. Its not a terrible example of the dark 1940's b-movie creepy murder genre, and certainly worth a look.

bkoganbing It is rather well known that you cannot force anyone to do anything under hypnosis that they will not be willing to do themselves when of their own free will. Unfortunately that bit of reality which audiences in 1946 knew well that keeps The Mask Of Dijon from becoming a top flight melodrama. The cheapness of a PRC production also doesn't help.They combine to defeat the incomparable Erich Von Stroheim who is playing a formerly great magician with an insane jealous streak that makes Othello look well adjusted. His Desdemona is Jeanne Bates a nightclub singer who runs into her old accompaniest William Wright who persuades her to come back and take Von Stroheim's rusty magic act as a package deal.What both don't know is that Von Stroheim has been studying the art of Mesmer and he's going to use that to settle old scores, real and imagined. I can't say much more, but I will agree with another reviewer who did love the ending that Von Stroheim met.Would that the rest of the film was that good.

JohnHowardReid Disappointing. The screenplay always seems on the verge of presenting some interesting plot twists and spell-binding effects, but they never happen. The attractively noirish black-as-a-nightmare lighting photography also constantly signals that some intensely gripping story development is about to occur, but once again all we get are the usual predictable situations which lead to a dull if action-full climax.Steadfastly routine and even turgid direction from Lew Landers doesn't help matters. On occasion, Mr Landers can direct a movie with both punch and style; but in this instance, he exhibits neither quality. And as might be expected, aside from the charismatic von Stroheim, the players are not much to write home about either. Both hero and heroine wear out their welcome, and even von Stroheim's performance suffers from the film editor's tendency to hold shots far too long. Trimming the close-ups would have improved the movie a lot. As is, it's far too slow.Production values are also somewhat limited. True, the camera-work rates as a definite notch above the usual flat Producers Releasing level, and the sets are fulsomely dressed. But we tire of them. The one small set in front of Sheffield's shop is used over and over, and the fact that it becomes so familiar negates whatever small impact the brief spurt of climactic action might otherwise have enjoyed.