20th century fox road house 1948 ) be not only quite a silly noir but be an implausible unmitigated bore of a movie . full of unconvincing cardboard character it be blandly write by edward chodorov and who also produce and and be surprisingly direct by jean negulesco from whom one would expect a great deal more . miscast be ida lupino in the leading role . lupino and a lady who be capable of exude about as much sex appeal a a blood orange and be here under the illusion she be rita hayworth play the part of a sexy bar room torch singer . handsome cornel wilde a her lover be as wooden a usual and totally waste be the talented celeste holm who role be little more than a bit part . then we have richard widmark who have the most ludicrously write part in the picture . when we first see him he be a nice o. k. guy who run a thrive road house . then suddenly and for reason that be not sufficiently make clear he become insanely jealous of his manager ( wilde ) when the latter tell him that he be about to marry lupino . you see widmark want to marry her himself but 1 ) he never propose to her 2 ) they never have a relationship ( they do not even have anything that resemble a love scene together ) and 3 ) without tell anyone ( include lupino ) he have obtain a marriage license . wow . so how widmark be to achieve something like wed bliss with lupino after such a courtship be anybody quess . huh . well and when widmark go to piece over the whole affair so also do the movie i be sorry to say . from here on the widmark character turn unintentionally comical . his lose his marble so early in the proceeding be totally implausible and unconvincing . he finally go over the edge and become completely derange and with a few tommy udo snigger and he laughably go gun for poor cornel wilde before bite the dust himself . and if that isn not enough of a mess of a movie for you the picture be also mar with a constant use of studio set and indoor exterior . there not a single outdoor shot in the entire movie . add to this 95 % of the film take place at night . besides an interactive press book and a photo gallery the extra also include a featurette widmark and lupino at fox . whatever prompt such a documentary be beyond me . as far a i know they be never before together in a movie at fox or anywhere else . however this featurette be host by such heavy hitter know alls a robert osborne and eddie muller and rudy belhmer and a few others who amazingly heap praise on this wearisome and cringe inducing affair . all i can say then it must be me i guess . but road house up to now be a forgotten and buried noir and as far a i be concern it should have remain so . fox would do good if they issue dvd of superior and thus far elusive widmark movie like down to the sea in ship ( 1949 ) and the colourful red sky of montana ( 1952 ) .