The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950 )

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Directed by Felix E. Feist, The Man Who Cheated Himself is a taut film noir thriller that explores the moral unraveling of a seasoned homicide detective caught in a web of love and murder. Shot on location in San Francisco, the film is praised for its atmospheric visuals and psychological tension, culminating in a haunting finale beneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

Plot Summary
Lt. Ed Cullen (Lee J. Cobb), a veteran detective, is romantically involved with wealthy socialite Lois Frazer (Jane Wyatt). When Lois kills her estranged husband in a moment of panic, Ed helps cover up the crime—only to be assigned to investigate it alongside his younger brother Andy Cullen (John Dall), a rookie detective eager to prove himself.

As Andy digs deeper, Ed’s lies begin to unravel, and the tension between duty and desire escalates. The climax unfolds at Fort Point, a fog-shrouded ruin beneath the Golden Gate, where betrayal and justice collide in one of noir’s most memorable final scenes.

Cast Highlights

  • Lee J. Cobb as Lt. Ed Cullen
  • Jane Wyatt as Lois Frazer
  • John Dall as Andy Cullen
  • Lisa Howard as Janet Cullen
  • Harlan Warde, Tito Vuolo, and Charles Arnt in supporting roles

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

  • Lisa Howard, who plays Janet Cullen, was married to director Felix E. Feist and later became a groundbreaking journalist, interviewing Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro
  • Cobb was cast fresh off his acclaimed Broadway run as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, which producers hoped would boost box office appeal
  • The film was originally titled The Gun and was the first independent production from Jack M. Warner, son of Warner Bros. co-founder
  • It was restored in 2018 by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Film Noir Foundation, preserving its moody cinematography and location work
  • The car chase features a 1950 Chevrolet Fleetline Deluxe and a 1950 Nash Ambassador, adding period authenticity

Legacy
The Man Who Cheated Himself is a standout in the noir canon for its morally complex protagonist and evocative use of San Francisco’s urban landscape. Its themes of guilt, loyalty, and fatal attraction remain compelling, and its restoration has helped reintroduce it to modern audiences.

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