The Postman Always Rings Twice

The runtime feels a bit too long, but it's a classic, intriguing story with a moral story about comeuppance.

Feels a bit like a lesser Double Indemnity, but considering how much I love that, I don't intend that as a knock. Turner and Garfield are underhanded and sly, sneaking around not only the woman's husband but also each other, as they continually attempt to blackmail the other. Great twist ending as well.

The slick and glossier answer to DOUBLE INDEMNITY – there are elements here that best the already high standard of the earlier film; Cronyn in particular is the diabolical standout, but Turner and Garfield give Stanwyck and MacMurray a run for their money, especially in the first hour when the tension between them threatens to explode. It’s a shame that the film goes for the obvious and literal far too often (Kellaway is a too perfect cuckhold and dupe). Enjoyable, if far from top-tier noir.

It drags on a bit, but it stands up pretty well for such an old film.

Doomed adulterers desperately grasping to escape the hole they've dug for themselves, but we all know that poetic justice reigns in film noir, and in one circular fateful way or another the price must be paid. An obvious companion piece to Double Indemnity, engaging but not nearly as sharp as that film. It does have Hume Cronyn though, who made better every film he was in.

Solidly acted and fairly atmospheric film noir, but it's sure ain't great. The first half is much better than the second, which drowns in a morass of plot twists. Hume Cronyn is the most interesting thing in the picture. It's a little difficult to understand why this is so very famous, since there are many far better noir flicks around.

Often downright stupid characters and story makes this rather disappointing. Still very classy and fine acting from Lana Turner.

Great Lana Turner. In fact, great everybody, acting-wise. :D Had its really suspenseful parts. The ending felt a teeny tiny bit out of place, though.

The Postman Always Rings Twice is a steamy story of seduction, betrayal and murder, and this film-noir pulls it off perfectly. Lana Turner is gorgeous and alluring and most of all, fantastic. John Garfield works well as her screen partner and Hume Cronyn has this interesting screen presence that almost helps him steal the show - but seriously, this is Turner's movie through and through.

This version of Cain's novel soft-pedaled the brutal sexuality of the book in favor of smoldering looks and dialogue riddled with double entendres. There is something intriguing about Hollywood's notion of hinted sexuality.

Drenched in fatalism, this gave us a great femme fatale in the form of Lana Turner. The story is well-structured and its final act, which provides an extra layer of depth, is particularly good. One of the essential noirs.

I've seen this compared to Double Indemnity a lot. There are some similarities, but there are plenty of differences too. It's a reasonably engaging story, but the dialogue lacks pizzazz. The direction also seems flat, especially in comparison to Wilder's work. And the leads aren't that great, either. Garfield isn't a guy you root for like Macmurray, and Turner isn't a gal you secretly root for like Stanwyck. But it's a solid noir picture, with a notable supporting performance from Cronyn.

The real draws of this film are less about the acting and plot (which are fine), and more about the moody lighting, the tight framing, and the use of mise en scene, all of which create a prison-like atmosphere for the characters to fight and claw against. Both Frank and Cora desire to break out, but their initial deceits with each other only snowball throughout the film, leading to a striking and typically noirish finale.

Great piece of Noir, with a femme fatale to die for.

2nd viewing after 6 years: Though not an airtight plot, it was nicely build up evolving slowly into a good story. Didn't like Garfield at the start but in the end his role wasn't badly played. Unlike Ossessione (based on the same book) this one captivates til the end and doesn't skimp on the suspense. This is not as impressive as a cinematic experience but overall does deserve a better score. I'm keeping my old rating.

It's a great concept, and there are definitely some good scenes, but the toned down grit and the redemptive ending make it feel far too moralistic for a noir.

The ultimate film noir. Sexy and slick, Garfield and Turner are red hot.

Everything falls apart for everyone.

Classic.

It never really takes off.

The title doesn't exactly make sense but you can sense the heat and desperation through the screen all the same.

When Frank brings the metal balls into the room and Cora is ironing - one of the most stressful scenes I've experienced. Take the goddamned iron off the clothes! You'll burn the material!

The cast all around are great. Hume Cronyn almost steals the movie as the scheming lawyer. The movie to me felt like a more romantic sleeker take on noir It misses the grittier humane side of better noirs to me. Still enjoyable, just not as great a noir to me as its reputation made me think. Also it feels stretched out with a longer runtime than necessary.

I've already seen and loved both the French adaptation Le dernier tournant (1939) & Italian version Ossessione (1943) of The Postman Always Rings Twice, but I loved the American one from '46 the most! I felt Tay Garnett managed to balance it well. More than anything, it's the pairing of John Garfield with Lana Turner that carries the dynamic and intrigue of the experience. Watch them play each other in a dangerous game, and appreciate the ironic faiths thrown at them. There's an aura about it.

I had no sympathy or attraction for the main characters (and just laughed at the final lines), since they boil down to a couple of selfish, double-crossing scumbags, but I guess that's often just the way noir is. The story is tense, visually appealing and well-played. I like the remote diner setting (à la Petrified Forest). Overall, though, not as good as Double Indemnity.

That ending stinks.

Pretty rote first-hour, but it shines when Garfield and Turner are turned against each other, at least until the horrible last 3 minutes.

Hume Cronyn is the only thing that lives up to the hype.

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

After numerous lust driven murder attempts and faked accidents the movie goes completely off focus. Director resorts to the "God's Purposes" strategy to wrap it up. Really weak. Postman never rang once and certainly didn't deliver either

Too cynical, sprightly, and funny to really support it's classic status. Nonetheless, it's a pretty good yarn. The fatale and the drifter are classics of their type and Hume Cronyn's performance is hilarious. Well worth your time.

Pretty decent with a few good twists. I was expecting more because of its classic status.

good job!

While this is a very good and sensual film I felt that it was really hemmed in by the Hays code.The ending especially felt like it was made to conform.The chemistry between Nick (John Garfield) and Cora (Lana Turner) is very good.The supporting cast is very good.

Lana Turner's striking looks are the most memorable part of this film, her blond hair and white dresses standing out of the shadows. The story isn't great but it's very well executed and more than good enough to allow the characters to develop and interact all the way up to a solid ending.

OMG that was real boring, what's the hype all about ? Don't understand it in that case ?!?

Okey. Solid but colourless direction, and a sexy but dull femme fatale in the center. Not bad, but a bit "been there, done that".

I've scored this too high. It felt like such a waste of time.

Pretty good, though it almost feels like it ends a few too many times. It works though.

Maybe I was too young, too inexperienced with noirs when I watched it - still, a lot of the acting rang false with me, and the limitations imposed by the Hays Code make it laughable at points. There's like ten endings to it which doesn't help at all.