The Scarf

Sometimes, a low-budget film noir is odd, messy, and captivating all at once. Such is the case with E.A. Dupont’s The Scarf, a strange, meandering film about an escaped mental patient who can’t remember committing the murder that had him committed. With frequent character conversations about philosophy and psychology, the film probably tries too hard for profundity, the fugitive’s almost picaresque journey toward the truth unfolding like an extended dream yet diverted by occasional lapses into lighthearted banter and even physical comedy such as an extended bar fight. John Ireland delivers one of his better performances as John Howard Barrington, the foster son of a wealthy industrialist, who escapes a psychiatric hospital to uncover the truth of the murder of which he’s been wrongfully accused. Sheltered from the police by wise, old turkey farmer and “strange duck” Ezra Thompson (James Barton), Barrington ends up living and working on the farm, later meeting warbling waitress Connie Carter (Mercedes McCambridge), who takes a liking to John and possesses a scarf that triggers his memories of the murder. Basil Ruysdael plays Cyrus Barrington, John’s uncaring foster father, and Emlyn Williams plays David Dunbar, the fey, condescending physician who had John committed under mysterious circumstances. Gilbert’s moody score adds atmosphere, including a particular flute melody that consistently accompanies any hint of intrigue.