Naked Alibi

In Jerry Hopper’s Naked Alibi, Gene Barry may not bring the star power but he brings most of the excitement as Al Willis, a man not only leading a double life but practically possessing two identities. A devoted husband, father, and churchgoer, Willis is relentlessly badgered by police chief Joe Conroy (Sterling Hayden), who suspects Willis was responsible for three recent cop killings in light of circumstantial evidence. Even after being relieved of his duties, Conroy continues to pursue Willis, who tells his wife he needs some time away and travels to a Mexican border town where we learn he has a wholly separate persona. With Conroy in hot pursuit, Willis becomes reacquainted with nightclub singer Marianna (Gloria Grahame), who soon finds herself trapped in the two men’s cat and mouse game. Just as Shelley Winters served as noir’s favorite female murder victim, Grahame seems to have been noir’s favorite domestic violence victim, and this film is no exception: she takes a beating but somehow never loses her cool. It’s not only the subject matter that’s dark, but so are the sets and settings: the filmmakers create an oppressively drab and rundown environment everywhere the characters go, and the expressionistic lighting that chases nighttime stalking, rooftop shootouts, and Marianna’s strut across the boulevard from the club to her apartment seem to squeeze out any possibility of daylight. Speaking of lack of light, one scene features a restaurant brawl with the lights out involving more than a dozen thugs and patrons, an incident so over-the-top that it’s hard not to chuckle.