The Last Leaf from O. Henry's Full House (1952) Anthology Film

The framing story of this Anthology Film is author John Steinbeck sitting in a library telling us about author O. Henry and his New York period stories which make up the various segments. 

The Clarion Call - This one has Richard Widmark sort of reprising his Tommy Udo character, directed by Henry Hathaway. The Ransom of Red Chief - hilarious hixploitation with Fred Allen and Oscar Levant as city slickers, directed by Howard Hawks. The Gift of the Magi - with Farley Granger and Jeanne Crain directed by Henry King. The Cop and the Anthem with Charles Laughton, Marilyn Monroe, and David Wayne, - directed by Henry Koster, and our Noir segment. The Last Leaf - directed by Jean Negulesco

The Last Leaf 

Directed by Jean Negulesco (The Mask of Dimitrios, Deep Valley, Roadhouse, Phone Call from a Stranger, and others). 

Written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and based on the O. Henry story. Cinematography was by Joseph MacDonald (The Dark Corner, My Darling Clementine, Call Northside 777, Panic In The Streets, Niagara, Pickup on South Street, and others). Music was by Alfred Newman (Streetscene).

The Last Leaf stars, Anne Baxter (Yellow Sky, The Outcasts of Poker Flat, The Come On, The Blue Gardenia, I Confess, Carnival Story, Walk on the Wild Side) as Joanna Goodwin, Jean Peters (Pickup on South Street) as Susan Goodwin, Gregory Ratoff as Behrman, Richard Garrick as the Doctor. 

Story

John Steinbeck

Author John Steinbeck pulls another O. Henry book off a shelf in a library he introduces us to The Last Leaf one of the tales from O. Henry's New York period.

Early 1900s Manhattan. A blizzard rages. We are just South of Gramercy Park. The neighborhood is  around E 19th St, and Irving Place, intersection. A few brave pedestrians lean into wind and hurry to refuge dodging horse drawn carts.  

We peep on a silent scene between Joanna Goodwin and her now ex-beau, an actor. Apparently from the subtext, après-sex, he's standing by a window at a table with a liquor bottle, decanter, and glasses, fixing a drink relaxing in a "smoking" jacket, Joanna is pleading to him, crying her eyes out, she's given this smirking POS her virginity. 

She's begging him, he's stone cold, pouring himself a glass in reply. He turns out to be a lothario playboy who is already on to his next conquest. As Joanna opens the hall door to leave, her replacement, with her hand raised just about to knock is standing there. 

This tale is taking place right at the end of the Victorian era, so Joanna is now a "soiled dove,."  This goes Noirsville right from the get go. 

We cut to:

A very distraught, hatless, Joanna, battles against a blizzard through Manhattans windswept concrete canyons while filled with gut wrenching heartbreak and regret.  

In a trance like state, Joanna jaywalks in front of an on coming carriages, grabs things for support as her movements become more unsteady, She begins to wobble and stumble more as if her strength is beginning to wane.  

Anne Baxter as Joanna Goodwin

Jean Negulesco and Joseph MacDonald go heavy Dutch angels for Joanna's trek from E 19th St., all the way down to a bohemian Greenwich Village neighborhood within hearing distance, of the 6th Ave el.

She finally reaches her street and is almost to the stoop of her apartment, when she meets fellow artist tenant, Behrman, a habitual drunk (who makes a lot of noise while creating his ar)t. He's carrying his latest art work. Behrman grabs Joanna by the arm.

Behrman grabs Joanna by the arm.

Behrman: Joanna. Its about time you got back, your sister almost called out the police. 

 Gregory Ratoff as Behrman 

She doesn't answer, walks a few steps and face plants into a snowbank. 

Beheman yells out Susan!, looking at the apartment house.

We cut to Susan Goodwin, Joanna's sister. running out of the building. 

Jean Peters as Susan Goodwin

Then we fast forward to a view of the court, out of the Goodwins studio window. Its of a old gnarled ivy vine growing flat against a brick building. 

There are still a couple of dozen leaves holding on through the blizzard. We pan to the reverse angle looking inward through the studio window upon Joanna laying in bed, with a doctor examining her, and Susan looking on.

Out in the hall Behrman is sitting worried about Joanna when the doctor and Susan come out. It's his opinion, its pneumonia. He gives her a prescription and tells Joanna that she's young and there's no reason why she shouldn't pull through. 

 Susan with Richard Garrick as the Doctor

Here we get a side story added to O. Henry's original tale. 

The Behrman character is fleshed out with an expanded "artist struggling with his creative style as he tries to bend it to be more representative for commercial considerations," its an elaborate schtick with humorous banter between Behrman and art dealer Boris Radolf), who tells him all art must communicate.

Behrman settles on three dollars for the latest "Behrman" only because he told Susan he'd take care of the prescription.

Warren Stevens as the Pharmacist 

A few hours later up in Joanna and Susan's appointment. 

Joanna: It's funny.

Susan: What's funny?

Joanna: Oh the things you notice when you are ill. Things you've never noticed before. 

Susan: Like what?

Joanna: Like that ivy vine across the court. Yesterday I counted exactly 21 leaves on it, don't you think that's funny?

Susan: Why funny?

Joanna: Don't you see? I'm twenty one. Now there are only fourteen. I'm getting younger. In a day or so they'll all be gone. And when the last leaf goes...

This, of course frightens Susan, and now bestows an ominous aura to the ivy vine as it vibrates, shakes, and drops it's leaves from the gusts of wind that swirl down into the court. 

Susan tells Joanna to get some rest. She pulls the shade across the window but Joanna tells her not to because she wants to see the leaves when ever she awakens. We hear a loud crash from the studio above,

Behrman up in his studio is struggling with another painting. He's making enough noise that out of concern for Joanna, the noise upsets Susan even more than usual. She goes up to confront Behrman, but he apologizes and explains that he gets so frustrated when he tries to paint, he forgets everything. 

When Behrman asks about Joanna, Susan explains Joanna's morbid fascination with the ivy vine's leaves. When the last leaf is gone, she'll be gone. 

Noirsville

Its "Noir light" a "café au lait" Noir and a Gaslight Noir, like Gaslight, Hangover Square, The Lodger, House by the River, The Suspect, The Spiral Staircase, and others, that are probably out there. 

The the direction and cinematography are good, the cast is excellent, and the special effects convincing. There's one surreal shot where, during the blizzard, Joanna turns a distant corner and is coming down the street towards us. Her Victorian dress fluttering sinuously in the blizzardy wind as she walks along a canted sidewalk. It expertly conveys the impression that she's not quite whole in her world that is spiraling out of control. 7/10