Gotham aka The Dead Can't Lie (1988) Flawed TV Noir from the Twilight Zone

"It's like a dream, but one of those dreams that you can't wake up from." (Eddie Mallard)

Written and Directed by Lloyd Fonvielle. 

Cinematography was by Michael Chapman (The Last Detail, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull). Music was  by George S. Clinton.

The film stars Tommy Lee Jones (No Country For Old Men, The Fugitive, Natural Born Killers, Men In Black) as Eddie Mallard, Virginia Madsen (The Hot Spot, Slam Dance) as Rachel Carlyle, Colin Bruce (The Secret Garden, Chariots of Fire) as Charlie Rand, Denise Stephenson as Debbie, Kevin Jarre as Tim, Frederic Forrest (Hammett) as Father George J. B. White as Jimbo.

Tommy Lee Jones as Eddie Mallard

Virginia Madsen as Rachel Carlyle

Colin Bruce as Charlie Rand

Here is another Noir from the Twilight Zone. We are in Fantasy / Horror / Supernatural / Nightmare Noir territory. Flesh and Fantasy, Gates Of Night, Queen of Spades, All That Money Can Buy, Alias Nick Beal, I walked With A Zombie, Angel Heart all are in the same vein. It originally aired on Showtime August 21, 1988. This was a nice visual surprise. 

By the way in case you are wondering Washington Irving coined "Gotham" as a nickname for New York City in his 1807 satirical periodical Salmagundi to mock New Yorkers as simple-minded, an Anglo-Saxon word meaning goats town.

Story

Night. New York City. We get an aerial pan of the city circling around the Empire State Building. A sax tune plays and we slowly zoom to the exterior of Yeat's Pup a neighborhood bar.  

A green neon shamrock beckons. Inside, seated at the bar is Charlie Rand. Rand orders. This opening doubles also as the title sequence.

Charlie: A scotch single malt, the oldest you have, make it a double. 

The Barkeep [while pouring]; Celebrating something? 

Charlie: Not exactly

The Barkeep: What a little trouble at home?

Charlie: Mister, you don't know the meaning of trouble.

The Barkeep: Hey I'm a bartender, I've heard them all.

Charlie: Not this one 

The Barkeep: Try me, go on try me.

Charlie: Well why not why the hell not. [takes a slug of scotch] You ever find yourself walking down a dark street and you hear footsteps, coming up slowly, just outa site.

The Barkeep [chuckles] : Its New Yorkers, its New York.

Here the frame becomes liquidy an we drop into a flashback, and see Charlie walking down a city street. He's got on an overcoat, a scarf, and is wearing since we can see his bow tie what appears to be a tux. 

We can hear footsteps behind him. He suddenly runs to a nearby church and hides in the entrance. Sanctuary. 

When he peeks around the corner he sees a woman standing there in silhouette her face hidden in darkness. 

Woman: Charlie, Charlie, come out of there Charlie. 

Charlie: No.

Woman: Come on Charlie, your not going to stay in there all night are you.

Cut to a shot of Manhattan bathed in a golden wash of light at sunrise. Then we watch as a cop bends towards Charlie and uses his billy club to tap on the granite steps by Charlie's head to wake him up. He spent the night. 

Charlie [V.O.]: I was in trouble of a very special kind, that was when Eddie Mallard came into my life.

We see number 509 on an office door. On the glass below the number the lettering reads Edward Martell Mallard - Private Investigator. 

The office has grimy looking intestine green walls with dark mahogany wainscoting with doors and frames to match. The office has the old style pre WWI push button light switches. Its a dump, decorated with a Vargas girl calendar of a blonde catwoman in a see-through bodysuit standing by pumpkin. Classy. Near it is framed photo from some boxing match  and nearby it is a file cabinet crowned with a booze bottle.

Eddie is seated at his desk playing with a Rubik's Cube. The desk is cluttered, strewn with newspapers, paper cups, letters, and magazines, all ruled over by a green shaded goose neck lamp. Behind him is a window with the requisite venetian blinds that throw barred shadows at various angles depending on tine of day, all across the walls. Below it, is another shelf piled with various books. 

Eddie gets a call asking if he finds missing dogs, when he tells the caller that he doesn't find lost dogs the caller must have told Eddie "fuck you," since he answers "and fuck you too." 

As soon as Eddie hangs up. His landlord throws open the door next, and walks in and asks Eddie, what he's still doing here? 

Eddie asks him "didn't you get my check? Your complaint, is with the post office." It's the old, the checks in the mail deflection. Behind the landlord we can see a fire stair way exit door with its red sign, one of those industrial floor model standing G.E. ventilation fans, and hanging from the ceiling the bottom portion of one of those milk glass pendant light fixtures that you saw in every public building and schools back in the mid 1950s.

We can hear the unmistakable sounds (if you ever lived by or rode them), of a passing elevated train. That's a sort of clue to where, in this "Noirsville" New York City, Eddie Mallard's office might have been. The only elevated line actually left in Manhattan after 1955 is the small section between 122nd street and 135th Street in Harlem, and then the stretch North of Dyckman St. in Inwood on the #1 line, but there's no five or more story buildings along that Inwood stretch. The only other possible locations with elevateds close to Midtown and Lower Manhattan would be in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on the J or M, or in Long Island City just across the East River at Queensborough Plaza on the 7 and the N and R lines. I vote for Long Island City, it's the closest to Midtown, Times Square, the bus terminal, and both Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central terminal heading West, and to the East you got easy access to LaGuardia Airport. It was probably much cheaper rent than Manhattan.

Back to the office.

The landlord ain't buying Eddies bullshit.

Landlord: If I don't find that check I'll throw you out.

 

Eddie: Where am I gonna find another place as nice as this?

Landlord [slams door]: No philosophy.

Soon after the landlord slams the door, it starts to open again Mallard, assuming its the landlord again, starts yelling. But it turns out to be a new client. Charlie Rand.  

Eddie invites him in, and tells him to sit down, but he then has to scramble around the desk, to dump on  to the floor, all the mail that has accumulated on top of the clients chair. Eddie is obviously just about on the skids.

Eddie: You didn't call

Charlie: No, ah, I wasn't expecting to be here, I've ah, visited five or six private investigators [looking about the office] the last few days and you're the last on my list. 

Eddie: I'm glad to be anywhere on a list Mr.?

Charlie: Rand, Charles Rand, actually I was in the building for another interview, Ames & Ames, and I noticed your name in the lobby. 

Eddie: Ames up on 6th?

Charlie: He, wou - wouldn't take the case. 

Eddie: Must be a lollapaloosa. 

Charlie: Not really.

Eddie: You offer him money?

Charlie: Quite a lot of money. And now I'm going to offer it to you.

Eddie: What the hell do you need done?

Charlie: I want you to find my wife. Its shouldn't be hard, she is in New York and she's following me.

Eddie: If she's following you, why don't you just stand still, and let her catch up to you.

Charlie: I don't want to see her. I want you to see her. I want you to tel-, tell her to leave me alone.

Eddie: I'm not following this Mr. Rand, are you and your wife divorced?

Charlie: No 

Eddie: Wouldn't that be a logical place to start if you really want her off your back?

Charlie: I can't divorce my wife Mr. Mallard.

Eddie: Why not?

Charlie: My wife was killed in a boating accident in 1975. 

Eddie: I beg your pardon.

Charlie: My wife is dead. That's why divorce is out of the question.

Eddie: Your wife has been dead for ten years and she's following you around and you want me to...

Charlie: That's right Mr. Mallard.

Eddie: How much are you offering?

Charlie: A hundred and seventy-five dollars a day plus expenses. [pulls out of his coat a $1,000 in hundreds] Here's cash in advance, in may not cover the entire project but I'm desperate. 

Eddie: I think, I'm your man.

Charlie: I want you to start right away and devote full time to this case Mr. Mallard.

Eddie: Call me Eddie.

We cut to Eddie and and his pal Tim a wana-be writer who works as an newspaper editor, sitting at a concession snack bar table in a pool hall. Eddie is telling Tim that he looked his client Charlie Rand straight in the eye, took his thousand dollars, and told  him he's find his dead wife. 

Kevin Jarre as Tim

Eddie: I humored his delusion, and I did it because the sight of $1,000 in one place turned me into an asshole.

Tim: You've been an asshole at least as long as I've known you.

Tim continues replying, that it's just like a missing persons case, you look, you report your findings, that's your job. 

Here, a running gag begins of Eddie, who must be trying to quit smoking, being assisted by his friends, because when ever he tries to light a cig they grab it out of his mouth or hand and toss it. 

We cut back to Eddie's office. Eddie is seated at his desk one leg up on the desk flipping through a magazine when his gal pal Debbie walks in the door.

Eddie: What are you doing here?

Debbie: I'm bringing a bag of bagels to my favorite dick.

Eddie: It's gumshoe, gumshoe...

Debbie: Favorite gumshoe.

Eddie: How did you get off work so early.

Debbie: It's a federal holiday. 

She tells him that she heard about his new client from Tim, and kidding him about taking a taxi to his office. Then they make small talk about their trip to Atlantic City. When Eddie tries to light up a a smoke Debbie takes it away from him.

Denise Stephenson as Debbie

We cut to Eddie on the job with Charlie aimlessly walking around town, Eddie thinks Charlie is obviously nuts and humors Him. Eddie suggests that Charlie walk on ahead and he will tail him and see if he spots his wife following him. Sounds like a plan.

Now dark, at about 2 AM Eddie tells him it time to quit. Charlie responds that he's scared of going to his apartment. Eddie suggests that if he wants, he can crash on his couch. 

When they get to Charlie's apartment they have a nightcap, and Charlie unloads about Rachel. 

He relates that she married him for his money, while he married her for her body and the sex, and he adds that he's never enjoyed a woman as much as he did Rachel. 

Charlie heads off to bed. Soon after Charlie leaves the room Eddie hears a knocking at the door of the apartment. When he walks to the door he sees the shadow of high heels pacing back and forth in the shaft of hall light leaking in from under the door into the darkened room. 

He asks who is there, and he hears a woman's muffled "oh sorry" response, but when he opens the door, there are empty hallways in both directions and no one around.

We cut to the next day and see Charlie agitatedly looking at a blonde woman who is window shopping on a sidewalk. He finds a phone and dials Eddie who, we see is sitting at the desk, woking on a crossword puzzle when his phone rings. 

We cut to Eddie meeting Charlie on the street and Charlie demanding that Eddie go and tell her to lay off him. 

Charlie: Go speak to her that's my wife.

Eddie: Right here?

Charlie: Find out what she wants. Tell her who you are and tell that she has to leave me alone.

Eddie: Look Charlie

Charlie: What the fuck am I paying you for?

Eddie: Ok, ok, Charlie, you go find yourself a nice bar and

Charlie: I'll wait right here, and listen, remember everything she says, and don't let her out smart you. She's back from the grave Eddie she knows things we don't know. Remember that.

So Eddie heads off across the street to speak with the woman. 

At the window he stops along side her.

Eddie: Excuse me. 

The woman turns to acknowledge Eddie.

Eddie: See that man across the street there. [points to Charlie] 

Woman; Yes

Eddie: You ever see him before.

Woman; No

Eddie: That man thinks your his dead wife come back from the grave to haunt him. He asked me to tell you to leave him alone.

Woman; That's the wildest line I"ve ever heard in my life. 

Eddie: It's not a line. 

Woman; You're pretty good at it too. [leans in conspiratorially towards Eddie.] What am I supposed to do now?

Eddie explains that it might help if we'd could talk a bit. The woman complains that she's been on her feet all day so Eddie offers to buy her a cup of coffee, she retorts you can buy me a drink, as long as it's someplace expensive. 

We cut to a windows on the world type of restaurant. It could be the one of several in NYC (or since parts of the film used Toronto filling in for NYC it may possibly be there). 

They are in a table by the window. She tells Eddie she wants a single malt scotch.

Eddie: I'm a private investigator.

Woman: I'm gonna be VERY disappointed if I find out you're telling me the truth.

Eddie: I really am a private investigator.

She asks if your private how does one get a hold of you. Eddie rummages around in his suit pockets for his card. He finally finds a crumpled one in the breast pocket and hands is to her. 

Woman: Eddie take a good look at me. I'm a woman of very expensive tastes. In that respect I'm very open minded. I can tolerate a thief. I can tolerate an embezzler. I can tolerate a racketeer, but I can't tolerate a man who wears hundred dollar suits. There's nothing fair about me, Eddie. I start the game owning Boardwalk and Park Place... and everybody pays. [finishes her scotch] Thanks for the drink, Eddie. It was fun.

The woman gets up and splits. 

We cut to Eddie walking to his flop. At his door he meets an anxious Charlie.

Eddies flop has walls painted in dead body blue. They are decorated with a mirror, one framed sailing ship at sea painting and more photos of boxing matches. Must be a fight fan. 

There's a bookcase with a stereo on top, a standing floor lamp next to a threadbare pink sofa, with another lamp at the opposite end, a small table, and a TV, sitting atop a re purposed goose shit green vinyl kitchen chair. The room is all tied together by gold and carnal red Persian rug. 

Eddie offers Charlie either a beer or mayonnaise, and then sits on the sofa pops a top and puts his legs up. . 

Charlie: What did she want?

Eddie: She didn't say. 

Charlie: She wants to drag it out and make me sweat. She didn't say anything about... jewels?

Yea jewels

We cut to a reaction shot of Eddie about to swallow a sip of beer. It got his attention. Eddie decides to humor him

Eddie: Yea jewels. 

Charlie: She did mention the jewels? 

Eddie: Well yea.

Charlie: That's what she wants it has to be.

Eddie: What jewels are these Charlie?

Charlie: There came a time in our marriage Eddie when I had to buy her sexual favors with presents of one kind or another.  Usually jewels were some part of the arrangement. 

Eddie: Yea

Charlie: About a week before she died I bought her a particularly fine diamond choker. Even she couldn't hide how much it pleased her. The first time she appeared to me afterwards my first though was jewels. She come back for her jewels. 

Eddie: You still have them. 

Charlie: Yes I meant to sell them right away but something always stopped me.  

Eddie: Good thing.

Charlie: Yes they'll save me now she'll leave me alone when she has them, I can feel it. You got to do it Eddie you got to make the terms clear. She has to say it out loud. She gets the jewels she'll leave me alone. 

Eddie: You want to here her say it? 

Charlie: Not in person, on tape you'll get her to say it on tape when you give her the jewels.

Eddie: Why would you take her word for it?

Charlie: The dead Eddie, they can't lie. They can lead you into lies but they can't speak a lie with their own lips. Its something I learned.

The next day Eddie is sitting on a park bench. Charlie comes by with a package and sits down for a few seconds, than gets up and splits, leaving the package for Eddie to take.

Cut to the hallway outside Eddies office, we approach the door. It starts to go Noirsville for Eddie when he is surprised when the woman who he approached the other day walks into his office.

She apologizes for being so gruff the day before tells him ger name is Rachel and invites Eddie out for a burger. At the diner she tells him that being around money makes you think of other people in terms of money and you find out that money only protects you from the nice guys. 

She also mentions that she feels like a ghost half the time. Like she got some business here that she can't remember. She also tells him she was married and that it was a horrible thing, but its over and she'll never be young again.

Eddie: Everybody feels that way until that fall in love again. Falling in love is always the first time.

Rachel: I feel that way too.

She tells him that she has to go. He asks how do I get in touch with you? She replies don't worry I'll find you.

Cut to Eddie knocking on Tim's door. Eddie relates the latest business with the jewels. They open the package and its indeed jewels. Tim estimates if they are real maybe half a million worth. 

He mentions that he has a friend he knows in the business from the last book he researched. He'll let him take a look.

We cut to Eddie walking down a deserted street towards his flat. Steam is rising from the street, He hears his name called out. 

Its Rachel once again. They walk a short way and run into Jimbo a street musician standing by a burning oil barrel. Jimbo tells them that he will sing a song for money. Rachel gives him some money and he plays Danny Boy.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling

From glen to glen, and down the mountain side

The summer's gone, and all the roses falling

It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.

But come ye back when summer's in the meadow

Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow

It's I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow

Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

But when ye come, and all the flow'rs are dying

If I am dead, as dead I well may be

Ye'll come and find the place where I am lying

And kneel and say an Ave there for me.

And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me

And all my grave will warmer sweeter be

For you will bend and tell me that you love me

And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me.

(BTW, this is an excellent rendition of the song by J.B. White who played Jimbo)

Rachel goes teary eyed and Eddie kisses her. 

Rachel: If we stop right here, we'll have all the best of it straight. It will never get mixed up with anything else, and we'll just have the best of each other.

Eddie: You'll have to tell me your whole name, so I can say it to myself when I'm walking around.

Rachel: Rachel Carlyle. Rachel Carlyle. I live at 330 Central Park West. Ah, no, no. See, it's already getting dumb and practical and stupid. You don't want my phone number. You just want to look at me. Look at your beautiful ghost, and see the way she's looking at you, and then you want to close your eyes, while she walks out of your life, and if she never comes back again, you won't care, because it's not about that. It's about what you saw when she looked at you, and the feel of her lips for the first time, and the scent of her and the way her hair felt, and the way she cried at that silly song. And you had the best of her, all the best of her.

We hear Rachels footsteps grow fainter as she walks away. When Eddie opens his eyes she has vanished. 

We now cut to a strange sequence where Eddie is laying in his bed talking to his dead grandfather. 

His grandfather offers him a kids rubber pirate cutlass, telling him that he's was going to give it to him but he died and they buried him before he could do it. When he offers it to Eddie with outstretched hands, he at the same time tells him not to take it. Then he lays it on the bed between them. 

We cut to Eddie in bead with a pillow over his head and hear a pounding on his door. 

You are wondering what was real and what was a dream.

The visitor is Tim bearing the box of jewels. He drops the box on the bed and tells Eddie that he wants nothing to do with it, its too queasy. They are the genuine article worth a million. 

Eddie asks him what's queasy about them and Tim tells him that ten years ago a society dame dies in a boating accident, and in her will she specifies that she wants to be buried naked wearing only her jewels. The undertaker verified that she was buried as requested but six months later her body was dug up and the jewelry stolen. The jewels Eddies got are what she was buried with.

Noirsville

Lloyd Fonvielle and Michael Chapman definitely deliver the Noir Visual Style. The flaw in the film is that it segues between reality, the supernatural, and dreams with no sign posts for an indication. No leitmotifs to clue us in.

We don't know if Charlie who is relating the flashback is a reliable narrator. Both Charlie and Rachel tell us that the dead can't lie, but Rachel lies right at the get go when she denies knowing Charlie. Then later Father George tells us it's the dead's business to lie. 

Father George also relates some folktale about if a man has sex with a remnant (ghost) he dies. Eddie does have sex with Rachel and at one point she screams to Eddie that "I killed you Eddie and I'm glad I did it." 

However with no signposts, we have to either assume one of three things that its either all in a dream since Eddie seems quite alive and well, or since he is alive and well did she just mean she killed his spirit and free will, or that Eddie is actually walking that twilight zone between life and death since at one point he walks unseen past a doorman on his way to a rendezvous with Rachel. 

Rachel: Whatever they tell you about me is true. I'm worse than you can imagine. But don't ever say you didn't know.

Eddie: I don't know anything anymore. I don't know what I'm doing.

Rachel: You chose me. And you'll go on choosing me, as awful as it gets.

Eddie:  Why will I do that?

Rachel: Because you love me. Because YOU love ME.

Tommy Lee Jones, Virginia Madsen, and Colin Bruce are great, and the visuals are excellent so, have a libation or smoke a bowl sit back and let this Noir wash over you and see what you think. Its a bit incoherent. I'll give it a  6.5/10