Stuart Rosenberg directed The Drowning Pool, a disappointing neo-noir thriller, based on Ross Macdonald’s 1950 novel.
A loose–and listless–sequel to the far superior Harper, the film again stars Paul Newman, this time supported by real-life Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa, ad the very young Melanie Griffith.
Los Angeles-based private investigator Lew Harper flies to Louisiana (setting was shifted from California) to do a job for his ex-flame, Iris Devereaux.
She believes the family’s ex-chauffeur is blackmailing her with the knowledge that she has cheated on her husband. The husband does not care, but Olivia Devereaux, the family matriarch, cares, running the family estate with iron grip.
Harper is propositioned by a teenaged girl, who turns out to be Iris Devereaux’s daughter, Schuyler. Their meeting in the motel room brings Harper to the attention of police chief Broussard and the disagreeable Lieutenant Franks.
Harper is abducted by two hoods working for the oil magnate J.J. Kilbourne, but then released. On Harper’s return, he learns that the dead body of Olivia Devereaux has just been found and the police’s prime suspect is the ex-chauffeur.
Searching for the chauffeur, Harper is abducted again by hoods working for a mysterious woman; he later finds out that she is Mavis Kilbourne, the oil magnate’s wife
This leads to Kilbourne and his henchman kidnapping Harper and Mavis, torturing them with fire hose in an abandoned asylum. When Harper refuses to give up any information, Kilbourne leaves them to suffer.
When the water is high enough, and they are near drowning, they are ironically saved by Kilbourne returning to further torture them. As Kilbourne brags to Harper that he has too much influence and that he’ll get away with it all, shots suddenly ring out. Kilbourne is dead, with Mavis admitting that “He’s right, he would’ve gotten away with it.”
Harper visits Reavis’ girlfriend, Gretchen, giving her $9200 (the $10,000 he confiscated from Reavis, minus the $800 in expenses he racked up). He asks Gretchen to send the account book to “the biggest newspaper in New Orleans.” The film ends with Gretchen telling Harper, “you’re not such a tough guy.”
In 1966, Harper, a film based on Lew Archer, starred Paul Newman. The character of Archer was renamed “Harper” for the movie. It was based on a script by William Goldman, who then wrote a follow-up adaptation, based on The Chill, but that movie was never made.
Jack Garfein was set to direct, but then Stuart Rosenberg, “desperate” for the job, approached Newman, and the star chose him.
Originally, the lead character was called “Dave Ryan,” then weeks before preproduction, it was decided that it was “foolish to make this change.”
The melody of the hit song “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is heard in the background of several scenes.
A disappointment at the box office, the film earned only $2.6 million in the U.S., but it performed better in Europe and South Africa, with worldwide rentals of $8 million.
Cast
Paul Newman as Lew Harper
Joanne Woodward as Iris Devereaux
Richard Derr as James Devereaux
Anthony Franciosa (as Tony Franciosa) as Chief Broussard
Murray Hamilton as J.J. Kilbourne
Gail Strickland as Mavis Kilbourne
Melanie Griffith as Schuyler Devereaux
Linda Haynes as Gretchen
Andre Trottier as Hydrotherapist
Richard Jaeckel as Lieutenant Franks
Paul Koslo as Candy
Joe Canutt as Glo
