The SAVAGE EYE

Richard M. Barsam
The Savage Eye opens by introducing the camera lens as a «character» who will follow the leading lady (Barbara Baxley) throughout her day. In this journey through the dark side of 1950s urban life, the camera follows Judith, a recently divorced woman looking for a fresh start through the streets of Los Angeles as she encounters the strange denizens of the city, ranging from trendsetters to religious fanatics. All the tawdry and desperate faces of this world become a mirror for Judith's personal failures and struggles to start a new life. As she weaves her way through LA, we share her observations on the various denizens of the street, from religious fanatics to faddists. Except for a smattering of professionals like Baxley, Gary Merrill and Herschel Bernardi, most of the characters in Savage Eye are the genuine article, though they're all too aware they're being photographed and thus can't be taken as completely «real.»

This film is screened together with <filmlink id=\"7305\">Muscle Beach</filmlink>.
1948, Irving Lerner, Joseph Strick