REPEAT PERFORMANCE (Eagle-Lion Studios, 1947), directed by Alfred L. Werker, became this independent studio's initial attempt on a major motion picture. Taken from a 1941 novel by William O'Farrell, and starring Louis Hayward and Joan Leslie, REPEAT PERFORMANCE has often been compared to an earlier release of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (RKO Radio, 1946) starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, in a story set on Christmas Eve revolving around a man getting his chance to see how his life would have been had he not been born. For REPEAT PERFORMANCE, set on New Year's Eve, the central character here wants to relive her previous year so to amend any mistakes made resulting to her tragic outcome.
Opening with an off-screen narration (reportedly by John Ireland) who provides viewers what to expect: "The stars look down on New Year's Eve in New York. They say that fate is in the stars, that each of our year is planned ahead and nothing can change destiny. Is this true? How many times have you said, "I wish I can live this year over again?" This is the story of a woman who did relive one year of her life." The story begins minutes before the strike of Midnight for the New Year of 1947. Gun shots are heard and a woman, identified as Sheila Page (Joan Leslie), an actress of the Broadway play, "Say Goodbye," is seen standing in over her victim, Barney (Louis Hayward), her husband and drunken failed playwright, now deceased. With pounding on the door, the frightened Sheila runs out the back way into the crowded street of New Year's celebrators. Entering a crowded restaurant, Sheila comes to the table of her friend, William Williams (Richard Basehart), leaving his guests to be told elsewhere what she had done. As they leave for the apartment of Sheila's friend and producer, John Friday (Tom Conway) for assistance, Sheila makes a wish to herself wanting to relive 1946 all over again. Suddenly, Sheila finds herself transformed back in time, this time knowing what to expect yet hoping to prevent any mistakes leading to her husband's murder. Others in the cast are Virginia Field (Paula Costello, playwright); Natalie Schafer (Eloise Shaw, a socialite); Ilka Gruning (Mattie, the Maid), and Jean Del Val (Tony, the Waiter).
Often classified as a "film noir" with ingredients of murder and flashback, REPEAT PERFORMANCE is a different type of film noir where flashback isn't played for the benefit of its audience but the central character. This style could be labeled "fantasy noir" without the fantasy elements attached to it. This new premise is good enough to hold interest throughout its 93 minutes.
Regardless of Louis Hayward heading the cast, REPEAT PERFORMANCE is Joan Leslie's film from start to finish. Type-cast as girl-next-door types for Warner Brothers Studio (1941-1946), REPEAT PERFORMANCE was the sort of role Leslie needed to prove she could play mature roles with conviction. Though labeled by many to be her finest screen performance up to that time, her subsequent roles, often forgettable, failed to give her this same opportunity again. Interestingly, Leslie got to appear in its 1989 made for television re-title remake of TURN BACK THE CLOCK starring Connie Sellecca, with Leslie having a cameo playing a party guest. Louis Hayward makes due as her boozing playwright husband who falls clutches to another playwright (Virginia Field) of the theater. Tom Conway resumes his droll suave character type he had done for RKO Radio in the "Falcon" mystery series (1942-1946), while Richard Basehart (in movie debut) nearly steals the show as Leslie's closest friend and poet, William Williams. It is his character, who later realizes he's also living 1946 all over again, to be the one to come up with the result whether if destiny can be changed or will the outcome always remain the same?
Though REPEAT PERFORMANCE did have numerous commercial television broadcasts dating back to the 1950s, particularly New York City where it last played in June 1978 on WNEW, Channel 5, the film in itself did have limited cable television showings (Arts and Entertainment) in 1986 before disappearing from view for many years to come. With no known availability on video cassette, thanks to Turner Classic Movies cable for giving REPEAT PERFORMANCE its long overdue revival (TCM premiere: December 28, 2019) on its weekly series, "Noir Alley" as hosted by Eddie Muller with his very interesting insights on the movie and actors before and after the movie, with hope with future revivals or repeat performances to make this a better known product from the "film noir" genre. (***)
