I was watching a marathon yesterday of Zachary Scott's movie. It was on TCM of course and I was excited because I have admired the devil-may-care looks of the mustachioed 1940s actor for some time, but I never had the chance to see the actor's range. I was only familiar with Scott from his role as Monte Beragon in Mildred Pierce. He was such a perfect example of a silky lounge-lizard neer-do-well that I couldn't help but love him. After watching him in The Mask of Dimitrios last night though, I realize how good of an actor he actually was. It's hard to imagine anybody playing a player so well. As the antisocial criminal Dimitrios, Scott manages to be a charming cultured gentlemen and a depraved criminal mastermind simultaneously. But through the film we aren't engaged in studying the genius of this feat; we're too busy getting lost in Scott's eyes, too busy being dazzled by his effortless grace. In Dimitrios, Scott joins the tradition of characters who we know we should hate, but can't help but love. Yes, he's a murderer, a heartbreaker and a thief. But he does it all so well. We may hate the crime, but we can't help but admire the craft and confidence with which he performs. "I can do anything" he says when after accomplishing another debauched act he is on the brink of capture. Usually, a character with this kind of foolhardy appraisal of their own might is automatically relegated to the realm of doomed criminals in our minds, but Scott doesn't say this in a crazed James Cagney in White Heat kind of way; he says it steady as though he were stating a fact. And we
can't help but believe him.
I guess I should tell you the plot of the movie. Dimitrios is a criminal mastermind who has been found dead years after his many misdeeds have been perpetrated. A Dutch mystery novelist played by the great Peter Lorre and an opportunist after money played by Sydney Greenstreet trace the trail of Scott's crimes from the source, finding jilted lovers, stolen fortunes and ruined lives along the way. Though disgusted by Dimitrios, you can tell that Lorre and Greenstreet are also fascinated by him and the coolness with which he subverts society’s morals.
Scott and director Jean Negulesco make Dimitrios one of the most intriguing men in film history. Without appearing to try at all, Scott embodies every irresistible trait of the bad boy: confidence, assertiveness and of course sex appeal.
His performance becomes even more impressive when you learn that this movie marked his film debut. Usually you see a lot of rough edges in an actor's first film role, but not so with Scott. He was as good if not better in The Mask of Dimitrios as he ever was allowed to be in his career. I say "allowed" because though Zachary was clearly a talent, he was never promoted by MGM as well as he should have been. This resulted in him having to accept a lot of B movie roles that did not equal his potential. Later in his career he was used mostly as a two-dimensional side character there to share sarcastic comments with a shot in one hand and your girl in the other. Eventually, he went to television. The fledgling enterprise was not very well organized back then which gave actors the kind of freedom they could not enjoy in the studio system. He found success there, but not enough. He died without any money, which seems to be a popular way for actors to go, especially classic movie stars.
Scott's not very well known today, which is a shame. I really like him; he had real talent and a spark. He was like Gable, but even more versatile. And that is saying a lot.
Annnd his big doe brown eyes were to die for!
