A soldier, all bandaged up, wakes up in an army hospital in the war and remembers nothing. All he can do is to soliloquize. His wallet has been miraculously saved from the grenade devastation that all but killed him, which contains a weird letter from someone condemning him with all her hate. That's the only cue he has to his life and identity.It's a difficult beginning to start with, but the soldier is returned to life and to Los Angeles, where he starts digging for his past, groping his way in the total darkness of a mystery that only grows worse for each new clue that turns up. A singing lady takes care of him and bandages him up when he gets beaten up by hoodlums for no known reason, and there are more and more people like that, trying to get what he knows and the more eagerly so for the fact that he knows nothing.All amnesia films are usually extremely interesting and good, "Random Harvest" is the best example of all, but here the hero has no great past and has never been in any position but is just a common man who had the misfortune to get mixed up with accidents and intrigues beyond his control. At first you feel disappointed with the film, as nothing seems to resolve the mysteries but only to complicate them. Like the man himself you err in a labyrinth of grotesque absurdity, and every helper seems only to make it worse - until he meets an old man in a mental hospital, and then you have already passed way beyond half of the film.What follows though is completely rewarding. The miracle happens that everything in this inextricable mystery actually is resolved and explained, and an impossible abyss of illogical absurdity turns the other way around in a marvel of a sudden revelation, which definitely saves the film and turns it from disaster to glory.All Joe Mankiewicz's films display a high class stylishness of almost an aristocratic touch, which makes them all enjoyable, and this weird odyssey through a nightmare of disorientation is no exception. The actors are also convincing enough, while Richard Conte is the only real character player. This was Mankiewicz's second film on his way up to supreme stardom of directors, and he still had 20 more years to go of reliably outstanding films.

I'd be surprised if you didn't solve the script's major mystery pretty early on, so the question is if there is much else to enjoy in this movie.The answer is yes. But it's a mixed bag. Even some reliable actors (Conte, Nolan) seem a little lost, as if they weren't quite sure what notes they were supposed to be hitting. On the other hand there is a haunting performance, in a single scene, from Josephine Hutchinson, and an enjoyable hard-boiled dame from Margo Woode.As far as acting honours are concerned, though, they go to Fritz Hortner, who effortlessly steals whatever scenes he's in.SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT is efficiently photographed and designed. It boasts an interesting score from journeyman composer David Buttolph, and the script is well-stocked with good lines and Hammett-like speeches and situations.John Hodiak takes a brave stab at the lead, Nancy Guild radiates warmth as the gal who takes a shine to him. Unfortunately neither of them can provide the wattage of the great players associated with this genre.And Mr Mankiewicz, although already an experienced writer, was evidently feeling his way as a director here.All in all, it's a moderately entertaining piece of work.

***SPOILER ALERT*** Recovering for a Jap grenade that ended up rearranging his face during the battle of Okinawa US Marine Sgt. George Taylor, John Hodiak, completely lost his memory. With Taylor, if that's his name, not really knowing who he is trying to keep that fact a secret from the hospital staff he tries to fake his way through life, as George Taylor, until his memory, if ever, comes back to him.The few clues that Taylor has about himself is a letter, unsigned and without a forwarding address, that he found in his wallet by a former girlfriend telling him what a low down and dirty rat he is! The other clue he found in his navy duffel bag was a note telling him that he has a $5,000,00 account in a L.A bank courtesy of his good and life-long friend Larry Carvat! What puzzles Taylor most of all in the confusion he's going through, in him not being able to remember anything, is who the hell is Larry Cravat! Taylor a man determined to find out who he is ends up getting involved with a slew of unsavory characters who's only mission in life seems to be the finding the whereabouts of Larry Cravat! Since Cravat left the amnesic Taylor $5,000.00 it's assumed by those looking for him that he may well know were Cravat is and lead them straight to him! That's if Taylor's memory ever comes back!Among those looking for Carvat is the Bela Lugosi sounding fortune teller Anzelmo known professionally as Dr. Oracle, Fritz Kortner. As it turned out Anzelmo had something going with Cravat back some four years ago involving a two million dollar, smuggled out of Nazi Ggermany, transaction he was to make with him. This lead to Cravat's disappearances with the money as well as the murder of the middle man in the transaction, someone named Steel, on a deserted L.A dock! Among the other persons looking for Cravat is nightclub owner Mel Phillips, Richard Conte, considered by those who work for him as being the nicest guy in the whole wide world.***SPOILERS***All Mel wants, from what I can figure out, from Cravat is just a friendly chat and nothing more. Maybe Mel is looking to give Cravat a job at his nightclub replacing the bartender John , Whit Bissell, who was found murdered the other night! Meanwhile Taylor begins to put all the pieces together, regarding Larry Cravat, and comes to realize just who this mystery man really is! Something he'll soon wish that he would have never found out!The movie also has in it the great Llyod Noland as police Det. Donald Kendell as well as pretty and classy Nancy Guild as the confused, not about Nancy but everything else in the movie, Taylor's love interest nightclub singer and dancer Christy Smith. In the end Taylor does finally, with Christy's help, find out who he is but that little bit of information almost ends up costing him his life! As you would have expected it was the great Llyod Noland, as Det. Kendell, who with gun blazing came to both Taylor and Christy's rescue. It was also during the films climatic shootout that Det. Kendell finally figured out why detectives,in the movies as well as in real life, never take off their hats even when dining in a Chinese restaurant! Something that had been bugging the lawman for as long as he could remember!

I wanted to like Somewhere in the Night and at first was impressed by the off kilter style of the opening in the WWII field hospital with the heavily bandaged amnesia victim played by John Hodiak, but when it switched to its stateside development I soon realized it was derived from several predecessors and didn't really have a clue where to go itself. Hodiak and leading lady Nancy Guild, while meant to evoke Bogey and Bacall, are about as interesting as watching paint dry in this overlong derivative production. Supporting cast is the high point with Richard Conte, Lloyd Nolan, and several other familiar faces doing their small parts to make the movie memorable. Eddie Muller's commentary on the Fox DVD is fun. Only recommended for noir completists.