Moontide Moontide is a 1942 American film directed by Archie Mayo, who took over production after initial director Fritz Lang left the project early in the shooting schedule. The screenplay was written by John O'Hara and Nunnally Johnson (uncredited) and based on the novel written by Willard Robertson, Moon Tide (1940). The production features French star Jean Gabin, as well as Ida Lupino, Thomas Mitchell and Claude Rains. Charles G. Clarke was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Black & White. Despite charismatic performances by its leads, the film didn't make a big impact upon release, though now it's been critically lauded as a precursor to film noir. Plot After blacking out from an all-night drinking binge, dock worker Bobo (Jean Gabin) wakes up in a decrepit shack on a San Pedro Bay barge. The barge's owner, fisherman Takeo (Victor Sen Yung), comes by to remind Bobo of how they met the previous night and that they had agreed Bobo would work for him. Bobo does not remember the encounter and intends to leave. A police boat passes and, hearing that they are searching for the murderer of local bar-fly Pop Kelly (Arthur Aylesworth), who was strangled to death sometime during Bobo's drinking spree, causes Bobo to put the brakes on his plans to go; he is worried that he may have killed the man, due to violence he has been capable of in the past. He takes the job on the barge, then goes into town to meet up with his friends, Tiny (Thomas Mitchell) and Nutsy, the town watchman and amateur philosopher (Claude Rains) at a local boardinghouse. Despite assurances from Tiny that he didn't hurt anyone during his blackout, Bobo's worries are not wiped away. He agrees to meet Tiny later that night and leave town together. As he and Nutsy talk after Tiny leaves, Nutsy realizes that Bobo is in possession of Pop Kelly's hat. As the two walk near the water, a group of girls begin shouting about a young woman who is about to drown herself in the surf. Bobo rescues her and takes her back to the barge. Initially ungrateful and angry about being saved, she eventually falls asleep in the bed and he takes the floor. The next morning, the young woman, Anna, has rebounded some and tidies up the shack a little while Bobo repairs the boat of a wealthy doctor (Jerome Cowan) and his mistress (Helene Reynolds). Anna makes breakfast for Bobo. Tiny shows up and begins badmouthing Anna ("she used to work in a hash house") and implying she is a prostitute. He agitates for he and Bobo to finally leave town. Anna overhears and tells Bobo that she is "much obliged for everything" but she is "blowing now", planning to go back to her life and make her way. Bobo appears to have fallen for Anna. After she is gone, Tiny hints broadly at what damage he might be able to do to Bobo - having to do with his history of aggression. Bobo loses his temper and nearly strangles Tiny, but catches himself and tells him to get out and never come back. Nutsy stops by that night and finds Bobo having definitely decided to leave town alone. While they are chatting, Nutsy acting as a voice of reason and encouraging Bobo to accept that he may have reached a point where he wants a home, Anna returns. Unnoticed, Nutsy takes Pop Kelly's hat from the shack and later burns it on the beach. Anna and Bobo are obviously drawn to each other and