The primary attraction of Road House is Ida Lupino. Tough and self-possessed, her character is nonetheless vulnerable and endearing as that quintessential staple of film-noir, the throaty nightclub singer--in this instance named Lily. She's not a femme fatale, but roadhouse owner J.T. decides to go crazy over this dame anyway. Well, he's played by Richard Widmark, after all, and you know how THAT fellow gets. Celeste Holme is another standout as Susie. Amiably sardonic and ultimately courageous, she has some of the best lines in the film. Cornel Wilde is about as boring as a guy named Pete is apt to be. It's not the actor's fault. He just has the bad luck to be surrounded by all these colorful characters. Anyone would pale by comparison.
Speaking of Wilde, you could make a case for Road House being sort of a gender-swap variant on Leave Her to Heaven. Not the most convincing case, but a case nonetheless.
The script has a lot of good dialogue but falls apart in the third act as characters start behaving in nonsensical ways. I guess it's to resolve the plot. It's sloppier than it needs to be. Still, lots of moody photography and the aforementioned performances make Road House worth seeking out.
Speaking of Wilde, you could make a case for Road House being sort of a gender-swap variant on Leave Her to Heaven. Not the most convincing case, but a case nonetheless.
The script has a lot of good dialogue but falls apart in the third act as characters start behaving in nonsensical ways. I guess it's to resolve the plot. It's sloppier than it needs to be. Still, lots of moody photography and the aforementioned performances make Road House worth seeking out.