Hollow Triumph (working title The Man Who Murdered Himself, reissued in the United States as The Scar) is a 1948 American Film Noir crime film starring Paul Henreid and Joan Bennett.
John Muller (Heinreid), an intelligent, arrogant criminal who has been a medical student and a phony psychoanalyst, believes that people are only interested in themselves and do not notice what is happening around them. Paroled from prison to a boring job, Muller is more interested in a big score, and along with his old cronies robs a crooked gambling joint owned by Rocky Stansyck. Although he gets away with the money, some of his men are caught by Stansyck and identify John as the ringleader. On the run from Stansyck's gang, he is mistaken for Dr. Bartok, a psychiatrist also played by Henreid. Curious, Muller goes to the doctor's office, and meets Bartok's secretary and lover, Evelyn Nash. Needing to avoid capture, he assumes Bartok's identity, but first must scar his face like the doctor's. Working from a photograph printed from a reversed negative, he applies the scar to the wrong side. Though fooled at first, when Evelyn discovers the truth, she decides to leave, although she is in love with Muller/Bartok.
Tropes:
- Cement Shoes: Johnny dumps Victor's body off a bridge into the river, but not before almost being sprung by a helpful passing motorist.
- The Gambling Addict: Only after he has taken over Dr. Bartok's life does Johnny discover that Bartok had a gambling problem and is deep in debt.
- Hard-Work Montage: A montage is used to show Johnny doing the groundwork to take over Victor's life: practicing his signature, studying his patient files, listening to recordings of his voice, practicing his accent, etc.
- Identical Stranger: Johnny Muller and Dr. Victor Bartok are dead ringers, apart from the scar on Bartok's cheek.
- Imposter Forgot One Detail: When Johnny assumes Dr. Bartok's identity, he needs to scar his cheek. However, working from a photograph printed from a reversed negative, he applies the scar to the wrong side.
- Kill and Replace: Johnny kills Dr. Bartok and takes over his life.
- Robbing the Mob Bank: Johnny and his cronies knock over a Mob controlled gambling joint. The owner Rocky Stansyck swears to track him down if it takes 20 years.
- Villain Protagonist: The protagonist Johnny Muller is a small-time crook who knocks over a Mob casino and then kills a Identical Stranger and steals his life as the perfect means of hiding out.
