"If he gets through this dragnet, he's as slippery as a nail in a barrelful of oil."A gangster (Raymond Burr) springs an associate he has betrayed out of prison, trusting that the wanted man (Dennis O'Keefe) will be gunned down evading recapture before he can come to collect his $50,000. With admirable
economy, the script dispenses with time-consuming, nuts-and-bolts detail (How exactly did Burr betray O'Keefe? How does O'Keefe make his escape? etc) and focuses on the fascinating triangle between the fugitive, his fiercely loyal girlfriend (Claire Trevor) and the goody-goody legal messenger (Marsha Hunt) whom the pair take hostage when she threatens to squeal. Hunt's character serves to constantly prick O'Keefe's conscience and remind him of the time before necessity forced him into a life of crime, etc, etc. Though there are a couple of big coincidences and the plotting gets a little wobbly toward the end, the movie is stunningly photographed and very nicely narrated by the ever-excellent Trevor. Some spooky Theremin on the soundtrack does wonders for the atmosphere. A great minor noir.
April 5, 2009
