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Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

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Knock on Any Door Photos

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Movie Info

Having pulled himself out of the poverty and squalor of a big city slum, idealist lawyer Andrew Morton (Humphrey Bogart) agrees to defend a young juvenile delinquent from his old neighborhood. Nick Romano (John Derek), the son of an innocent man Morton had unsuccessfully defended as a young lawyer years earlier, stands accused of murdering a policeman. In opposition to a law-and-order prosecutor (George Macready), Morton argues that Nick's deprived upbringing led to his life of crime.

Genre:

drama, crime
Original Language:

English
Director:

Nicholas Ray
Producer:

Robert Lord
Writer:

John Monks Jr., Willard Motley, Daniel Taradash
Release Date (Streaming):

Oct 20, 2016
Runtime:

1h 40m
Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation
Sound Mix:

Mono
Aspect Ratio:

Flat (1.37:1)

Cast & Crew

Humphrey Bogart
Andrew Morton

John Derek
Nick Romano

George Macready

Allene Roberts
Emma

Susan Perry
Adele Morton

Mickey Knox
Vito

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Knock on Any Door

All Critics (10) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (3)

Nicholas Ray's direction stresses the realism of the script taken from Willard Motley's novel of the same title, and gives the film a hard, taut pace that compels complete attention.

October 22, 2007 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
A pretentiously 'social' melodrama which came to the Astor yesterday.

March 25, 2006 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Bosley Crowther
New York Times
I's hard hitting in its own right, tautly crafted, and repeatedly stabbed through with Ray's impulsive generosity and anguish towards his characters.

February 9, 2006 | Full Review…

Time Out
Nicholas Ray wrestles with his social consciousness and loses in this drab 1949 drama.

January 1, 2000 | Full Review…

Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
The courtroom perorations are drab, but Nicholas Ray takes off in the fervid slums

February 19, 2012 | Full Review…

Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
This hard-hitting crime melodrama offers excellent direction from the always interesting Nicholas Ray and a fine performance from Bogart.

October 22, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide
Quote not available.

May 24, 2007 | Rating: 3/5

Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com
Quote not available.

June 25, 2005 | Rating: 4/5

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Though Ray's film has a strong sense of social and moral outrage, the narrative doesn't bear out the simplistic conclusions arrived at.

March 21, 2005 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
The excitement and tension is built up nicely, and although it touches on the melodramatic at times, remains crisp and sharp throughout.

May 24, 2003 | Full Review…

Film4 Staff
Film4

Nicholas Ray's direction stresses the realism of the script taken from Willard Motley's novel of the same title, and gives the film a hard, taut pace that compels complete attention.

October 22, 2007 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
A pretentiously 'social' melodrama which came to the Astor yesterday.

March 25, 2006 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Bosley Crowther
New York Times
I's hard hitting in its own right, tautly crafted, and repeatedly stabbed through with Ray's impulsive generosity and anguish towards his characters.

February 9, 2006 | Full Review…

Time Out
Nicholas Ray wrestles with his social consciousness and loses in this drab 1949 drama.

January 1, 2000 | Full Review…

Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
The courtroom perorations are drab, but Nicholas Ray takes off in the fervid slums

February 19, 2012 | Full Review…

Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
This hard-hitting crime melodrama offers excellent direction from the always interesting Nicholas Ray and a fine performance from Bogart.

October 22, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide
Quote not available.

May 24, 2007 | Rating: 3/5

Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com
Quote not available.

June 25, 2005 | Rating: 4/5

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Though Ray's film has a strong sense of social and moral outrage, the narrative doesn't bear out the simplistic conclusions arrived at.

March 21, 2005 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
The excitement and tension is built up nicely, and although it touches on the melodramatic at times, remains crisp and sharp throughout.

May 24, 2003 | Full Review…

Film4 Staff
Film4

View All Critic Reviews (11)

Audience Reviews for Knock on Any Door

Sep 05, 2010

A strange, silly, sloppy, boring movie that shouldn't have starred Bogart, he's worthy of a much better script.

Aj V Super Reviewer
Dec 23, 2009

Adele Morton: If I were as cynical as you, I'd hang myself.<p>Andrew Morton: If you were as cynical as me? I wouldn't even trust the rope.<p>Another Bogart movie I've never seen. God bless Ted Turner and TCM. I swear, TCM must be the greatest TV station of all time. As I've said before, I've never met a Bogart movie I didn't like. This one is no exception. He plays a "good guy" in this one, and he's brilliant either way. Nobody can deliver a line like Bogart, and no one can deliver a moralizing speech like the one at the end of this film like Bogart. In a lesser actor's hands, you might be tempted to laugh, but Bogart makes the lessoning stick like crazy glue and stand like the Rock of Gibraltar. Perhaps the best male actor of all time.

Lanning : Super Reviewer
Dec 02, 2007

Nick Ray's direction shines when Knock on Any Door isn't wallowing in its own mediocrity, heavy-handed social commentary and dull performances. Bogart and Macready aside, of course. Bogart plays an attorney who tries to save John Derek (playing an Italian) from a murder rap. The story follows Derek's character more than it showcases Bogart's. If you watch this movie you'll quickly understand why it's not a must-see Bogart movie. If you're looking for a much better pairing of Bogart and Ray you'll do well to watch In a Lonely Place.

Michael G Super Reviewer