An Exercise In Nonsense

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Celebrated Noir-ist Anthony Mann Broke Through with this one and Never Looked Back. All of His Films (including the five Westerns with James Stewart) have a Visual Template that is Astonishing.Here He Anticipates many of Film-Noir's Traditional Stylistic Scenes. The Contrasting Light and Dark Swinging Lightbulb, the Urban Staircase Climax, the Slimy "Professionals" like the Car Dealer and the Private Investigator for the Criminals. Steve Brodie and Audrey Long are a Sweet Couple Struggling to gain a Foothold on the American Dream that is Nightmarish with Cynical Roadblocks. The Film is a bit Heavy Handed with the Immigrant Farmers who are even Sweeter than Brodie and Long.Jason Robards Chews Scenery as a Sharped Tongue Police Inspector that is as Detached as They come, Filing His Nails as Brodie Claims His Innocence and Decides to Use Him as Bait. Raymond Burr gives one of His Trademark Psychopathic Performances that Commands the Screen. The Title of the Film is one of those Film-Noir Luring that is Lurid and Speaks Volumes with just One Word.Overall, a Fine Film-Noir that leaves its Mark on the Viewer with an Iconic Story and Style.

This is a good movie. Steve Brodie, Audrey Long and the rest of the cast are excellent in this crime drama. The film-noir style sets the mood - one of tension and foreboding. Raymond Burr is surprisingly cast as a merciless gangster; he performs his part well. The story moves at a brisk pace which builds up the tension. The question is how things will work out remains undecided until the final scene. This movie is an example of the kind of well-crafted product that Hollywood use to produce by the hundreds, before television came along. Then it was possible for a movie company to produce a credible product at a modest price. But it is was a different time, which includes the economics. But one thing that has not changed has been the public's desire for quality movies. That is the same now as it then. It is true that tastes do change, yet a good story that is well acted is as welcome today as it was decades ago, and such a welcome applies to this movie too.

After being unwittingly dragged into a heist that goes gone wrong truck driver Steve Randall ( Steve Brodie) and wife Ann (Audrey Long) take it on the lam not only to escape the police but also Radak (Raymond Burr) who wants to revenge his brother getting the chair.One of a handful of well made B noirs made by director Anthony Mann in the forties Desperate is a bit of a threadbare They Live by Night with Brodie and Long giving decent performances as the on the run duo and Burr and imposing one as the cold sadistic thug. Mann moves the film at a brisk enough pace while he and cinematographer George Dyskant provide some of their standard noir canvases, especially a staircase finale, to amp up suspense.

Desperate (1947) *** (out of 4) Exciting noir has truck driver Steve (Steve Brodie) framed for a heist job that resulted in a cop being killed. Steve takes his pregnant wife (Audrey Long) and hits the road to try and get her to safety from the gangster (Raymond Burr) who wants them dead. This film starts off so light-hearted that it pretty much takes you by surprise when things start to heat up because it happens so quick that you barely have time to even get to know the characters. The film plays out a lot like a Hitchcock film would as we've got an innocent man set-up by the crooked one and then the innocent man goes on the run and just keeps finding himself in more and more trouble. The film has our hero going through so much that you can't help but feel sorry for him and at a point you have to wonder if in the real world anyone would have this much bad luck. Mann's direction is the real standout here as he does a terrific job at building up the suspense as Steve gets further and further in trouble. One of the best scenes in the film is when he buys a used car only to get ripped off and has to turn to stealing it. The car eventually breaks down but he gets a ride with a kind old man who just happens to be the sheriff. Not only does this sequence build up some nice suspense but it also has a bit of humor as even our characters start to wonder why all of this is happening. I was surprised to see how good Brodie was here as he has the perfect qualities to carry off the role. He was very believable as the caring husband and we also believed him when he had to play it tough. Brodie is probably best remembered for his various noir roles but horror fans will also remember him from the God-awful FRANKENSTEIN ISLAND. Burr also turns in a fine performance as that terrific voice just makes for the perfect bad guy. Douglas Fowley, William Challee and Freddie Steele add nice support as does Jason Robards as a detective. The only one I didn't care for was Long who was just too annoying for me. The terrific black and white cinematography perfectly builds up a nice atmosphere and Mann's style certainly carries things for the short 73-minute running time. One of the best moments happens early on with a trick shot of a punch being thrown towards the camera. This really kicks things off and the film never lets up.