The Crooked Way
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| The Crooked Way | |
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 Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Robert Florey |
| Produced by | Benedict Bogeaus |
| Written by | Screenplay: Richard H. Landau Story: Robert Monroe |
| Starring | John Payne Sonny Tufts Ellen Drew |
| Music by | Louis Forbes |
| Cinematography | John Alton |
| Editing by | Frank Sullivan |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | April 22, 1949 (U.S.A.) |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Crooked Way (1949) is a black-and-white film noir directed by Robert Florey. The film was based on a radio play No Blade Too Sharp and features John Payne, Sonny Tufts, Ellen Drew, and others. The film, with a similar plot (a war hero loses his memory stateside) to another film noir Somewhere in the Night, was shot by noted cameraman John Alton.[1]
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[edit] Plot
A war hero recovering at a San Francisco hospital is suffering from amnesia. The doctors tell the silver-star recipient that the only thing they know about him is that he enlisted in Los Angeles. They speculate that maybe going back there may help him get his memory back. He goes, only to be recognized by police as a dangerous gangster named Eddie Ricardi.
[edit] Background
[edit] Noir analysis
Films The Crooked Way, Nobody Lives Forever, Somewhere in the Night and The Blue Dahlia, all have a familiar 1940s film noir theme. A young war hero returns from fighting a war only to find that his world back home is as dark and dangerous as the war he just left.
[edit] Cast
- John Payne as Eddie Rice aka Eddie Riccardi
- Sonny Tufts as Vince Alexander
- Ellen Drew as Nina Martin
- Rhys Williams as Lieutenant Joe Williams
- Percy Helton as Petey
- John Doucette as Sgt. Barrett
- Charles Evans as Captain Anderson
- Greta Granstedt as Hazel Downs
- Raymond Largay as Arthur Stacey, M.D.
- Harry Bronson as Danny
- Hal Baylor as Coke
- Don Haggerty as Hood
- Jack Overman as Hood
- Crane Whitley as Doctor Kemble / Off-Screen Narrator
- John Harmon as Kelly
- Garry Owen as Man from Green Acres Mortuary
[edit] Critical reception
Film critic Dennis Schwartz discussed the noir aspects of the film, and wrote, "A minor film noir, originally made for radio. Its motif, about how someone can attempt to change his dismal past after getting amnesia, is a purely noir theme...Nina and Eddie desperately want to fit into postwar American society despite their prior misdeeds. The camerawork of probably the best film noir cinematographer ever, John Alton, captures the dark streetlife of LA. What leaves a lasting impression is the warehouse shoot-out, as we see these antisocial types trapped like rats. The darkness of Vince's past and current life is contrasted with the John Payne character who has a second chance to redeem himself, something noir characters think is impossible to ever get. That is the happy ending, but its optimism is muted. There's always the possibility he will revert back to his old self. It all seems credible, even though we know that this story is a highly improbable one. Throughout the film, John Payne has the look of someone who has just come out of a laundry washing machine and by the film's end is being hung out to dry."[2]
[edit] References
- ^ The Crooked Way at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Schwartz, Dennis. Ozus' World Movie Reviews, film review, January 10, 2000. Last accessed: April 2, 2008.
[edit] External links
- The Crooked Way at the Internet Movie Database
- The Crooked Way at Allmovie
- The Crooked Way at the TCM Movie Database
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