Kind of a poor man's "You Only Live Once" or a poor woman's "They Live By Night", this noir of two fugitive lovers on the run is lifted pretty far above the ho hum level by the performances of its two stars. Perhaps it was because of his dodgy offscreen behavior or the fact that he was in a bunch of clunkers but Steve Cochran was a most under rated actor, never coming close to an Oscar nomination, even though he's usually reliably good and, as in this film, quite a bit more than that. His portrayal of a self pitying, resentful, vulnerable ex con whose youth was taken from him by incarceration is reason enough to watch this movie. And if you need another try the portrayal of a femme neatly balanced between fatale and life giving, essayed by Ruth Roman, like Cochran a solid actor who never got the recognition she deserved. Also good in key supporting roles are Lurene Tuttle and Ray Teal as another couple who straddles the line between right and wrong. And the cinematography by Hitchcock's favorite camera guy, Robert Burks, is quietly effective in setting a dreamy, uneasy, mostly night time mood.
Debits include director Felix Feist's slowing the film down in the second half when it most needs a pick me up and, the bigger flaw, a too upbeat for a noir ending, for which I'll blame the screenwriters, Art Cohn and Guy Endore. Oh, and let's work on that "uplifting" title, guys. Give it a B minus.
Debits include director Felix Feist's slowing the film down in the second half when it most needs a pick me up and, the bigger flaw, a too upbeat for a noir ending, for which I'll blame the screenwriters, Art Cohn and Guy Endore. Oh, and let's work on that "uplifting" title, guys. Give it a B minus.