Inferior to the Alan Ladd version which has overshadowed this in film buff memory but a decent tale. I didn't like George Raft the first time I saw him in it but enjoyed him more the second time around - he's very well cast as the enforcer of political poss Ed Arnold. Raft doesn't seem that close to Arnold or terribly interested in Claire Dodds but the film moves (it was directed by Frank Tuttle, who ironically turned Ladd into a star) and the atmosphere of corruption helps the movie age well, with its easily influenced press editors and covered up criminal cases.
Ray Milland pops up. Ann Sheridan has a small role as a nurse who tends Raft after he's smacked around by Big Boy Williams - that was a brilliantly effective scene in the Ladd version and works well here too. I got confused by the story in some places.
No comments:
Post a Comment