Raw Deal (1948)
Runtime: 79 minutes
Directed by: Anthony Mann
Starring: Dennis O'Keefe, Claire Trevor, Marsha Hunt, Raymond Burr, John Ireland
From: Eagle-Lion Films
This is a short review for a film noir that actually is worth seeing, despite my brevity. That review (taken from Letterboxd, as always) is below:
No, this isn't the 1986 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; rather, it's the famous late 40's noir directed by Anthony Mann. It was on Turner Classic Movies last night and I decided to give it a whirl.
The plot is that Dennis O'Keefe takes the fall for the crazed Raymond Burr and is in jail. He escapes the pokey due to help from his moll, Claire Trevor. He also drags social worker Marsha Hunt into the mess. Yep, a love triangle. They have to deal with the likes of Burr (he wants to off O'Keefe to save some cash, basically) and John Ireland. As you'd expect from a film noir, it's a hard boiled story filled with tough dialogue and occasional narration. There's nice usage of light/shadow and there's a pretty gritty feel throughout. The cinematography is quite good.
Of course, the two women don't get along and of course there's a role of a vicious henchman; in this case it was played by Ireland. Then again Burr is pretty fiery himself, doing some rather shocking things. This was nicely directed by Mann and has its share of twists & turns, leading to a very memorable last 5 to 10 minutes. There are plenty of worthwhile noir to watch and while this isn't at the top of the list, it is still something to check out. I mean, there are two important female roles, and neither are the typical femme fatale characters.
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