The Narrow Margin

The Narrow Margin (1952)

Runtime: 71 minutes

Directed by: Richard Fleischer

Starring: Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor, Jacqueline White, Gordon Gebert

From: RKO

This is another movie I watched courtesy of the local library. It's a film noir classic, or so I heard; turns out that they were right. Onto the Letterboxd review:

No, this is not the 1990 remake starring Gene Hackman. Rather, this is the original 1952 movie that I heard was a film noir classic and thankfully was available at my local library; I heard it features some veterans of the genre and the plot being a case where the typical hard-boiled detective has to escort a gangster's widow on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles in order to give some important information to the authorities and several hitmen are also on board, looking to sniff her out... only they don't know what she looks like... that sounded really interesting to me.

While there were some things that made me go, “Hey, wait a minute now...”, overall it was a movie I enjoyed. It's only 71 minutes and yet there's no wasted time with needless BS. You start off with the lady being picked up and things end as soon as things get resolved. There are the expected hallmarks of the genre, such as the dark subject manner, tough dialogue, plenty of arguing, and some twists and turns, which you definitely get here. There were several surprises, and not just the fact that the detective hero looks like Jack Palance or a villain looking like a cross between Dennis Franz and Harris Yulin.

This B movie was so well done overall, from the script to the performances and how it was shot. Most of it takes place on a train and you do get that claustrophobic feeling, especially with a very large man who claims he's only 260 pounds (more like 360!) having trouble moving around. There's also a swell fight in a train compartment that dare I say rivals the one in From Russia With Love.

From what I've seen in my life (not just what I've watched in these past few weeks) this is deserving to be on the list of the best film noirs ever made.

As an aside, what a long and varied career director Richard Fleischer had, everything from this and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to Mr. Majestyk and Red Sonja. I had no idea until I looked it up just now.

I need a short break so I'll return Sunday night.