The Last Crooked Mile (1946)

The notorious Jarvis gang robs a bank, one member is killed in the subsequent shootout, they ditch the getaway car, but are recognized at a roadblock as they take it on the lam and are ... See full summary »

Director:

Philip Ford

Writers:

Jerome Gruskin (adaptation), Robert L. Richards (play),

Stars:

Don 'Red' Barry, Ann Savage, Adele Mara

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Tom Dwyer (as Donald Barry)
Ann Savage	...	Sheila Kennedy
Adele Mara	...	Bonnie
Tom Powers	...	Floyd Sorelson
Sheldon Leonard	...	Ed 'Wires' MacGuire
Nestor Paiva	...	Ferrara
Harry Shannon	...	Police Lieutenant Blake
Ben Welden	...	Haynes, a thug
John Miljan	...	Police Lieutenant Mayrin
Charles D. Brown	...	Dietrich, Bank President
John Dehner	...	Jarvis, Gang Leader
Anthony Caruso	...	Charlie, Gang Member

Storyline

The notorious Jarvis gang robs a bank, one member is killed in the subsequent shootout, they ditch the getaway car, but are recognized at a roadblock as they take it on the lam and are killed in a car chase. The getaway car is sold to a carnival sideshow, where an insurance investigator and some surviving gang members start poking around in search of the missing cash. The investigator tracks down the now-dead Jarvis's girlfriend at a cabaret, and several murders and violent incidents (including a dead body on the rollercoaster) occur as he narrows in on the culprits.

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Plot Keywords:

based on play

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Taglines:

High pressure drama of HOT MONEY in a GETAWAY CAR!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

Caminhos Tortuosos

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

User Reviews

Ann Savage redeems overcrowded crime programmer

During a police chase, three bank robbers perish when their getaway car plunges over a cliff. The 300-large they grabbed, however, can't be found. The bank's underwriters hire cocky private eye Donald Barry to find it, promising a 10-percent reward if he's successful. The trail leads him to an oceanside amusement park, where the `death car' has been purchased as an exhibit in the side show; a couple of thugs show interest in it, too, as well they might, since the missing cash has been soldered into the running board.

His quest also leads Barry to a nearby nightclub where shantoozie Ann Savage warbles in sequins. (It's a good career choice for Savage, whose bold features suggest two other famed singers of the time: LaVerne Andrews, of the sister act, and Astrid Varnay, the Wagnerian soprano). He enlists her help, despite the fact that corpses drop into seats on the roller-coaster (which, oddly, turns into a tunnel of love) and big black sedans keep trying to run them down. The body count continues to rise....

The movie comes from the El Cheapo unit at Republic Pictures, and was directed by Philip Ford. Like Ford's The Mysterious Mr. Valentine (and most other crime programmers of the 1940s), it tries to cram an overcomplicated plot into not much more than an hour, patching up the holes with explanatory dialogue whizzing by. But, also like Mr. Valentine, it has an evocative look – especially of the amusement park at night – and it has Ann Savage. All in all, that's not a bad deal.