Crossfire (1947) 7.4
A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of soldiers just out of the army. But which one? And why? Director:Edward Dmytryk |
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Crossfire (1947) 7.4
A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of soldiers just out of the army. But which one? And why? Director:Edward Dmytryk |
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| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Robert Young | ... |
Finlay
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| Robert Mitchum | ... |
Keeley
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| Robert Ryan | ... |
Montgomery
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| Gloria Grahame | ... | ||
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Paul Kelly | ... |
The Man
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Sam Levene | ... |
Samuels
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| Jacqueline White | ... |
Mary Mitchell
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Steve Brodie | ... |
Floyd
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George Cooper | ... |
Mitchell
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Richard Benedict | ... |
Bill
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Tom Keene | ... |
Detective
(as Richard Powers)
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William Phipps | ... |
Leroy
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| Lex Barker | ... |
Harry
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Marlo Dwyer | ... |
Miss Lewis
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Homicide Capt. Finlay finds evidence that one or more of a group of demobilized soldiers is involved in the death of Joseph Samuels. In flashbacks, we see the night's events from different viewpoints as Sergeant Keeley investigates on his own, trying to clear his friend Mitchell, to whom circumstantial evidence points. Then the real, ugly motive for the killing begins to dawn on both Finlay and Keeley... Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
I first saw CROSSFIRE as a 10-year-old kid in his favorite neighborhood theater in Philadelphia one hot Saturday afternoon. Did I understand it? No, not completely, but one message DID ring through clearly ... that of anti-Semitism, which was alive and well during those years following WWII. But, as I matured, I happened to catch it on not less than three additional occasions, and came out each time with a totally different perspective. Today, at age 67, and having been around the block a few times, I can safely say that there is no room for anti-Semitism today, nor was there in 1947. Of course, to love thy brother is THE way toward a more sensible coexistence... especially in times when the security of ALL is threatened. As for the performances in CROSSFIRE, you couldn't have in any better: Robert Mitchum was superb as a placid veteran in the company of Robert Ryan, who was dynamite as his psychotic counterpart who killed Sam Levene just because he was a Jew. Robert Montgomery did quite well as the detective trying to get to the bottom of an apparently senseless crime. This is TRUE film noire, in "glorious black and white," short, sweet, and very much to the point. GOD! I LOVE those films from the late-'40s and early-50s! Happy viewing everyone!