Crossfire (1947)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

John Paxton (screenplay)
Richard Brooks (novel)

Release Date:

22 July 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

Sensational? No, it's dynamite!

Plot:

A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of soldiers just out of the army. But which one? And why?

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Sergeant | Death | Flashback | Friend

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Robert Young	...	Finlay
Robert Mitchum	...	Keeley
Robert Ryan	...	Montgomery
Gloria Grahame	...	Ginny
Paul Kelly	...	The Man
Sam Levene	...	Samuels
Jacqueline White	...	Mary Mitchell
Steve Brodie	...	Floyd
George Cooper	...	Mitchell
Richard Benedict	...	Bill
Tom Keene	...	Detective (as Richard Powers)
William Phipps	...	Leroy
Lex Barker	...	Harry
Marlo Dwyer	...	Miss Lewis

Also Known As:

Cradle of Fear (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12325)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

It was suggested that one of the reasons why the film failed to win any Oscars was due to Director Edward Dmytryk and Producer Adrian Scott's refusal to testify before the House Unamerican Activities Committee.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Finlay breaks the window with his gun, large pieces of broken glass are still visibly hanging in the window frame. In every subsequent shot of Finlay at the window, there is no broken glass hanging from the window frame.

Quotes:

Police Captain Finlay: You still don't know where he is?
Keeley: No. I didn't know when I came in here, and I haven't suddenly gotten any brighter.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Watching the Detectives (2007)

Absolutely fantastic film that still holds up 57 years later!

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!