Dead Reckoning (1947)

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Oliver H.P. Garrett (screenplay) &
Steve Fisher (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 January 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

He Doesn't Trust Anyone . . . especially Women !

Plot:

A soldier runs away rather than receive the Medal of Honor, so his buddy gets permission to investigate, and love and death soon follow.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Medal Of Honor | Gambling | WWII | Hotel

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Capt. 'Rip' Murdock
Lizabeth Scott	...	'Dusty' Chandler
Morris Carnovsky	...	Martinelli
Charles Cane	...	Lt. Kincaid
William Prince	...	Sgt. Johnny Drake
Marvin Miller	...	Krause
Wallace Ford	...	McGee
James Bell	...	Father Logan
George Chandler	...	Louis Ord

Also Known As:

John Cromwell's Dead Reckoning (UK) (complete title) (USA) (copyright title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1947) | Finland:K-16 (1948) | Norway:16 (1947) | USA:Approved (PCA #11959) | Australia:PG | UK:U | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Penn Station, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

In the train scene, after they discover that Drake is to receive the Medal of Honor, Murdock quips that maybe the president will let Drake "sit on top of his piano". This is a reference to a then-scandalous photo of Harry Truman playing piano with a leggy blonde on top that was taken at the National Press Club in 1945. The blonde was Lauren Bacall.

Goofs:

Continuity: Carla mentions it has been two days since she last saw Johnny. Night comes. People sleep. Day comes. Carla says it has been two days since she last saw Johnny. Should be three now.

Quotes:

Martinelli: I gather, Mr. Murdock, that you've been around, as the saying is?
Captain Warren 'Rip' Murdock: East St. Louis is around enough.

Movie Connections:

References The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Soundtrack:

Either It's Love or It Isn't

Brutal Film Noir

One of Bogart's best, a brutal Film Noir with a surprising ending, & filled with sharp, witty dialog. Lizabeth has never looked more beautiful than here, & although her acting ability is overmatched by Bogart, she would improve in her later films & she's adequate in this role. There's glimpses of the basic "Maltese Falcon" plot here: Bogey searches out & seeks revenge for his partner, even some of the dialog is similar in that respect. If you like Bogart or if you like Film Noir, you can't go wrong with this one! And by the way, this is a REAL Film Noir, not in the newer use of this phrase (recently, people have been calling any B&W crime drama made in the 1940s a "Film Noir"). This film has all the classic Film Noir elements: lots of shadows & stark contrasts (in the beginning, Bogart speaks from shadows so dark that one can hardly see his face), a spoken narrative, a "hero" who works outside the law, a murder mystery, & a heroine who may not be a heroine.