I Walk Alone (1948)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writers:

Theodore Reeves (play)
Robert Smith (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

16 January 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Ruthless! because once he trusted a dame!

Plot:

Frankie Madison leaves prison expecting a share from his ex-partner. But Prohibition bootlegging didn't prepare Frankie for Big Business.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Frankie Madison
Lizabeth Scott	...	Kay Lawrence
Kirk Douglas	...	Noll 'Dink' Turner
Wendell Corey	...	Dave
Kristine Miller	...	Mrs. Alexis Richardson
George Rigaud	...	Maurice
Marc Lawrence	...	Nick Palestro
Mike Mazurki	...	Dan (the doorman)
Mickey Knox	...	Skinner
Roger Neury	...	Felix Walter

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Norway:16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #12235)

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

First of seven films that Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster made together.

Quotes:

Charles: What about that girl who sings?
Alix Richardson: Every man has a girl who sings someplace in his life.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Ölüme yalniz gidilir (1962)

Soundtrack:

ISN'T IT ROMANTIC?

Enjoyable battle of wits between gangsters

Burt Lancaster has been in prison since the days of Al Capone, and when released he sets out to claim his share of ill-gotten gains from his former partner, Kirk Douglas. Kirk is pleasant at first, lulling Burt with wine, gourmet food, and the company of his mistress Lizbeth Scott, but he has no intention of sharing anything. What starts out as a buddy relationship becomes a battle of wits and wills as the two fight for control of Kirk's nightclub, lots of money, and Lizbeth.

This is no "Double Indemnity", but the two main characters are written and acted well enough to hold our interest. Douglas steals the film as the cleverer thug, the one who was smart enough to get away and go legit. His performance is lively and has touches of humor, particularly in the scene where he proves that the pen is mightier than the sword, or at least that legalese is mightier than the gun. Lancaster has a more violent, less sympathetic character, but has fun playing a brute who's forced to actually think for the first time in his life.

Not a great film, but an enjoyable one. Interesting for the way it shows the changes in the criminal world over the course of a decade, from the brutality of the thirties to the emerging sophistication of the fifties.