Raw Deal (1948)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Arnold B. Armstrong (story)
Audrey Ashley (story)

Release Date:

26 May 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

Bullets! Women! -- Can't Hold a Man Like This!

Plot:

Joe Sullivan is itching to get out of prison. He's taken the rap for Rick, who owes him $50 Grand. Rick sets up an escape for Joe...

Plot Keywords:

Theremin

Cast

Dennis O'Keefe	...	Joseph Emmett (Joe) Sullivan
Claire Trevor	...	Pat Cameron
Marsha Hunt	...	Ann Martin
John Ireland	...	Fantail
Raymond Burr	...	Rick Coyle
Curt Conway	...	Spider
Chili Williams	...	Marcy
Regis Toomey	...	Police Capt. Fields (as Richard Fraser)
Whit Bissell	...	Murderer
Cliff Clark	...	Gates

Also Known As:

Corkscrew Alley (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:Approved (Certificate #12987) | USA:Not Rated (DVD) | Finland:(Banned) (1949) | Sweden:15

Company:

Edward Small Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995) (TV)

This Noir Has Something No Other Movie Has Ever Had:

Claire Trevor providing voice-over narration to the accompaniment of a Theramin! What an indelible effect this makes! In a way, it is not the usual sort of narration we find in film noir: Trevor is usually shown as her voice, with that spooky electronic instrument providing harmony, come through on the soundtrack. The standard for this was to have the protagonist (almost always a male) do this but without appearing as he spoke.

Trevor not only appears but indeed appears in a hat with a veil covering her face. This will stick in your memory for years after you've seen it! Trevor helps boyfriend Dennis O'Keefe break out of prison. But a good girl, Marsha Hunt, has also visited and shown interest in them. Which one will he chose: bad but loyal Trevor or goody-goody Hunt? These are both excellent actresses. Marsha Hunt underplays a little bit here. But she is superb.

The movie has a very solid, if somewhat standard plot. But all kinds of things are tossed into the mix -- all to the movie's benefit.

For example, when O'Keefe has settled into his first hide-out, a wife-murderer appears and demands to be given shelter. He's there for a few minutes of screen time but after that his story is dropped.

John Alton's cinematography is superb. Anthony Mann directed this Eagle Lion feature with expert hands. Some of the characters may be losers but the movie is a true winner.