Act of Violence (1948)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Robert L. Richards (screenplay)
Collier Young (story)

Release Date:

21 December 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

The manhunt no woman could stop!

Plot:

An embittered, vengeful POW stalks his former commanding officer who betrayed his men's planned escape attempt from a Nazi prison camp..

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Revenge | Post War | Limp | Rental Car

Cast

Van Heflin	...	Frank R. Enley
Robert Ryan	...	Joe Parkson
Janet Leigh	...	Edith Enley
Mary Astor	...	Pat
Phyllis Thaxter	...	Ann
Berry Kroeger	...	Johnny
Taylor Holmes	...	Gavery
Harry Antrim	...	Fred
Connie Gilchrist	...	Martha
Will Wright	...	Pop

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #13275) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Angel's Flight Railway, Bunker Hill, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the movie, when the car crashes head-on into the light pole, Frank Enley is thrown forward by the impact. He is next seen lying in the street several yards to the rear of the car.

Quotes:

Johnny: [giving Enley a drink] Put hair on your chest!
Frank R. Enley: [he sighs and looks confused and disoriented] Who are you?
Johnny: Me? I'm a businessman. You and me are gonna do a little business. You got dough, friend?
[looking at Pat]
Johnny: That's why they hang around - on the chisel. But not me. I'm gonna earn it!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

A minor classic

I caught this film on TCM recently. At first I wasn't sure if I would like it but was sucked in thanks to the mystery of why Van Heflin's character was being stalked by Robert Ryan. Revealing why would spoil it for most people, but I highly recommend watching the film. Quite frankly this could be another classic Hollywood film noir, as it takes place in 1940's Los Angeles, and includes many famous landmarks, like the extinct "Angel's Flight."

Janet Leigh, in her fifth film, gives a fine performance as Heflin's concerned wife, and Mary Astor is a real delight as the woman who befriends Heflin in his state of panic.

This would make an excellent remake today, if done in the style of "L.A. Confidential." Catch this film sometime if you can. You'll enjoy it.