Criss Cross (1949)

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Daniel Fuchs (writer)
Don Tracy (novel)

Release Date:

1949 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

When you Double-Cross a Double-Crosser...IT'S A CRISS-CROSS!

Plot:

Steve Thompson, still obsessed with his fickle ex-wife, is drawn by her into the underworld...

Plot Keywords:

Armored Car | Double Cross | Ex Husband Ex Wife Relationship | Dead Woman | Abusive Husband

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Steve Thompson
Yvonne De Carlo	...	Anna
Dan Duryea	...	Slim Dundee
Stephen McNally	...	Pete Ramirez
Esy Morales	...	Orchestra Leader
Tom Pedi	...	Vincent
Percy Helton	...	Frank
Alan Napier	...	Finchley
Griff Barnett	...	Pop
Meg Randall	...	Helen
Richard Long	...	Slade Thompson
Joan Miller	...	The Lush
Edna Holland	...	Mrs. Thompson (as Edna M. Holland)
John Doucette	...	Walt
Marc Krah	...	Mort

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Norway:16 | Spain:13 | France:U | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #13393) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Vito Scotti's first film appearance.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Steve and Pop leave the armored truck to carry the payroll bags into the company Steve has 3 bags and Pop has 2. Then after the explosion, Steve has 2 and Pop has 3.

Quotes:

Steve Thompson: She's all right, she's just young.
Mrs. Thompson: Huh! Some ways, she knows more than Einstein.

Movie Connections:

Version of Underneath (1995)

A Masterpiece of Master Robert Siodmak

While driving an armored car in a lonely road, Steve Thompson (Burt Lancaster) recalls his life, after divorcing his beloved wife Anna (Yvonne De Carlo) and working in many places in the United States of America, from the moment he returned home in Los Angeles a few days ago. Although traveling for almost two years trying to forget Anna, he is still obsessed with her. However, when he arrives in town, the sentimentally inconstant Anna gets married with the gangster Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea). Steve plans a heist of the armored car with Slim, expecting to double-cross the criminal and escaping with Anna to another city to begin a new life, but things do not happen as he intended it was. "Criss Cross" is a magnificent film-noir, indeed another masterpiece of master Robert Siodmak. From the initial long scene, with an aerial view of Los Angeles reaching a spot in a parking area where Steve and Anna are having a conversation, to the conclusion of the story, there is no flaw in the script. Burt Lancaster has an outstanding performance in the role of a honest man obsessed with his former wife, who becomes criminal trying to regain the love of his fickle ex-wife. Yvonne De Carlo is also perfect and very beautiful, in the role of a cold and manipulative woman, being a perfect "femme-fatale". The black and white photography with many shadows is awesome in the DVD released in Brazil by the distributor Classicline, and the music score is simply perfect. In 1995, Steven Soderbergh updated this story with the excellent remake "Underneath". My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Baixeza" ("Lowness')