Trapped (1949)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Earl Felton (story) &
George Zuckerman (story)

Release Date:

1 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Crime | Film-Noir

Tagline:

When a Killer Dreams of Millions... and a girl to spend them on!

Plot:

U.S. Treasury Department agents go after a ring of counterfeiters. |

Plot Keywords:

Treasury Department | Counterfeit | Trolley | Streetcar

Cast

Lloyd Bridges	...	Tris Stewart
Barbara Payton	...	Meg Dixon
John Hoyt	...	John Downey
James Todd	...	Jack Sylvester
Russ Conway	...	Chief Agent Gunby
Robert Karnes	...	Agent Fred Foreman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Antrim	...	Warden (uncredited)
Lucille Barkley	...	Betty Mason (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Agent at Briefing (uncredited)
Lennie Burton	...	Lawyer (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Bill Mason (uncredited)
Stephen Chase	...	Secret Service Chief (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Deputy Marshal (uncredited)
Bert Conway	...	Mack (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
John Damler	...	Policeman Mechanic (uncredited)
Alexis Davidoff	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Agent at Briefing (uncredited)
Dick Gordon	...	Mr. Baker (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Patrol Car Cop Outside Nightclub (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Bruce Hamilton	...	Allan (uncredited)
Joe Haworth	...	Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Sid Kane	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Lyle Latell	...	Agent Curry (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Undercover Agent Stakeout (uncredited)
Rory Mallinson	...	Agent Raymond's Partner (uncredited)
Renny McEvoy	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Nightclub Patron Asking for Cigarettes (uncredited)
Tommy Noonan	...	Bank Teller (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Bank Customer (uncredited)
Charles Regan	...	Chambers (uncredited)
Jack Reynolds	...	Agent Brill (uncredited)
Ruth Robinson	...	Mrs. Flaherty (uncredited)
Douglas Spencer	...	Sam Hooker (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Detective Lieutenant (uncredited)
Frank Sully	...	Sam, Bartender (uncredited)
Mack Williams	...	Agent Raymond (uncredited)
William Woodson	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Fleischer

Writing credits
Earl Felton		(story & screenplay) &
George Zuckerman		(story & screenplay)

Produced by
Bryan Foy	....	producer

Original Music by
Sol Kaplan

Cinematography by
Guy Roe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Alfred DeGaetano

Art Direction by
Frank Durlauf

Set Decoration by
Armor Marlowe

Makeup Department
Edith Westmore	....	hair stylist
Ern Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
D'Estell Iszard	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emmett Emerson	....	assistant director

Sound Department
D.J. Myers	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Roy Seawright	....	special photographic effects (as Roy W. Seawright)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lee Davis	....	camera operator (uncredited)
George Hommel	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Lou Kusley	....	grip (uncredited)
Wilton Wooten	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Music Department
Irving Friedman	....	musical director

Other crew
Bert C. Brown	....	technical advisor
Richard Walton	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Contemporary Productions

Distributors

• Eagle-Lion Films (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Hygo Television Films (1953) (USA) (TV) (syndication)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Genius Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Hollywood's Best (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Hollywood's Best (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Passport Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Teakwood Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Teakwood Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Norway:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Contemporary Productions

Trivia:

In the first scene at the hotel, the telephone rings to the tune of "Pennsylvania 6-5000", with Fejos (Michael Richards) answering the line as "Transylvania 6-5-0-0-0" to the beat of the tune.

B movie

"Trapped" is a typical late '40s B movie. This one concerns a sting organized by the Treasury Department in order to track down some counterfeit plates.

The beginning is told in documentary style, which was done quite a bit during that period. In the story, the Department enables Tris Stewart (Lloyd Bridges) to escape from prison to lead them to counterfeit plates, funny money from which has again surfaced after a period of several years. They bug the apartment of his old girlfriend Meg (Barbara Payton) and ultimately send in an agent (John Hoyt) who is supposed to be one of the gang. He's established an identity in the club where Meg works. Once Stewart tracks down the plates, he learns they've been sold, and it will cost him $25,000 to buy them back.

It's fun to see the actors driving around old Los Angeles, though this is a fairly routine drama with very over the top music. When Bridges makes his entrance, it's almost Superman music. He was certainly a handsome older man as well as a hunky younger one.

Barbara Payton, whose career at this time was actually on the way up, does a good job as Meg. A few years later, she hit the skids, due to a series of unfortunate romances. She was juggling the abusive Tom Neal and Franchot Tone at the same time; Neal and Tone got into a huge fight during which Tone was badly injured and hospitalized. This hurt her reputation, and the rest is a sad story of abuse at the hands of Neal, drunkenness, prostitution, and bad checks.

Despite this being formulaic, it will hold your interest.