The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)A veteran homicide detective who has witnessed his socialite girlfriend kill her husband sees his inexperienced brother assigned to the case. Director:Felix E. Feist |
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The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)A veteran homicide detective who has witnessed his socialite girlfriend kill her husband sees his inexperienced brother assigned to the case. Director:Felix E. Feist |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Lee J. Cobb | ... |
Lt. Ed Cullen
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| Jane Wyatt | ... |
Lois Frazer
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| John Dall | ... |
Andy Cullen
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Lisa Howard | ... |
Janet Cullen
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Harlan Warde | ... |
Howard Frazer
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Tito Vuolo | ... |
Pietro Capa
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Charles Arnt | ... |
Ernest Quimby
(as Charles E. Arnt)
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Marjorie Bennett | ... |
Muriel Quimby
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Alan Wells | ... |
Nito Capa
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| Mimi Aguglia | ... |
Mrs. Capa
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Bud Wolfe | ... |
Officer Blair
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Morgan Farley | ... |
Rushton
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Howard Negley | ... |
Detective Olson
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William Gould | ... |
Doc Munson
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Art Millan | ... |
United Airlines Clerk
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Rich Lois Frazer, divorcing her fortune-hunter husband, finds he's bought a gun. Suspecting he plans to kill her, she calls in her lover, who just happens to be Homicide Lieutenant Ed Cullen. When Ed arrives, the gun gets used...and because of his relationship with Lois, Ed is compelled to compound a felony. The good news: Ed himself is assigned to the case. The bad news: Ed's hotshot younger brother Andy, a new- minted detective, is also on the case...and anxious to prove himself. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
As B movies go this was three-fourths of a good movie, done in by its confusing cop-out ending. To be honest, I still don't completely understand the denouement as it appears on my DVD. Dependable Lee J. Cobb gives it his best, just a few years before "On The Waterfront".On the other hand, Jane Wyatt does not, and gives a comatose performance she probably wished she could have back. The big surprise was John Dall, who as Cobb's younger brother/detective is a breath of fresh air. Makes you wonder why he didn't become a bigger star.
I tried very hard to like this picture as it was a novel idea and it was working for a while. Sometimes filmmakers have a good idea but can't figure out how to end it (see "Harvey"). So disappointed was I that I dropped my rating to its present 6.