Cry Danger (1951)

Director:

Robert Parrish

Writers:

Jerome Cady (story)
William Bowers (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 February 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

Powell's on the Prowl!

Plot:

Ex-con Rocky Mulloy seeks the real culprit in the crime he was framed for, in a night world of deceptive dames and double crosses.

Plot Keywords:

Testimony | Apartment | Trailer Trash | Murder Victim | Investigation

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Dick Powell	...	'Rocky' Mulloy
Rhonda Fleming	...	Nancy Morgan
Richard Erdman	...	Delong
William Conrad	...	Louie Castro
Regis Toomey	...	Detective Lt. Gus Cobb
Jean Porter	...	Darlene LaVonne
Jay Adler	...	Williams, Trailer Park Manager
Joan Banks	...	Alice Fletcher
Gloria Saunders	...	Cigarette Clerk
Hy Averback	...	Harry, Bookie (as Hy Averbach)
Renny McEvoy	...	Taxi Driver
Lou Lubin	...	Hank
Benny Burt	...	Jed Russell, Los Amigos Bartender

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #14738) | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Olympic Productions Inc.

Trivia:

In an interview with Tom Weaver, Jean Porter said the film was "directed by Dick Powell, and he wasn't given director credit. Dick gave Robert Parrish the director's credit, but Dick did all the directing."

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: As Rocky drives away after dropping Nancy off at work, the cameraman and camera are reflected in the car's rear window glass.

Quotes:

Harry, Bookie: So what if a bookie gets hit hard? It's a big joke. Big joke. Never occurs to you that I've got a wife and kids like other people. Well, there goes the two weeks at camp I promised the kids this summer.

Soundtrack:

Cry Danger

Cry Excitement

Dick Powell, born in Mt. View, Arkansas, had a versatile career, starting out as a song and dance man with hit records who starred in some of the best musicals Hollywood ever made several of them by Busby Berkely. When his career floundered he changed genres and became one of the movies' best tough guys, in many ways better in the role than Humphrey Bogart, although Powell never became the cult hero Bogart became. Powell then went on to success in the new medium of television. While "Cry Danger" is no "Murder, My Sweet," it is an exceptional tough guy flick. One thing that always impressed me about Dick Powell, especially well done in "Murder, My Sweet," is his talk. He could read a line like nobody else. His voice helps make "Cry Danger" more realistic and more exciting to watch. William Conrad's Castro is an excellent foil for Powell's character, Rocky Mulloy. This was before the world came to know a real life villain, Fidel Castro. Today, Conrad's character has become even more dastardly as a result of historical events. There is even a freakish resemblance between Conrad's Castro and the cigar-smoking one in Cuba. Thus Conrad's character is even more menacing. Richard Erdman usually gets on my nerves when I see him in a movie. He had a habit of overplaying his part. But in Cry Danger he has been properly cast and comes off a winner. He ends up with some of the best lines in the film. This is the best acting I have seen him do. Rocky (Dick Powell) and Delong(Erdman)have trouble with their women in "Cry Danger." Both Rhonda Fleming and Jean Porter turn in creditable performances and add to the overall effectiveness of the film. One reviewer commented on the photography. And it's true the photography adds much to the overall impact of the movie. The trailer park is shown in such a realistic manner that the viewer can almost see the cockroaches crawl across the table. The action never slows down. The final scene is a good one. Once you start watching "Cry Danger" you won't want to stop.