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The Narrow Margin (1952)

7.7
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Ratings: 7.7/10 from 3,507 users  
Reviews: 66 user | 44 critic

A woman planning to testify against the mob must be protected against their assassins on the train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.

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(screenplay), (story), 1 more credit »
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Title: The Narrow Margin (1952)

The Narrow Margin (1952) on IMDb 7.7/10

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Nominated for 1 Oscar. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
...
...
Gordon Gebert ...
Queenie Leonard ...
Mrs. Troll
...
Peter Virgo ...
Densel
...
Paul Maxey ...
Harry Harvey ...
Train Conductor
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Storyline

When a mobsters wife decides to testify against his evil deeds she goes undercover to avoid being killed. Now that he's coming to trial she has to be escourted across country via train in order to testify. Cop Walter Brown and his partner are assigned the task, but the mob are on their trail. Written by Col Needham <col@imdb.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

A Fortune If They Seal Her Lips!...A Bullet If They Fail! See more »


Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

4 May 1952 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Target  »

Box Office

Budget:

$188,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Other than a few brief moments in which a phonograph is playing, there is no music in the soundtrack. See more »

Goofs

When the character of nine year old Tommy Sinclair (Gordon Gebert) first appears, his traveling nurse clearly calls him "Tony". For the rest of the film he's called "Tommy", the character's official name. See more »

Quotes

[On bribes]
Walter Brown: I don't say I've never been tempted. Of course I've been tempted; I'm human like anybody else. But to spend the rest of my time worrying when I'll be caught up with by some hoodlum holding a first mortgage on my life, payable on demand...! Naah. No kind of money worth that.
See more »

Connections

Remade as Narrow Margin (1990) See more »

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User Reviews

 
One of the best B movies ever...
17 April 2003 | by (Jacksonville, FL) – See all my reviews

The Narrow Margin is excellent. It's too bad more of our new directors have forgotten how to make a great film with a minimal budget, using instead inventive camera angles, good characters and dialog, and some surprises along the way. I really loved Marie Windsor as the mobster's wife who's going to LA to sing to the Grand Jury. She's one of the toughest broads I've ever seen! Charles McGraw does his standard tough cop role and turns in a performance that sets the standard by which all others are judged.

This is the original, and beats the heck out of the re-make.....


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