"Persons In Hiding" is a middling attempt to bring J. Edgar Hoover's book to the screen. Apparently there was a series of films based on the same book. This one is a pretty standard story of two crooks on the run from the police in the 'Bonnie and Clyde' tradition. They commit robberies throughout the Southwest and then try to hide out to avoid capture. Patricia Morison is quite good as the 'Bonnie' character who enlists her cohort so as to steal and live the good life. She is the main focus of this picture and carries it well.
But I was not prepared for J. Carrol Naish in the role of Clyde. He is, in effect, the co-star and her love interest. It is tough to envision Naish as a romantic leading man, and I could not believe my eyes as they embrace and he gives her an impassioned BFS (big fat smooch). This from Geppetto the shoemaker, or a film noir stool-pigeon? I wondered if they handed out air sickness bags in theaters in preparation for this scene. It is only for those with strong constitutions. I felt the total lack of chemistry between the two had a direct effect on the storyline.
In sum, she was good but he was miscast. The rest of the cast consists of Hollywood backbenchers, including Lynn Overman as the FBI Agent and William Frawley, who always livens up any scene he is in. Also in bit parts are Richard Denning and Dennis Morgan, the latter under his real name. This was clearly a 'B' from Paramount, and as with many B's it might have been better with a more attractive cast - especially the male lead.
