Abandoned (1949)

Newspaperman helps girl find her sister's illegitimate baby, gets mixed up in baby-adoption racket.

Director:

Joseph M. Newman (as Joe Newman)

Writers:

Irwin Gielgud (story by), Irwin Gielgud (screenplay by)

Stars:

Dennis O'Keefe, Gale Storm, Jeff Chandler

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Mark Sitko
Gale Storm	...	Paula Considine
Jeff Chandler	...	Chief McRae
Meg Randall	...	Dottie Jensen
Raymond Burr	...	Kerric
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Mrs. Donner
Jeanette Nolan	...	Major Ross
Mike Mazurki	...	Hoppe
Will Kuluva	...	Little Guy Decola
David Clarke	...	Harry
William Frambes	...	Scoop (as William Page)
Sid Tomack	...	Mr. Humes
Perc Launders	...	Dowd
Steve Darrell	...	Brenn
Clifton Young	...	Eddie

Storyline

An expose of the baby-profiteering racket as told through the story of an unwed mother whose family and friends start an investigation as to the whereabouts of her baby. This leads to and through an organized gang led by a society matron. The girl is found dead, and while it looks like a suicide, the girl's sister and a newspaper reporter think it is murder.

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Plot Keywords:

black market baby | pot boiler | female gang leader | cigarette smoking | police chief | 

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Taglines:

NO NAME FOR HER BABY...only a PRICE! (original posters and print ads-mostly caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 1950 (Albania)

Also Known As:

Abandoned Woman

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Kerric: [to Mrs. Donner] I was just thinking how nice life used to be when I stuck to blackmail and petty larceny.

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Connections

Referenced in Love Is a Roller Coaster: Woman on the Run Revisited (2016)

User Reviews

Babies for Sale

I had my doubts about bubbly ingénue Gale Storm (Paula) starring in a crime drama. But she's actually well cast and manages an appropriately restrained performance. Here she's the sister of a dead girl who's left a baby under mysterious circumstances. So Paula's investigating with help from brash newsman Sitko (O'Keefe). What they uncover is a ruthless ring that sells newborns and gets rid of mothers who complain.

Like many others of its time, the movie makes good use of LA locations, along with some effective noirish touches. However, these touches are not developed into a prevailing atmosphere, despite the presence of noir icon Raymond Burr (Kerric). Actually, it's hard to recognize Burr since he's either lurking in the shadows or peeking around corners. In my book, the best scene is when Kerric tangles with that other movie heavyweight Mike Mazurki (Hoppe). It's like King Kong taking on Godzilla. Also, the unexpected plot wrinkle with Kerric is a good one.

But my money's on Marjorie Rambeau (Donner). She's scarier than anyone else in a movie loaded with baddies. Too bad she doesn't have a face-off scene with that other formidable actress, Jeanette Nolan (Major Ross). Too bad also, that O'Keefe has drifted into obscurity. He was quite a good actor, at home in either comedy (Up in Mabel's Room {1945}) or drama. Here he's typically persuasive as an aggressive newshound.

All in all, the movie's a better than average crime drama, with a good cast, a crisp narrative, and a suspenseful climax. It's second-tier Universal coming up with better results than usual.