Act of Violence (1949)

An embittered, vengeful POW stalks his former commanding officer who betrayed his men's planned escape attempt from a Nazi prison camp.

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Robert L. Richards (screenplay), Collier Young (story)

Stars:

Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Van Heflin	...	Frank R. Enley
Robert Ryan	...	Joe Parkson
Janet Leigh	...	Edith Enley
Mary Astor	...	Pat
Phyllis Thaxter	...	Ann
Berry Kroeger	...	Johnny
Taylor Holmes	...	Gavery
Harry Antrim	...	Fred
Connie Gilchrist	...	Martha
Will Wright	...	Pop

Storyline

War veteran Frank Enley seems to be a happily married small-town citizen until he realises Joe Parkson is in town. It seems Parkson is out for revenge because of something that happened in a German POW camp, and when a frightened Enley suddenly leaves for a convention in L.A., Parkson is close behind.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | nazi | small town | housewife | mental illness | 

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Taglines:

He's the only one that came out alive ... and now he wants my life ... to atone for the others'

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

February 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Act of Violence

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles City Hall - 200 North Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,290,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

MGM records show the film earned $703,000 in the United States and Canada and $426,000 overseas but lost $637,000 overall.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie Joe Parkson bends the knee of his right leg, the 'lame' leg he has been nearly unable to bend throughout the entire story.

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Quotes

Edith Enley: What did you mean when you said he'd make a scene? Did you mean he might be - violent?
Frank R. Enley: He might be.

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Connections

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

User Reviews

Done A Terrible Wrong

Neither Van Heflin or Robert Ryan were ever considered matinée idols or big box office draws. But both men were consummate professionals who could cast well in a variety of roles. I think that Act Of Violence could have worked just as well if they had played each other's parts.

MGM was a studio that did not do noir films very often, but in this case with Fred Zinnemann directing they did this one very well. No cops or private eyes in this one, both men are your average American of 1948. One has done a terrible wrong to the other and the other is seeking revenge.

Heflin is a former pilot who was shot down over Germany during World War II and Ryan was his bombardier. They both did time in a POW camp where Heflin informed on escape plans that Ryan and others made. No one survived but Ryan and he now walks with a limp, courtesy of Nazi machine gunners.

In civilian life Heflin is now a very successful contractor and when he hears Ryan is looking for him, he gets naturally rattled which concerns his wife Janet Leigh. Heflin who was not going to go to a convention in Los Angeles now changes his mind abruptly, but not before explaining to Leigh the reason for his fear. It's more fear of being exposed than for his life.

In Los Angeles Heflin who won his Oscar for Johnny Eager playing an alcoholic borrows a bit from that role as he ends up in a waterfront dive pouring his troubles out to some lowlifes played by Mary Astor, Taylor Holmes, and Berry Kroeger. Holmes is also drawing a bit from a previous role as a shyster lawyer in Kiss Of Death as he's playing the same kind of character in seedier circumstances. In fact Holmes's character says he is an attorney. I know Fred Zinnemann must have seen Kiss Of Death and cast Holmes as a result of that.

The climax might not be what you think, but in a way it's a fitting ending to the story. Though they get good support from the rest of the cast Heflin and Ryan dominate the story though they have no scenes together until the end. Act Of Violence is a noir classic and fans of Heflin and Ryan should list it among their best performances.