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IMDbPro

Red Light

  • 19491949
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Virginia Mayo and George Raft in Red Light (1949)
CrimeDramaFilm-Noir
The former employee of a trucking company, currently in prison for embezzlement, plans his eventual revenge against his former boss.The former employee of a trucking company, currently in prison for embezzlement, plans his eventual revenge against his former boss.The former employee of a trucking company, currently in prison for embezzlement, plans his eventual revenge against his former boss.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
    • Roy Del Ruth
    • Don 'Red' Barry(story "This Guy Gideon")
    • George Callahan(screenplay)
    • Charles Grayson(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • George Raft
    • Virginia Mayo
    • Gene Lockhart
    • Roy Del Ruth
    • Don 'Red' Barry(story "This Guy Gideon")
    • George Callahan(screenplay)
    • Charles Grayson(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • George Raft
    • Virginia Mayo
    • Gene Lockhart
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 38User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos38

    Virginia Mayo and George Raft in Red Light (1949)
    Red Light (1949)
    Virginia Mayo and Victor Sen Yung in Red Light (1949)
    Virginia Mayo and George Raft in Red Light (1949)
    Virginia Mayo and George Raft in Red Light (1949)
    Virginia Mayo and Victor Sen Yung in Red Light (1949)
    Virginia Mayo and George Raft in Red Light (1949)
    Virginia Mayo and Victor Sen Yung in Red Light (1949)
    Virginia Mayo in Red Light (1949)
    Raymond Burr in Red Light (1949)
    Virginia Mayo and George Raft in Red Light (1949)
    Arthur Franz and George Raft in Red Light (1949)

    Top cast

    Edit
    George Raft
    George Raft
    • John Torno
    Virginia Mayo
    Virginia Mayo
    • Carla North
    Gene Lockhart
    Gene Lockhart
    • Warni Hazard
    Raymond Burr
    Raymond Burr
    • Nick Cherney
    Harry Morgan
    Harry Morgan
    • Rocky
    • (as Henry Morgan)
    Barton MacLane
    Barton MacLane
    • Strecker
    Arthur Franz
    Arthur Franz
    • Jess Torno
    Ken Murray
    Ken Murray
    • Ken Murray
    Stanley Clements
    Stanley Clements
    • Bellboy
    William Frawley
    William Frawley
    • Hotel Clerk
    Arthur Shields
    Arthur Shields
    • Father Redmond
    Frank Orth
    Frank Orth
    • Stoner
    Phillip Pine
    Phillip Pine
    • Pablo Cabrillo
    William 'Bill' Phillips
    William 'Bill' Phillips
    • Ryan
    • (as Wm. S. Phillips)
    Leonard Bremen
    Leonard Bremen
    • Bookie
    • (uncredited)
    Claire Carleton
    Claire Carleton
    • Waitress
    • (uncredited)
    Bill Cartledge
    • Elevator Operator
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Espinoza
    • Miguel
    • (uncredited)
      • Roy Del Ruth
      • Don 'Red' Barry(story "This Guy Gideon")
      • George Callahan(screenplay)
      • Charles Grayson(additional dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Based on the short story "This Guy Gideon" by Don 'Red' Barry. Producer/director Roy Del Ruth bought the rights to that story, but hated the uncommercial title. So he also bought the rights to Weldon Reeder's short story "Red Light" simply because he liked the title better.
    • Goofs
      The check Johnny writes is dated 14 August 1946, but he's already been seen driving a 1948 Packard convertible.
    • Quotes

      Warni Hazard: My old man always said, "liquor doesn't drown your troubles - just teaches 'em to swim."

    • Crazy credits
      During the closing scene a neon sign reads "24 HOUR SERVICE". When the film ends another neon sign lights up with "THE END" below it.
    • Soundtracks
      Ave Maria
      (uncredited)

      Music by Franz Schubert

    User reviews38

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    George Raft is not like a box of chocolates...
    ... because you always know what you're going to get. However, that doesn't mean that I don't really enjoy his movies. Nobody, I mean nobody does revenge like Raft. Here he plays businessman Johnny Torno, proud older brother of young Jess Torno, a priest recently returned from being a chaplain in WWII. Four years earlier Torno's bookkeeper Nick Cherney (Raymond Burr) was sent to prison for embezzling from Johnny's company - he was embarrassingly guilty and it was really a lot of money. Instead of blaming the man in the mirror, Nick blames Johnny for his fate and crafts a particularly cruel revenge. If he kills Johnny, Johnny's troubles are over. However, if he kills what is precious to him - brother Jess - he can plunge Johnny into a living hell of grief. He sends a hit man (Harry Morgan) out to do the killing. Johnny finds Jess just before he dies. Of course Johnny wants to know who did this so he can kill them in revenge - he tells Jess so - and Jess tells him the answer is written in a Bible.

    Now at first Johnny thinks Jess means his own personal Bible, but after searching through it he finds nothing. He then realizes that Jess probably meant the Gideon Bible that is found in every hotel room. This starts Johnny on a search for the missing Bible and all of the guests in the hotel room since Jess' death who might have taken it. Nick, now out of prison, along with the hit man, are right on Johnny's heels hoping their plans are not discovered.

    It is very odd to see later TV good guys Harry Morgan and Raymond Burr playing such sinister characters but the performances ring true. So does Virginia Mayo as a girl Johnny befriends along the way as the voice of reason and even redemption. Raft wrestles here not only with bad guys and a mystery but with God Himself - he treats the Almighty either like a traffic cop that he thinks can be bribed or an unreliable employee that he doesn't fire because he enjoys blaming him for his troubles, depending on his mood.

    A good noir and good stuff from Raft - highly recommended.
    helpful•32
    5
    • AlsExGal
    • May 30, 2011

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 30, 1949 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco Bay, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Roy Del Ruth Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 23 minutes
      • Black and White

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