Red Light (1949)

The former employee of a trucking company, currently in prison for embezzling the company, plans his eventual revenge against his former boss.

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Don 'Red' Barry (story "This Guy Gideon") (as Donald Barry), George Callahan (screenplay)

Stars:

George Raft, Virginia Mayo, Gene Lockhart

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Raft	...	John Torno
Virginia Mayo	...	Carla North
Gene Lockhart	...	Warni Hazard
Raymond Burr	...	Nick Cherney
Harry Morgan	...	Rocky (as Henry Morgan)
Barton MacLane	...	Strecker
Arthur Franz	...	Jess Torno
Ken Murray	...	Ken Murray
Stanley Clements	...	Bellboy
William Frawley	...	Hotel Clerk
Arthur Shields	...	Father Redmond
Frank Orth	...	Stoner
Phillip Pine	...	Pablo Cabrillo
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Ryan (as Wm. S. Phillips)

Storyline

Nick Cherney, in prison for embezzling from Torno Freight Co., sees a chance to get back at John Torno through his young priest brother Jess. He pays fellow prisoner Rocky, who gets out a week before Nick, to murder Jess...who, dying, tells revenge-minded John that he'd written a clue "in the Bible." Frustrated, John obsessively searches for the missing Gideon Bible from Jess's hotel room. Meanwhile, Nick himself gets out with murder still in his heart. But another factor is in play that none of them (except the murdered Jess) had planned on.

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Plot Keywords:

bible | brother | hotel | hotel room | prison | 

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Taglines:

SHOCK! SUSPENSE! SHOCK! SUSPENSE!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mr. Gideon

Filming Locations:

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, San Francisco Bay, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Roy Del Ruth Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

United Artists 1949 publicity release for newspapers: "The sweaters and skirts Virginia Mayo wears in "Red Light" were all purchased in Paris, when Miss Mayo was there after attending a Command Performace in London. They were designed by the famous French dressmaker, Henri de la Penses."

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Goofs

The collar Father Jesse wears is not a Roman Catholic clergy collar, but a Protestant version.

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Quotes

Strecker: You know, Johnny, when you play solitaire you can only beat yourself.

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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.

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Soundtracks

Ave Maria
(uncredited)
Music by Franz Schubert

User Reviews

Lights out

George Raft (Johnny Torno) owns a trucking company. Because of his real-life gangster connections you can't help but think he's corrupt. Anyway, he seems to be playing a good guy who owns a trucking company. His army-decorated holy brother Arthur Franz (Jess) comes across as an annoying priest who is thankfully murdered at the beginning of the film and thus begins Mr Raft's campaign to dish out some revenge. His only clue is a bible that needs to be tracked down.

The cast are good in this film, especially the bad guys Raymond Burr (Nick) and Harry Morgan (Rocky). George Raft plays himself and that's completely fine. The film throws you a curve ball at one point when Raft meets up with blind Phillip Pine (Pablo). We hit a sentimental streak and start groaning at the piousness of it all before Raft provides the funniest moment of the film which provides a superb counter-balance to what we have just heard. Raft gets straight to his point with a very frank "have you got it or not?" to Pine. It's brilliant. It's delivered in a way that suggests he has absolutely no time for the story that he has just been told, just like the audience can't be bothered with it. Priceless!

I assume the lights in the final scene are red - it's a bit of a strange title for a black and white film.