Trapped (1949)

U.S. Treasury Department agents go after a ring of counterfeiters.

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Earl Felton (story), George Zuckerman (story)

Stars:

Lloyd Bridges, Barbara Payton, John Hoyt

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lloyd Bridges	...	Tris Stewart
Barbara Payton	...	Meg Dixon
John Hoyt	...	John Downey
James Todd	...	Jack Sylvester
Russ Conway	...	Chief Agent Gunby
Robert Karnes	...	Agent Fred Foreman

Storyline

U.S. Treasury Department agents go after a ring of counterfeiters.

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Plot Keywords:

b movie | poverty row film | low budget film | double feature film | deception | 

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Taglines:

WHEN A KILLER DREAMS OF MILLIONS...and a girl to spend them on! (original poster)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Menschenfalle

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bryan Foy Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Made with the co-operation of the Treasury Department.

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Connections

Featured in Crime Wave: 50 Movie Mega Pack (2016)

User Reviews

Some unusual but very good roles for Lloyd Bridges and John Hoyt

The film begins with a rather heavy-handed and hokey introduction extolling the virtues of Secret Service in their dealing with forged American dollars. Then, the actual story begins. It seems that a counterfeit $20 has turned up--and it's an awful lot like one passed by a man who has now been in prison several years (Lloyd Bridges). When he's questioned, he refuses to cooperate. However, when he does seem to be cooperating, it's a ruse--and soon he's escaped from custody. Eventually he makes his way back to his old gang--and he wants in for some of the action. Along the way, he meets up with a sharp character (John Hoyt) who wants to bankroll Bridges' scheme to make a killing with counterfeit bills. How all this works out is something you should see for yourself--and I really don't want to spoil the suspense by saying more.

When this fame debuted in 1949, Bridges and Hoyt were hardly household names. Bridges went on to great fame in the 1950s and 60s but here he plays a guy very much unlike his later roles--in "Trapped", he's just a nasty little hood. As for Hoyt, he's a face many will recognize though his name would escape most. He generally played cranky guys who were not the least bit macho or heroic, yet here he plays a man definitely against this type! In fact, it might just be one of Hoyt's best roles--if not his best. It's a shame, really, as he MIGHT have become a household name, as he was the original Doctor in the pilot episode of "Star Trek".

Overall, the film has a dandy script, is very entertaining and is a nice example of a lesser film noir movie that deserves to be seen. While not great, it certainly is very good and quite watchable.