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IMDbPro

Backfire

  • 1950
  • Passed
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
Dane Clark, Gordon MacRae, and Virginia Mayo in Backfire (1950)
While recuperating from wartime back injuries at a hospital, veteran Bob Corey is visited on Christmas Eve by a beautiful stranger with an even stranger message.
Play trailer3:59
1 Video
19 Photos
CrimeFilm-NoirMystery

While recuperating from wartime back injuries at a hospital, veteran Bob Corey is visited on Christmas Eve by a beautiful stranger with an even stranger message.While recuperating from wartime back injuries at a hospital, veteran Bob Corey is visited on Christmas Eve by a beautiful stranger with an even stranger message.While recuperating from wartime back injuries at a hospital, veteran Bob Corey is visited on Christmas Eve by a beautiful stranger with an even stranger message.

  • Director
    • Vincent Sherman
  • Writers
    • Lawrence B. Marcus
    • Ivan Goff
    • Ben Roberts
  • Stars
    • Viveca Lindfors
    • Dane Clark
    • Virginia Mayo
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    1.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Vincent Sherman
    • Writers
      • Lawrence B. Marcus
      • Ivan Goff
      • Ben Roberts
    • Stars
      • Viveca Lindfors
      • Dane Clark
      • Virginia Mayo
    • 42User reviews
    • 14Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Wanted for Murder
    Trailer 3:59
    Watch Wanted for Murder

    Photos19

    Sheila MacRae in Backfire (1950)
    Viveca Lindfors and Edmond O'Brien in Backfire (1950)
    Monte Blue in Backfire (1950)
    Gordon MacRae and Virginia Mayo in Backfire (1950)
    Leonard Strong in Backfire (1950)
    J. Louis Johnson in Backfire (1950)
    Ida Moore in Backfire (1950)
    Dane Clark in Backfire (1950)
    Viveca Lindfors and Edmond O'Brien in Backfire (1950)
    Viveca Lindfors and Edmond O'Brien in Backfire (1950)
    Viveca Lindfors and Edmond O'Brien in Backfire (1950)
    Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo, and Edmond O'Brien in Backfire (1950)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Viveca Lindfors
    Viveca Lindfors
    • Lysa Radoff
    Dane Clark
    Dane Clark
    • Ben Arno
    Virginia Mayo
    Virginia Mayo
    • Nurse Julie Benson
    Edmond O'Brien
    Edmond O'Brien
    • Steve Connelly
    Gordon MacRae
    Gordon MacRae
    • Bob Corey
    Ed Begley
    Ed Begley
    • Police Capt. Garcia
    Frances Robinson
    • Mrs. Blayne
    Richard Rober
    Richard Rober
    • Solly Blayne
    Sheila MacRae
    Sheila MacRae
    • Bonnie Willis
    • (as Sheila Stephens)
    David Hoffman
    David Hoffman
    • Burns
    Ernest Anderson
    Ernest Anderson
    • James - Party Servant
    • (uncredited)
    Edward Biby
    Edward Biby
    • Fight Fan
    • (uncredited)
    Monte Blue
    Monte Blue
    • Detective Sgt. Pluther
    • (uncredited)
    Paul Bradley
    • Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Russ Conway
    Russ Conway
    • Police Broadcaster
    • (uncredited)
    John Daheim
    John Daheim
    • Bingo - Prizefighter
    • (uncredited)
    John Dehner
    John Dehner
    • Blake - Plainclothes Cop
    • (uncredited)
    Joe Gilbert
    • Fight Fan
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Vincent Sherman
    • Writers
      • Lawrence B. Marcus
      • Ivan Goff
      • Ben Roberts
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Completed in October 1948, and bears a 1948 copyright statement on the opening credits, but not released until 1950.
    • Goofs
      Every time one of the principals takes a cab, it's always the same 1936 De Soto which had been part of the WB studio inventory since the mid-1930s, and was still being used in films, although by the time this one was made, post-WWII 1946-1947-1948 De Sotos had become the norm on most city streets. A real 1936 cab would have long been worn out and scrapped because no cars were made for such use during the war. Likewise, the police chief of Los Angeles is still running around in another long time pre-WWII WB veteran vehicle, a 1940 Buick 4-door sedan.
    • Quotes

      Bob Corey: [after Quong closes his eyes] Can't you help us, doc? Can't you do something?

      Quong's Doctor: [after opening Quong's eyelid] I'm afraid the next time he talks it'll be to his ancestors.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Major Crimes: Poster Boy (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
      (1739) (uncredited)

      Written by Charles Wesley and Felix Mendelssohn (uncredited)

      Sung during the Christmas scene at the beginning

    User reviews42

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Falls Apart At The End
    I thought "Backfire" was an engrossing story, a noir told in flashbacks. The script was literate and had some snappy repartee customary of the genre. It was genuinely mysterious as injured war vet Gordon MacCrae searches all over Los Angeles for his missing buddy Edmond O'Brien. He comes across several dead ends and there seems to be no apparent answer for his predicament, or for a lead on the whereabouts of O'Brien.

    Then came the ending. As so often happens in many movies, the screenwriters seemed stumped for a way to end their story, and resort to unsatisfactory circumstances that do not fit the rest of the plot and spring a ridiculous final scene on us that leaves us slack-jawed. They also leave us with unanswered questions and give us a chance at revenge via the IMDb website by awarding a lower rating than it was originally destined for.
    helpful•4
    0
    • GManfred
    • Jan 11, 2014

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 11, 1950 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Into the Night
    • Filming locations
      • Stone Canyon Rd, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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