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.

Director:

Vincent Sherman

Writers:

Lawrence B. Marcus (screenplay) (as Larry Marcus), Ivan Goff (screenplay)

Stars:

Viveca Lindfors, Dane Clark, Virginia Mayo

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Viveca Lindfors	...	Lysa Radoff
Dane Clark	...	Ben Arno / Lou Walsh
Virginia Mayo	...	Nurse Julie Benson
Edmond O'Brien	...	Steve Connelly
Gordon MacRae	...	Bob Corey
Ed Begley	...	Police Capt. Garcia
Frances Robinson	...	Mrs. Blayne
Richard Rober	...	Solly Blayne
Sheila MacRae	...	Bonnie Willis (as Sheila Stephens)
David Hoffman	...	Burns

Storyline

Bob Corey, recovering from a series of operations in a Veterans' hospital, learns that his friend, Steve Connelly, with whom he intended to buy a ranch, has disappeared under circumstance that indicate he may have been involved in a murder. Accompanied by his nurse, Julie Benson, with whom he has fallen in love, Bob follows a series of clues and incidents, including three more murders, that leads to a gambler, masquerading as an undertaker to avoid taxes on his illegal income, has a whole lot to do with his friend's predicament.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | veterans hospital | detective | bare chested male | male male relationship | 

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Taglines:

That "White Heat" girl turns it on again!..

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gambler Solly Blayne (Richard Rober) is shot from outside the living room window as he relaxes in his Los Angeles home, which is exactly the same way that gangster Bugsy Siegel was killed in Beverly Hills in 1947.

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Goofs

Mrs. Blayne tells Bob that Solly was shot on a Thursday, but the date the police said it happened was a Saturday.

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Quotes

Lysa Radoff: How do you fit into the picture, Mr. Connolly?
Steve Connelly: I work for Lou - new boy - sort of a handyman.
Lysa Radoff: And where did he find you?
Steve Connelly: A sale... war surplus... big reduction.
Bonnie Willis: He's not only cute - he's funny.
Steve Connelly: Part of my job. Evey hour on the hour, a joke.
Lysa Radoff: Lou likes jokes. He'll like you. You're amusing, Mr. Connolly... and hard.
Steve Connelly: It's a hard world.

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Connections

Referenced in Major Crimes: Poster Boy (2013)

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Soundtracks

Can't We Be Friends
(uncredited)
Music by Kay Swift
Played when Steve, Bonnie and Lysa arrive at the party

User Reviews

An interesting film noir.

Bob Corey, a war veteran recovering in a V.A. hospital for a spinal injury, becomes alarmed when his war buddy Steve Connolly vanishes. One night while under sedation his visited by mysterious woman who informs him that Steve has been seriously injured and is in trouble with the law. Bobs nurse convinces him its all a dream. But when Bob is released from the hospital, he is questioned by police who want to know if he knows where he thinks Steve can be found. The police inform Bob that Steve is suspected of killing a gambler. Bob then sets out to find Steve and find the real killer. Along the way bodies pile up and Bobs search for leads him into the clutches of mysterious mobster named Walsh.

BACKFIRE! is a well directed, photographed and acted noir mystery which holds one interest throughout. The ending comes as quite a surprise when the identity of Walsh is revealed. The cast is excellent, including many of the minor players. It was nice to see Virginia Mayo playing a good girl for a change in a film like this. The writers of this film must have had an obsession with spinal chord injuries, since both male leads suffer such injuries during the film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 February 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Somewhere in the City

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1