Woman on the Run (1950)

Frank Johnson flees police after becoming an eyewitness to murder. He is pursued around scenic San Francisco by his wife, a reporter, the police, and... the real murderer.

Director:

Norman Foster

Writers:

Alan Campbell (screenplay), Norman Foster (screenplay)

Stars:

Ann Sheridan, Dennis O'Keefe, Robert Keith

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ann Sheridan	...	Eleanor Johnson
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Dan Legget
Robert Keith	...	Inspector Ferris
John Qualen	...	Maibus
Frank Jenks	...	Detective Shaw
Ross Elliott	...	Frank Johnson
Jane Liddell	...	Messenger Girl
Joan Shawlee	...	Blonde (as Joan Fulton)
J. Farrell MacDonald	...	Sea Captain
Steven Geray	...	Dr. Hohler
Victor Sen Yung	...	Sam
Reiko Sato	...	Suzie (as Rako Sato)
Syd Saylor	...	Sullivan
Tom Dillon	...	Joe Gordon (as Thomas P. Dillon)

Storyline

Frank Johnson (Ross Elliott), sole witness to a gangland murder, goes into hiding and is trailed by Police Inspector Ferris (Robert Keith), on the theory that Frank is trying to escape from possible retaliation. Frank's wife, Eleanor (Ann Sheridan), suspects he is actually running away from their unsuccessful marriage. Aided by a newspaperman, Danny Leggett (Dennis O'Keefe), Eleanor sets out to locate her husband. The killer is also looking for him, and keeps close tabs on Eleanor.

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Plot Keywords:

police inspector | murder | chinatown san francisco | husband wife relationship | search warrant | 

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Taglines:

As Startling as Your OWN Scream in the Night!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 February 1951 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Einer weiß zuviel

Filming Locations:

Ocean Park Pier, Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fidelity Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The failure of the original copyright holder to renew the film's copyright resulted in it falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely (and usually badly) edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation (or more) copies of the film.

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Quotes

Inspector Martin Ferris: [figuring on using the Johnson's dog, Rembrandt, to help locate Frank at the amusement park] We're going to the beach. Come on, Rembrandt. What my eyes missed, your nose will smell.

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Connections

Featured in A Wild Ride: Restoring Woman on the Run (2016)

User Reviews

An Odd, Slow But At Times, Enjoyable Film

Had a chance to watch WOMAN ON THE RUN the other night and found it an odd, but at times enjoyable noir. Ann Sheridan plays the title role and the first thing you notice about this movie is that it is chock full of the snappy, sassy dialogue that films like this are all about. Much of that great dialogue provided by Sheridan. She plays the wife of an innocent bystander(Ross Elliott) who witnesses a murder while out walking the dog but rather then help the cops and become a possible target for the killer, he flees. This backfires of course, because not only do the cops want him but also, the killer. Sheridan teams with reporter Danny Leggett, the always terrific Dennis O'Keefe, to try and find her husband before the killer and the cops do. To make matters worse, Sheridan finds out, because she was never told, that her husband suffers from a heart condition that requires medication, which he is out of. The film builds to a bizarre climax with an interesting plot twist that for me, saved the film. I say saved because even though the plot sounds pretty interesting and the characters and performers are excellent, the film is a bit too talky and slow paced at times but it does pick up towards the conclusion. Director Norman Foster does a pretty good job using San Francisco locales and creating the right amount of darkness and shadows for the night scenes. The climax at an amusement park is quite bizarre and put me in mind of an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE entitled PERCHANCE TO DREAM. I think I should mention the fine performance also of Robert Keith as the police Inspector who heads the case. An interesting, if at times slow film that comes through at the end.