Cry of the Hunted (1953) User Reviews

A dark and cynical meditation on fear, obsession and personal honour.

[Ale fish · 6/10 · 29 April 2000]

At first glance a rather ordinary thriller with a disillusioned cop (Barry Sullivan - pretty good) chasing an escaped con (Vittorio Gassman) deep into the swamps of Louisiana. However, delve a little deeper and you find a dark and cynical meditation on fear, obsession and personal honour.

Unlike ‘The Fugitive' this con is guilty but his crime, although serious, barely gets a mention. The script instead concentrates on the two protagonists and their similarities. Although on different sides of the law, both believe in family and personal honour and cannot compromise their beliefs. Both suffer as a result.

The justice system is portrayed as idle(a Prison Warden only interested in golf), bigoted (a Southern Sheriff who pre-dates ‘In the Heat of the Night') or just plain nasty (William Conrad scoring well as the cop's partner.)

On the down side, the female roles are seriously underwritten (virtuous wife & bayou trash hellcat) and the resolution is implausibly upbeat.

Overall, however, a good ‘B' thriller of its' day, surprisingly violent in places. Director Joseph H Lewis made better movies (‘Gun Crazy', ‘The Big Combo') but this one still begs the question; ‘How in hell did someone so talented end up making episodes of ‘Rifleman'& 'The Big Valley'?!'

Better than I expected

[sfdphd · 6/10 · 25 June 2015]

I actually enjoyed this film more than I expected. In contrast to other reviews here, I thought the writing was quite snappy and entertaining. I thought the cast was good in all the major roles and the chemistry between the characters was strong.

In particular, Barry Sullivan was a good leading man, and his relationship with his wife (Polly Bergen) was good. I haven't seen many films with those two so it was interesting to see them. I believe that Polly is the mother of Candace Bergen, and you can see some resemblance in her face and attitude.

Vittorio Gassman and William Conrad were also strong supporting roles.

It's not the best noir, but certainly worth seeing. I'm so glad I was able to find it on You Tube since my local library and my local video store had no copies of it....

Solid Programmer

[boblipton · 7/10 · 27 January 2021]

LA cops Barry Sullivan and William Conrad pursue Cajun Vittorio Gassman into the deadly bayous of Louisiana.

With Joseph H. Lewis directing, you know you're going to get some interesting compositions, and some silly shots too. The latter occurs early on, when they're pursuing a suspect, who jumps on Angel's Flight and rides it to the top, while Conrad runs up beside it and emerges onto the street, not even breathing hard. Mostly though it's about Sullivan, am honest cop whom Gassman respects, while Conrad works over a witness who won't answer his questions -- just out of camera range, while Sullivan looks disgusted. That and strange Cajun culture and stock shots of alligator pulled from TRADER HORN. It's a good programmer, although a bit naive, looking back almost 70 years.

Script writing, three leads make this worth your time

[eospaulding · 20 January 2021]

This is a dark film, visually, and the heavy Cajun dialect inhibits communication. The leads are very good: Best I've seen from the underrated Barry Sullivan, and a very good turn by Vittorio Gassman.

Williams Conrad's character isn't likeable -- but he's terrific with it; best performance among the three male leads.

Strongest point is the dialogue, especially Sullivan-Gassman in the latter minutes of the show when they're camping near the bayou. Ending was somewhat predictable, almost too pat but understandable given Hollywood's needs via the production code and the idea of sending patrons (I gather there weren't many) home uplifted.

The parallel to The Fugitive TV series couldn't escape me, and it had nothing to do with Conrad narrating that terrific series.

Along the blue bayou

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 11 September 2021]

Barry Sullivan, Vittorio Gassman, William Conrad, and Polly Bergen star in "Cry of the Hunted" from 1953.

Jory (Gassman) is housed in the state penitentiary, and the Warden wants the head of maximum security, Tunner (Sullivan), to convince Jory to reveal the name of his cohorts in a robbery.

After a huge physical altercation between Tunner and Jory, Jory agrees to name his fellow criminals. On his way to the DA's office, attached to Officer Goodwin (Conrad), there's a car accident, and Jory escapes. As others have mentioned, it's similar to the Fugitive scenario.

The warden sends Tunner to the Louisiana bayou, Jory's home, to find and return him to prison. No one explains Gassman's Italian accent, though I guess it's supposed to pass for perhaps Creole.

Jory manages to elude both Tunner and the local sheriff. When Tunner finally catches up with Jory, he agrees to return to prison if he can have some time with his wife (Mary Zavian). Tunner agrees. While alone with Ella, Jory learns he's the father of a young son, and then, taunted by Ella, refuses to go with Tunner. Ella prompty bashes Tunner over the head.

Tunner, delerious, drinks swamp water and winds up in the hospital. Goodwin and Tunner's wife (Bergen) come to the hospital. Tunner will not allow Goodwin to take over the case. The two set out on the bayou in a boat to search for Jory.

This is a small film, directed by the very excellent Joseph H. Lewis, so he makes the most of the film's budget and locations. The relationship between Jory and Tanner is the real story - they both respect one another, they are both in love with their wives, and they both have a sense of honor.

It's not perfect, but with the direction and acting, it's very good. The handsome Gassman was truly the Olivier of Italy, and throughout his career won many awards. He's very sympathetic. Sullivan turns in his usual solid performance.

It was apparent to me that at least in the first scenes, Polly Bergen's dialogue was looped. Turns out it was looped, all right, by another actress. Why, I don't know. It was a distraction for me because I hate dubbing.

There is a dream sequence while Tunner is hallucinating - it really could and should have been left out.

Nonetheless, worth watching.

cry of the hunted

[mossgrymk · 6/10 · 31 January 2021]

Decent escaped convict pic. Joseph H Lewis, one of the auteurists' favorite 1950s directors, does a fairly good job, on a low budget (as per usual), of making the viewer forget that he or she is looking at the MGM back lot and not Bayou country. And the relationship between Vittorio Gassman and Barry Sullivan is nicely handled as well, with two of the best homo erotic fight scenes until the wrestling match in "Women In Love" came along. On the debit side you have a clunky screenplay by someone named Jack (I need an E) Leonard that, while providing some decent by play between William Conrad and Sullivan, severely truncates the ending so that the conflict between these two co workers, much more interesting, in my opinion, than the one between Sullivan and Gassman, is left unresolved. Most unsatisfying. And I concur with an earlier reviewer who observed that the female characters are either annoyingly perky (Polly Bergen) or annoyingly histrionic (Mary Zavian). Bottom line: I'd rather be watching Ray or Fuller. C plus.

Well I say it stunk!

[mls4182 · 4/10 · 9 June 2021]

It is funny, because when I started watching this film, I told a friend, "This film is so old, Polly Bergen sounds feminine." Then I read in trivia her voice is dubbed. William Conrad runs uphill, which is the only amazing thing about this film. I've forgotten the rest. Nice shot of the old Bunker Hill though.

Inexpensive chase thriller.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 15 July 2010]

Vittorio Gassman is a Cajun who escapes from the law in Los Angeles and heads for home and family in the Louisiana swamps. Barry Sullivan is the police officer sent to retrieve him, accompanied by William Conrad.

You have to love that funicular railway on which Gassman gets away, but the movie has to small a budget for what it wants to do. That long, dangerous trip that Sullivan and Conrad take through the bayous of Louisiana needed to be shot on location, preferably in color. As it is, we get the impression of Simi Valley or Griffith Park, with a couple of potted tropical plants added by the greensman.

Gassman is always a little hard to take seriously. He overacts outrageously. His physical movements lack grace. Maybe that's why he was outstanding as the boxer with the glass jaw in "Big Deal on Madonna Street." Here, one must put up with him as he looks tortured.

Barry Sullivan has never been a bravura actor but he's always reliable, and there is no one quite like William Conrad for suggesting a kind of sweaty malignancy.

Polly Bergen is pretty and her character is likable. She's Sullivan's caring wife. But, my God, you ought to see the wife that Vittorio Gassman has rushed home to see. The poor woman belongs in a B movie about vampires who earn a living as dominatrices. She scowls and hits good people over the head (twice). But if SHE looks spooky, the swamp lady who sits in the graveyard at night and howls for "Raoul" is right out of MacBeth.

What keeps the movie perking is the occasional wit in the dialog. For the trip through the swamp, Sullivan's wife has packed lunch in a picnic basket. As they putt along down the streams, Conrad rags Sullivan for carrying an old-fashioned basket instead of a manly paper bag. In an amusing and somewhat extended scene, Sullivan goes through the carefully wrapped and beribboned contents of the basket glumly -- tuna fish sandwich, ham sandwich, cookies, and a meatloaf that he "won't even unwrap." Later, when they encounter the howling woman in the middle of the night, Conrad asks shakily, "How're we gonna get rid of her?" "We'll give her the meatloaf," replies Sullivan.

I thought it was pretty standard otherwise, but I was called away for the last fifteen or twenty minutes, so I might have missed something of importance.

Cry Of The Hunted~All Considered Quite Remarkable ~ Warning: Swamp Proof Tobacco

[krocheav · 8/10 · 21 October 2015]

A small marvel - but Warning: Swamp Proof Cigarettes...!

Seems there may be some viewers with expectations that are too high for small-budget works and maybe far too many pseudo-psychologists floating around to really do us much good...After reading certain comments I just about gave up taking the time to view this curious movie. It was the interesting title, combined with a marvelous cast and hard-working direction that convinced me, I had to at least watch it out of curiosity. What I saw took me by surprise, so much so I had to look further into how this little film could look so remarkable on such a modest budget.

The crew behind this overlooked gem, all surprisingly turn out to be veteran award winners! Cinematographer: the Russian-born Oscar-nominated Harold Lipstein (Pal Joey '57) ~ Art Direction: by no less than multiple award winner Cedric Gibbons along with fellow award winner Malcolm Brown. ~ Set Decoration: again by a multiple award winner: Edwin B. Willis and Oscar-nominated Ralph S. Hurst. ~ Film Editor: Oscar winner Conrad A. Nerving (Tale of Two Cities '35) ~ Special Effects: by A. Arnold Gillespie (Wizard of Oz '39) and Warren Newcombe (Singin In The Rain '53) both these men also multiple award winners! ~ In the Sound dept: none other than Douglas Shearer, yet another multiple award winner. How could this film not look anything but rather impressive? Still, some viewers expected more!

Add to the above a top cast with awards that just keep on coming: Vittorio Gassman as Jory, the desperate man on the run, a performer with honors stacked upon honors (Bitter Rice '49,Barabbas '61) ~ Emmy winner Polly Bergin: as the Detective's wife. ~ Barry Sullivan the Emmy nominated, constantly reliable performer, known for numerous strong roles (The Bad and the Beautiful '52) as the earnest detective totally dedicated to serving incorruptible justice.~ William Conrad as the sadistically inclined assistant to Sullivan (who also has his eye on his partner's job).

A couple of the support characters offer a not so subtle statement on some low-grade law enforcement attitudes - especially those to be found in backwoods counties during this era. It's here we find a good performance by reliable veteran, Harry Shannon as a very 'suss' sheriff. All this huge talent is then masterly guided by the highly-skilled and underrated winner of the distinguished Hollywood Film Artist award: Joseph H. Lewis.

As Director, Lewis has taken a screenplay by Jack Leonard who garnished an Oscar nomination just the year before with "The Narrow Margin". For this follow-up story, equally laced with observant comments and smart one-liners, Lewis turns it into a taught, exciting Bayou manhunt between two men with a high level of respect for each other's integrity (gained from earlier legal dealings) but,are now on opposing sides of justice.

I note that there are certain liberated Film Commentators who in retrospect - would now have us believe the men of this story are sexually attracted to each other...why so?, well seems it's because of the respect these men demonstrate toward each other (all fully understandable within the context of the story) - Consider one situation: after one has saved the other from a grueling certain death in quicksand they then, wait for it.... sit exhausted and quietly 'share' a pipe! "Hello"... I've heard of imagination but maybe these folk might consider using it with perhaps,a little more observance of cinematic intellect...?

Examining this aspect further; it's a documented fact that tobacco product manufacturers targeted personalities, filmmakers, actors, etc - 'donating' hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure they would make all forms of smoking appear glamorous, and desirable, for both sexes of any age...Many times throughout the 30s -60s, foolish scenes (like the one being singled out in this film) would be deliberately 'written into' the screenplay for the sake of extra funding. In this particular case, it could not have been more obvious IE: - This pipe and tobacco had been crushed, immersed in swamp water, covered in mud (and quicksand!) but still they 'light-up' to pacify the weary heroes!.

Recent critiques I have read from Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward & Eddie Muller, don't seem to take these facts into consideration - instead, they quite simply interpret such actions as being homosexual tendencies! Should we perhaps expect a little better from these folk...or is this simply about pushing another agenda - who can tell?

Now getting back to better ideas; There are a couple of particularly striking scenes...one where a swamp fever-infected, delusional Sullivan, suffers what can only be seen as a spectacular and rather frightening hallucination. This sequence is designed and executed by first-class artists and is vividly convincing.

Another involves Sullivan and his partner who, while taking refuge in an abandoned swamp Cemetery, come into contact with a demented mourner, quite chilling in its Shakespearian feel and quality. Apart from a few minor script potholes (typical of the era) this work needs to be looked at through eyes that understand the limitations these major/minor projects were forced to overcome and did so quite handsomely.

TCM has given us yet another lost gem - the image quality of the Australian print was not as good as others being screened so, very pleased to see W. B. Archives have now released it on DVD -while it's only a M. O. D. The quality is good.

Like small-budget classic dramas? ~ then this could be for you.

It's a slap-happy film!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 15 February 2013]

I like crime films a lot. So, the idea of a film about an escaped convict and a cop who doggedly follows him is one I'd probably like. However, "Cry of the Hunted" turns out to be pretty poor--mostly because the writer was 'slap-happy'--literally! Characters in the film are pretty one-dimensional and spend a lot of time slapping folks around--and they way the slap-ee (is this a word?!) reacts is even more bizarre. For example, early in the film, Lt. Tunner (Barry Sullivan) wants some information out of a prisoner--so he beats the crap out of him. Then, later in the film, after this prisoner escapes, the prisoner refuses to harm the Lieutenant when he has a chance! You'd think he'd at least deck him for having worked him over earlier--but instead he inexplicably likes him! And, when Tunner and his assistant (William Conrad) are out in the bayou looking for the escapee, the assistant takes a local behind his shack and slaps him around to get information! Only moments later, the prisoner and his woman get in an argument and, surprise, surprise, he slaps her across the face--at which point she kisses him very passionately!!! I tell you, the writer was slap-happy--and reinforced some bizarre clichés about violence!

This is not my only complaint about the movie. Much of the dialog is bad but the plot really doesn't make any sense. A prisoner from the bayou escapes back to the waterways he knows so well. So, the Lieutenant and only one assistant follow him--determined to get him. This makes no sense, as the Louisiana back country is a maze of waterways, islands and ferocious creatures. Yet, two lawmen are going to somehow find a man who grew up there AND who is being aided by the locals. Yeah, right. And this makes sense to whom?!

The bottom line is that the film is chock full of bad writing. Despite a decent story idea, the film manages to blow it.

Far-fetched characters highlight mildly interesting manhunt in Louisiana bayou country

[Turfseer · 5/10 · 20 March 2021]

This is one strange film noir. Or is it actually a noir? Set principally in the bayou country of Louisiana, there's not a lot of dark lighting and no femme fatale which would enable us to definitively call this a film noir. But since the antagonist is an escaped criminal, I guess that's how it earned the "coveted" appellation.

The film begins at a state penitentiary in an unspecified state up north. For some reason, they have a police officer, Lt. Tunner (Barry Sullivan) in charge of "maximum security." He's charged with extracting information regarding the names of the accomplices of one particular prisoner, Jory (Vittorio Gassman), who quite predictably refuses to spill the beans. Jory is supposed to be Cajun and hails from the aforementioned Bayou country.

Now can you believe this? Tunner locks himself in the cell with Jory to have a "heart to heart" conversation in which he attempts to convince Jory to give up his accomplices. When would that ever happen? It seems that this ultra-nice law enforcement official is bent on showing his charge "respect." Again, when did you ever hear of such a thing? Following Jory's refusal to name names, they get into a fistfight in which they pummel one another. Finally Jory agrees to talk with the DA in exchange for a hearty breakfast promised by Tunner. But soon afterward, it becomes clear that Jory has no intention of revealing the names of his confederates to the DA.

After leaving the prison, with Jory handcuffed to Tunner's right hand man Goodwin (William Conrad), an officer at the penitentiary who covets Tunner's job, their car crashes head on with another car inside a tunnel and Jory escapes. I'm not sure how he escaped since we last saw him handcuffed to Goodwin (Could it be that after the crash, Goodwin unlocked the cuffs which allowed Jory to escape?).

The scene shifts to Louisiana where Jory returns in hopes of hooking up with his wife. Jory is almost killed when Tunner, accompanied by a trigger happy local sheriff, nearly kills him with a number of rifle shots. Rather conveniently, Jory heads straight for his old home, a shack in the swampland where Tunner is waiting for him. Jory makes another escape when his wife Ella (Mary Zavian) knocks Tunner unconscious.

After drinking some swamp water, Tunner becomes delirious and ends up in the hospital where he hallucinates being taunted by Jory in hell. Goodwin and Tunner's wife Janet (Polly Bergen) show up at the hospital where Tunner announces he's going to continue on the case, despite Goodwin's claims that he's been relieved of his duties. Note this is the second and last time we see Tunner's wife in the film (a woefully under written part in which a charming Polly Bergen, ends up having little to do)!

The rest of "Hunted," concerns Tanner tracking Jory down again in the swamp where they have another big wrestling match (film noir expert Eddie Muller and others suggest there's a homoerotic sub-text due to these wrestling scenes) but you can read anything into a film such as this, as you wish.

The climax involves Jory ending up wounded by a protruding tree branch and then saving the lieutenant's life as he almost drowns in quicksand. Jory then falls victim to swamp fever and Tunner (who can hardly speak) lights a fire, alerting Goodwin and the sheriff, who have been searching for them in a boat.

All's well that ends well, when nice-guy criminal is released from prison following completion of his sentence (with good wishes from Lt. Tunner, who sees him off at the train station).

Undoubtedly, the characterization of a "noble" law enforcement official and the equally "noble" prison inmate, is completely far-fetched. I can't help but feel the idea to create a bond between the two characters was inspired by the casting of classically trained Italian actor Gassman, who is given an opportunity to evoke sympathy for a beleaguered criminal. While some criminals may be victims of circumstance, there is usually a good measure of self-responsibility for getting in trouble in the first place.

It seems at every turn that Director Joseph H. Lewis goes out of his way to excuse Jory's conduct. His relatively early release from prison holds no water since he probably would have been given an extra twenty years incarceration for the crime of escape. Sullivan is also saddled by his "nice guy" role and Cannon as Goodwin proves quite unlikable as a boorish tough guy.

Cry of the Hunted is worth a little peek maybe for the swamp scenes where most of the compelling action takes place. See it not for the characters, that truly hold virtually no "swamp-infused" water but for that unusual setting in the bayou.

What a disappointment!

[mptnla-82370 · 3/10 · 31 January 2021]

The best parts of this movie were the excellently choreographed fight scenes between Tunner and Jory...then someone made the mistake of writing a screenplay around those scenes. The worst parts: Tunner's witty one-liners grow old within the first 20 minutes, but he continues to deliver them regardless of his circumstances. Polly Bergen adds nothing beyond eye-candy, and Tunner's delirious three-minute dream sequence about Jory's escape was laughable and about three minutes too long. And likewise for Jory's delusional confession after succumbing to an infection.

Implausibility abounds in this film, beginning with a rear-ender car accident which frees an improperly shackled Jory, Tunner going blindly to hunt a fugitive in an unfamiliar environment presumably filled with gators and snakes with no gun and nothing but a set of handcuffs, a picnic basket full of sandwiches and vitamins, and a partner who will sensibly bail on him along the way. Tunner and Goodwin search the bayou and go as far as Goodwin beating a local for info on Jory. Really?! Goodwin would rather try to beat the truth out of you but won't search your shack for Jory without a warrant. And don't forget the local sheriff who could care less about the whole ordeal. By the end of the movie, I sided with the sheriff.

Lots of plot holes in that we never exactly know what Jory's crime was, and why Tunner has such a devotion to him as a prisoner. Also, we don't know why Jory is deeply devoted to his wife and son, but yet risks going back to jail instead of letting Tunner perish in the quicksand. Then there's the three final scenes which were evidently just throwaway patch-jobs to put a bow on an awful package of a film...and there you have it. Ugh!

THE FUGITIVE in the bayou

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8/10 · 8 November 2022]

First, don't confound this film with other "swamp" films: SWAMP WATER, LURE OF THE WILDERNESS and LURE OF THE SWAMP. This scheme, this topic reminds me something, what about you? Replace Vittorio Gassman by David Janssen and you'll rapidly know what I mean by this. But there are some differences though, Gassman's character is guilty of what he is accused of, and Barry Sullivan's role is more sympathetic than the Javert - from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables - like character of THE FUGITIVE. But the most important thing for me is the relationship between Barry Sullivan - the cop - and the fugitive. Some kind of relationship between friendship, very subtle, and of course adversity. Actually, Sullivan has here the reverse role he had in SEVEN WAYS FROM SUNDOWN, co starring Audie Murphy, where Murphy was the Ranger chasing Sullivan the fugitive. There was also this kind of strange companionship between two of them. This Jo Lewis film is very good, maybe not as excellent as GUN CRAZY, but really worth watching. Made for MGM. If you like bayou, swamp stories, I advise an episode from SCHLITZ PLAYHOUSE TV show, an episode called RABBIT'S FOOT, starring Stephen mc Nally.

Fugitive in the bayou

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 16 January 2021]

If anyone noticed Cry Of The Hunted at least it seemed to me to be a remake of a film did by MGM in 1852, The Wild North. That's where Stewart Granger plays a fugitive fur trapper in the Yukon and Wendell Corey the Mountie out to get his man.

The location moves a few thousand miles south to the Louisiana bayou where Cajun prisoner Vittorio Gassmann escapes cop William Conrad and heads for the bayou swamp which he knows.

Another cop Barry Sullivan takes it as a personal insult that Gassman escaped since he tried to befriend him and goes after him despite warnings from the locals that there's parts of the bayou they don't go into.

Most of the film is Sullivan and Gassman alone and they talk a lot as each tries to figure the other out. Polly Bergen has a good turn as Sullivan's wife.

Best in the film Mary Zavian as Gassman's woman and one deadly Cajun temptress. Her scenes are worth the wait.

Nature versus Nurture

[Ed-Shullivan · 4/10 · 17 January 2021]

Actor Barry Sullivan plays a cop named Lieutenant Turner who believes he can turn another persons life around come hell or high water. In this case the high water takes Lieutenant Turner into the hot water swamps of the Louisiana Bayou to recapture an escaped prisoner named Jory played by Vittorio Gassman. Jory behaves more like a wild dog who serves two masters trying to control his animalistic behaviour.

One of Jory's attempted masters is Lieutenant Turner who first tries to break him by beating him in a fair fight behind his prison cell. When an opportunity presents itself, Jory takes advantage of a car accident while he is being transported by the overweight guard Goodwin played by William Conrad.

While on the run Jory is assisted in his escape by his second and more conniving master, his temptress wife Ella who tries very hard to break the control that Jory's first master Lieutenant Turner seems to have over him.

These two masters, much like two different dog trainers approach would take, one by nurture, and the other by nature and bringing out the animal instincts that are imbedded in all human beings lead Jory to struggle on which master will become the alpha.

Much of the struggle between good and evil takes place between Lieutenant Turner and Jory alone in the Louisiana Bayou, apart from their wives, and desperately fighting for their survival which each man needs the other if they are to continue living and get out of the swamps alive.

The premise of the film has all the ingredients of a classic crime/drama novel brought to life. Who will win the struggle for survival and/or law and order? The stage is set but the execution is somewhat missing that intense challenge in this crime/drama/action film. It's a decent time waster but I felt the latter half of the film appeared to reflect more like what would happen to an over inflated balloon that maybe just burst loudly, but instead this taunt balloon slowly fizzles and tries out letting out a final pfffft before finally deflating to the storyline "THE END".

I give the film a disappointing 4 out of 10 IMDB rating.

Amazing: a Lewis dud!

[tony-70-667920 · 4/10 · 18 November 2020]

I found this on YouTube, which bills it as a film noir. It isn't: no mean city streets at night, no femme fatale and no deaths. I expected much better from Joseph H. Lewis, as starting with "My name is Julia Ross" (1946) he made a series of excellent, low-budget noirs and Westerns. Here he produced a rare dud. I watched it in stages, with diminishing interest, and only persevered because of the director. The action starts with prisoner Jory (Gassman) making a ridiculous escape from Goodwin (William Conrad.) Why wasn't Jory properly handcuffed to Goodwin in the usual way? Jory jumps on a funicular and Goodwin chases him, racing up several flights of stairs. Fortunately this chase was filmed in three shots, as Conrad was a great heavy in the fullest sense and to have done it in a single take would have seen him off with a heart attack. We then get scenes with Goodwin's superior Tunner (Sullivan) and his wife, which show a comically backward attitude to women. The little woman's sole function is to cater for her lord and master, and it's no surprise Polly Bergen became a feminist. BTW, she was not (pace sfdphd) the mother of Candace (sic) as she couldn't have children. Knowing that Jory will return to the Louisiana bayou, his home territory, Tunner and Goodwin set off in pursuit, with Goodwin keeping up an increasingly tiresome "I'm gonna get your job" spiel. Things then get ludicrous. Goodwin gets tired of searching through this maze and Tunner lets him take of with the motorboat and goes ahead on foot, eventually getting his man. They spend a lot of time in or near the water, but the alligators we keep seeing are presumably bone idle and never attack. Eventually Goodwin comes back. In a true noir he'd have left them to perish, just as Jory would have left Tunner to sink into the quicksand. All ends happily. No way is this a noir.

JUST ANOTHER MANHUNT

[davidalexander-63068 · 5/10 · 9 November 2020]

How many manhunt movies have there been over the years? This is another one. It's always a case of the lawman hunting the escapee. It's only the setting or locale that changes. This time it's through the alligator-infested swamps of the Everglades. Vittorio Gassman puts in a very good performance as the escapee while Barry Sullivan acts as he always does as Barry Sullivan , this time as the lawman. It was also good to see William Conrad in this early movie role (sure, he was in The Killers before this). He had a huge career first on radio as the original Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke, then did the narration for the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons before landing his own TV series in Cannon and Jake and the Fatman. He also did the voice-over for The Fugitive TV series which contributed to its success just as much as Walter Winchell's gritty narration contributed to the success of The Untouchables.

Not so good film noir

[dfloro · 5/10 · 26 July 2021]

Joseph Lewis had proven in 1950 that he could direct a prototypical noir with "Gun Crazy" a relatively low-budget B-movie that many people believe would inspire the makers of "Bonnie & Clyde" years later. This movie from 1953 isn't in the same league as "Gun Crazy." It stars Vittorio Gassman as Jory, the fugitive who flees to the bayous of Louisiana, Barry Sullivan as the lawman obsessed with apprehending him, and William Conrad as some guy obsessed with why Sullivan is obsessed. Polly Bergen is mostly unused and unnecessary playing a romantic interest for the lawman. But I liked the scene utilizing the quicksand, literally and (always) as metaphor. 5/10.

Did he really just tell his tiny wife to lose a few pounds?

[vnssyndrome89 · 2/10 · 17 April 2022]

I only got about half through this snooze-fest, because I just couldn't care less about the characters. The convict whose been locked in solitary, isn't believable as crazy. The cop's not believable as anything, and I don't care about the story.

But I drew the line, when the main character comes home and tells his wife (semi jokingly) that she needs to lose a few pounds. He also asks where his dinner is etc. BTW, she already had his dinner in the oven, martinis in the fridge, and is about a size 4. I get that he's kinda joking around, but that's not really the feel of the scene, and it comes off pretty offensive.

There are so many better choices, pick anything else.

Fugitive less

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 28 July 2021]

Prison guard Lt. Tunner is doing his best to interrogate prisoner Jory who is a prisoner locked up in maximum security. Tunner wants him to name his accomplices. His transport gets into an accident and he makes an escape. Tunner goes on a manhunt.

This starts as a basic Fugitive movie. I'm more than happy to do basic. Then Tunner catches up to Jory and the characters stop making sense. Tunner does certain questionable things. They both do less than reasonable. It all detracts from the intensity. Then we're back to basic and it's too light. I don't like Tunner's tone. This is no Fugitive. The basic would have been fine. The swamp is a good backdrop and the locals are nice. The several questionable things do hold it back from being passable.

Okay story, bad script

[johnbmoore-17 · 5/10 · 15 May 2022]

Liked the idea - a manhunt in the Louisiana bayou. But the witty banter isn't witty, and the script is chock full of illogical decisions and sudden, inexplicable changes in the behavior of some characters. Good scenery and atmosphere made it worth the time investment, but just this once.