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CrimeDrama

The Crooked Way

- He's got a date ...with DEATH!

A war veteran suffering from amnesia, returns to Los Angeles from a San Francisco veterans hospital hoping to learn who he is and discovers his criminal past.

Release Date : 1949-04-22

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Benedict Bogeaus Production

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

John Payne

Character Name : Eddie Rice / Eddie Riccardi

Original Name : John Payne

Gender : Male

Sonny Tufts

Character Name : Vince Alexander

Original Name : Sonny Tufts

Gender : Male

Ellen Drew

Character Name : Nina Martin

Original Name : Ellen Drew

Gender : Female

Rhys Williams

Character Name : Lieutenant Joe Williams

Original Name : Rhys Williams

Gender : Male

Percy Helton

Character Name : Petey

Original Name : Percy Helton

Gender : Male

John Doucette

Character Name : Sgt. Barrett

Original Name : John Doucette

Gender : Male

Charles Evans

Character Name : Captain Anderson (as Charlie Evans)

Original Name : Charles Evans

Gender : Male

Greta Granstedt

Character Name : Hazel Downs

Original Name : Greta Granstedt

Gender : Female

Raymond Largay

Character Name : Arthur Stacey, M.D.

Original Name : Raymond Largay

Gender : Male

Harry Bronson

Character Name : Danny

Original Name : Harry Bronson

Gender : Male

Hal Baylor

Character Name : Coke (as Hal Fieberling)

Original Name : Hal Baylor

Gender : Male

Don Haggerty

Character Name : Hood

Original Name : Don Haggerty

Gender : Male

Jack Overman

Character Name : Hood

Original Name : Jack Overman

Gender : Male

Crane Whitley

Character Name : Doctor Kemble / Off-Screen Narrator

Original Name : Crane Whitley

Gender : Male

John Harmon

Character Name : Kelly

Original Name : John Harmon

Gender : Male

Garry Owen

Character Name : Man from Green Acres Mortuary

Original Name : Garry Owen

Gender : Male

Chet Brandenburg

Character Name :

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Frank Cady

Character Name :

Original Name : Frank Cady

Gender : Male

Lester Dorr

Character Name :

Original Name : Lester Dorr

Gender : Male

Ross Elliott

Character Name :

Original Name : Ross Elliott

Gender : Male

Charles Ferguson

Character Name :

Original Name : Charles Ferguson

Gender : Male

Eddie Foster

Character Name :

Original Name : Eddie Foster

Gender : Male

Sumner Getchell

Character Name :

Original Name : Sumner Getchell

Gender : Male

Al Hill

Character Name :

Original Name : Al Hill

Gender : Male

Esther Howard

Character Name : Hotel Proprietess (uncredited)

Original Name : Esther Howard

Gender : Female

Mike Lally

Character Name :

Original Name : Mike Lally

Gender : Male

Vera Marshe

Character Name :

Original Name : Vera Marshe

Gender : Female

Thomas Martin

Character Name :

Original Name : Thomas Martin

Gender : Male

Barbara Pepper

Character Name :

Original Name : Barbara Pepper

Gender : Female

Harry 'Snub' Pollard

Character Name :

Original Name : Harry 'Snub' Pollard

Gender : Male

Frank Richards

Character Name :

Original Name : Frank Richards

Gender : Male

Syd Saylor

Character Name :

Original Name : Syd Saylor

Gender : Male

Charles Sullivan

Character Name :

Original Name : Charles Sullivan

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Organic Shrapnel In The Head. The Crooked Way is directed by Robert Florey and adapted to screenplay by Richard H. Landau from the Radio Play “No Blade Too Sharp” by Robert Monroe. It stars John Payne, Sonny Tufts, Ellen Drew, Rhys Williams, Harry Bronson and Hal Baylor. Music is by Louis Forbes and cinematography by John Alton. World War II veteran Eddie Rice (Payne) is suffering from permanent amnesia after a piece of shrapnel was lodged in his brain. With no recollection of his past life, he heads off to the only place he has a link with, the army registration office in Los Angeles. No sooner does he arrive there he is picked up by the cops, and soon his past life slowly begins to piece together, and it doesn’t make for good news at all… The amnesia plot device is served up once again for a film noir make-over, with mixed results. As a story it just about registers as interesting, there’s not nearly enough made of the premise, with much of Eddie’s memory recollections a bit too convenient for comfortable dramatic purpose. The smart hook is that Eddie, now a genuine nice guy, begins to find out he was something of bad man, very much so, and there are plenty of people displeased with him. There’s also some considerable violence dotted throughout, aggression is palpable, while lead cast performances are more than adequate for the material to hand. However, on a visual level The Crooked Way is on a different planet to the screenplay. John Alton brings all his skills as a film noir cinematographer here, photographing the whole film through a noir kaleidoscope. Characters move through shadows and light, or are bathed in various dark reflections, with the interior sequences brilliantly adding an aura of mental fog. With Florey throwing his bit in the mix as well, with canted angles and isolated lighting of the eyes, it’s a top draw noir of the film making style. Their work deserves a better story, but regardless, because of the tech quality and the safe nature of the premise, this has to be a comfortable recommendation to anyone interested in film noir. 7/10