Directed by Otto Preminger
1950/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
First viewing
Det. Sgt. Mark Dixon: One false move and you’re over your head.
This film reprises Otto Preminger’s Laura pairing of Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney in a much grittier tale.
Dana Andrews plays Mark Dixon, a New York City detective who compensates for his father’s criminal past by overzealousness verging on police brutality. After many warnings about the rough stuff, he is demoted. Shortly thereafter, a gambler is murdered at a floating crap game organized by crime boss Tommy Scalise (Gary Merrill). The victim was last seen in a fist fight with Ken Paine, the no-good estranged husband of Morgan Taylor (Gene Tierney). Dixon is convinced Scalise or his henchmen murdered the man to retrieve his winnings but the police pin the blame on Paine and send Dixon to Paine’s apartment to pick him up. There, Dixon gets into an altercation with Paine and Paine is killed when he hits his head in a fall. Will Dixon somehow escape judgement?
The best thing about this as far as I was concerned was Gary Merrill’s performance as a sarcastic thug. He should have done more of that. I just can’t buy Dana Andrews as a tough guy. Gene Tierney looks beautiful but makes some pretty hokey romantic dialogue sound even hokier. I may be having a bad day. This has a high IMDb user rating of 7.6 and is probably worth a shot.
Trailer
I have not seen this film but it sounds like Gary Merrill make take the acting honors here. I have a funny story of him. A friend and I were walking down the street in Charleston, WV way back when and this big Caddie convertible comes down the street. I took one look at the driver and knew who he was. Like a dummy, I said “Gary Merrill?”……..he replied in the affirmative and said “I’m surprised someone your age knows who I am” (I was probably in my late 20s at the time). I was so gob smacked that I didn’t say anything and he drove off. I can’t imagine why he was in our little town but there he was.
Merrill sounds like a regular guy! I love these stories.
My one brush with a famous person was in my early 20’s when I literally bumped into Gene Wilder in Beverly Hills. I was so astounded I just apologized and stumbled on. I can’t even remember what in the world I was doing in Beverly Hills. Probably going to a movie. I certainly wasn’t shopping!!!