I Walk Alone
Directed by Byron Haskin
Written by Charles Schnee from the play “Beggars Are Coming to Town” by Theodore Reeves
1948/USA
Hal Wallis Productions
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Nick Palestro: For a buck, you’d double-cross your own mother.
Skinner: Why not? She’d do the same to me.[/box]
The sparks always fly when Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas meet up in a movie.
Frankie Madison (Lancaster) took the fall when a getaway went wrong and spent 14 years in the slammer. When he gets out, he comes calling on partner Noll ‘Dink’ Turner (Douglas) who was supposed to have kept 50% of the proceeds of their nightclub for him. Dink welcomes Frankie back and sets his girlfriend singer Kay Lawrence (Lizabeth Scott) to soften him up and find out what he wants. In the meantime, the all-business Dink is planning to marry an heiress.
It turns out Dink, with the help of Frankie’s friend Dave (Wendell Corey), an accountant, has fraudulently obtained Frankie’s signature on papers transferring the club to a very complicated series of holding companies. Frankie attempts to round up the old gang to strong arm Dink into giving him his fair share but this proves futile. Kay’s allegiance and love quickly shifts to Frankie when she learns of Dink’s marriage plans. She proves to be his main ally against Dink and his muscle men. With Mike Mazurki as the chief muscle man.
I felt like I had seen this story before and I have certainly seen Lizabeth Scott play the exact same part once too often. Still, the film is enjoyable and competently made. The highlight is Douglas, who is great as usual as a total heel.
Trailer
