Boomerang! (1947)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Richard Murphy (screenplay)
Fulton Oursler (article)

Release Date:

28 April 1947 (Sweden)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

It comes back at you again and again!

Plot:

The true story of a prosecutor's fight to prove the innocence of a man accused of a notorious murder.

Plot Keywords:

Attorney | Prosecutor | Priest | Murder | District Attorney

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Dana Andrews	...	State's Atty. Henry L. Harvey
Jane Wyatt	...	Madge Harvey
Lee J. Cobb	...	Chief Harold F. 'Robbie' Robinson
Cara Williams	...	Irene Nelson - Waitress at Coney Island Cafe
Arthur Kennedy	...	John Waldron
Sam Levene	...	Dave Woods - 'Morning Record' Reporter
Taylor Holmes	...	T.M. Wade
Robert Keith	...	Mac McCreery
Ed Begley	...	Paul Harris
Philip Coolidge	...	Jim Crossman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
E.J. Ballantine	...	McDonald - 'Morning Record' Editor (uncredited)
Royal Beal	...	Johnson - Police Ballistics Expert (uncredited)
Wyrley Birch	...	Father George A. Lambert (uncredited)
Helen Carew	...	Annie (uncredited)
John Carmody	...	Thomas Callahan (uncredited)
William Challee	...	Stone - Harvey's Assistant (uncredited)
Clay Clement	...	Judge Tate (uncredited)
Mickey Cochran	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Isabel Cooper	...	Church Choir Member (uncredited)
Harry Davis	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Pat Dillon	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
James Dobson	...	Bill - Cub Reporter (uncredited)
Bert Freed	...	Herron - Man in Alley Mob (uncredited)
Richard Garrick	...	Graham Rogers - Storekeeper (uncredited)
Walter Greaza	...	Mayor Swayze (uncredited)
Reed Hadley	...	Off-Screen Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Helene Hatch	...	Catherine Manion - Cashier, Plaza Theatre (uncredited)
Bern Hoffman	...	Tom (uncredited)
Harry Kadison	...	Maloney (uncredited)
Joe Kazan	...	Paul Lukash (uncredited)
Brian Keith	...	Extra (uncredited)
Barry Kelley	...	Desk Sgt. Dugan (uncredited)
Mickey Knox	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Ben Lackland	...	Commissioner Thomas Benson James (uncredited)
Harry Landers	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Lewis Leverett	...	Whitney - Harvey's Assistant (uncredited)
Lester Lonergan	...	Eugene Cary (uncredited)
Alan MacAteer	...	Herron (uncredited)
Karl Malden	...	Det. Lt. White (uncredited)
Ida McGuire	...	Miss Roberts (uncredited)
Arthur Miller	...	Line-Up Suspect (uncredited)
Anna Minot	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Paulene Myers	...	Maid (uncredited)
Coby Neal	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Frank Overton	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Lawrence Paguin	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
George Petrie	...	Harry O'Shea - Public Defender (uncredited)
Herbert Ratner	...	Investigator (uncredited)
Leona Roberts	...	Mrs. Crossman (uncredited)
Sam Rosen	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Anthony Ross	...	Warren (uncredited)
Dudley Sadler	...	Dr. William Rainsford (uncredited)
Lucia Backus Seger	...	Mrs. Lukash - Witness (uncredited)
John Stearns	...	Rev. Gardiner (uncredited)
Edgar Stehli	...	Ryan - Coroner (uncredited)
Fred Stewart	...	Graham (uncredited)
Guy Thomajan	...	Ronolo Cartucci - Witness (uncredited)

Directed by
Elia Kazan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Murphy		screenplay
Fulton Oursler		article (as Anthony Abbot)

Produced by
Louis De Rochemont	....	producer (as Louis de Rochemont)
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
David Buttolph

Cinematography by
Norbert Brodine

Film Editing by
Harmon Jones

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Chester Gore

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Kay Nelson

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Art Department
Phil D'Esco	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
W.D. Flick	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director

Music Department
Alfred Newman	....	musical director
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (as Edward Powell)

Other crew
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	presenter
Bill Colleran	....	assistant: Louis de Rochemont (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• Fox Home Video (video)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | Finland:S | USA:Approved (11999, General Audience)

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Based on a case of Homer Stille Cummings, as a Connecticut state attorney, who later became the 55th U.S. Attorney General.

Quotes:

Harry O'Shea: It's been a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Wade.
T. M. Wade: I know.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey (1995)

Soundtrack:

America, the Beautiful

180 Degree Turn

***SPOILERS*** Based on a Richard Oursler article in Readers Digest about the real life murder of popular Catholic priest Father George A. Lambert, Wyrley Brich, Eli Kazan's "Boomerang!" doesn't go into who murdered Father Lambert, the killer was ever apprehended, but in the story of the Innocent man accused of killing him ex-GI and town drifter John Waldron, Arthur Kennedy. With the murder investigation of Father Lambert going nowhere the local Stamford political machine, run by power-broker T.M Wade( Taylor Holmes), goes full-blast in attacking the city administration of reform Mayor Swayze, Walter Greaza,in hopes of getting it's man elected mayor.

The murder of Father Lambert turns out to be a political football between the two warring political parties instead of a police affair and investigation. After Waldron is arrested in Ohio and sent back to Conn. to stand trial State Prosecutor Henry Harvey, Dana Andrews, is put on the case. Waldron mentally pounded for three straight days by the police not allowing him to sleep breaks down and confesses to the Lambart murder making his conviction a forgone conclusion.

As prosecutor Harvey looks closely at the evidence against Waldon he realizes that the man may very well be innocent. If convicted he'll, Harvey, have to live for the rest of his with the thought that he sent a innocent man to his death. Harvey later finds out that a lot is riding on Waldon's conviction and it has nothing to do with the murder of Father Lambart. A non-conviction will effect the re-election chances of Mayor Swayze. Harvey is also running the risk of destroying a promising political career in state politics, he's already being groomed to be the states governor, by getting Waldon off even if he's innocent.

Well paced and honest film about big city politics with a stellar performance by Dana Andrews who didn't let his career ambitions get in the way of his sense of justice. Also in "Boomerang!" is Jane Wyatt as Prosecutor Harvey's wife Madge. Madge was tricked into an under-the-table deal by the city's Commissioner of Public Works Mac McCreery, Ed Begley, McCreery was terrified that if Mayor Swayze didn't get re-elected and agree, as he promised him, to have the city of Stamford buy his real-estate property it would in the and financially ruin McCreery and possibly land Madge behind bars.

Powerful ending sequence in a Stamford courtroom that has all the drama and tension of that of a very good fictitious movie screenplay but in this case all that happened in the movie also happened in real life.