Crossfire (1947)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

John Paxton (screenplay)
Richard Brooks (novel)

Release Date:

22 July 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

Sensational? No, it's dynamite!

Plot:

A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of soldiers just out of the army. But which one? And why?

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Motive | Flashback | Death | Friend

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Robert Young	...	Finlay
Robert Mitchum	...	Keeley
Robert Ryan	...	Montgomery
Gloria Grahame	...	Ginny
Paul Kelly	...	The Man
Sam Levene	...	Samuels
Jacqueline White	...	Mary Mitchell
Steve Brodie	...	Floyd
George Cooper	...	Mitchell
Richard Benedict	...	Bill
Tom Keene	...	Detective (as Richard Powers)
William Phipps	...	Leroy
Lex Barker	...	Harry
Marlo Dwyer	...	Miss Lewis

Also Known As:

Cradle of Fear (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #12325)

Filming Locations:

RKO Encino Ranch - Balboa Boulevard & Burbank Boulevard, Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

It was suggested that one of the reasons why the film failed to win any Oscars was due to Director Edward Dmytryk and Producer Adrian Scott's refusal to testify before the House Unamerican Activities Committee.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Floyd and Finlay are arguing in Floyd's apartment, the boom operator is repeatedly reflected in the mirror.

Quotes:

Ginny: [to Mitchell's wife] Okay, where were you when he needed you? Maybe you were someplace having beautiful thoughts. Well, I wasn't. I was in a stinkin' gin mill, where all he had to do to see me was walk in, sit down at the table and buy me a drink.

Movie Connections:

References Cornered (1945)

The depth of Robert Ryan's acting

Edward Dmytryk directed this shadowy movie about a murder investigation involving demobilized military personnel. Robert Young gets to lecture us about hatred, Robert Mitchum walks through most of this picture, and Gloria Grahame revisits the feistiness she exhibited in "It's A Wonderful Life." It's Robert Ryan who gets at the heart of the matter: anti-semiticism. He goes so deep into his role as Monty Montgomery (Imagine parents named Lawrence calling their son Larry!), that the drama sits squarely on his shoulders, and he is more than up to the challenge. Without him, the movie would be commonplace. Ryan has played a number of memorable villains in his day ("Bad Day at Black Rock;" "Billy Budd"), but this performance put him on the map. With Sam Levene as the murder victim.