Dead Reckoning (1947)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Gerald Drayson Adams (story) and
Sidney Biddell (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 January 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

He Doesn't Trust Anyone . . . especially Women !

Plot:

A soldier runs away rather than receive the Medal of Honor, so his buddy gets permission to investigate, and love and death soon follow.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | WWII | Gambling | Medal Of Honor | Bartender

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Capt. 'Rip' Murdock
Lizabeth Scott	...	'Dusty' Chandler
Morris Carnovsky	...	Martinelli
Charles Cane	...	Lt. Kincaid
William Prince	...	Sgt. Johnny Drake
Marvin Miller	...	Krause
Wallace Ford	...	McGee
James Bell	...	Father Logan
George Chandler	...	Louis Ord
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matthew 'Stymie' Beard	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
John Bohn	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Paul Bradley	...	Man (uncredited)
Ruby Dandridge	...	Mabel (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Harry Denny	...	Dealer (uncredited)
Dudley Dickerson	...	Room Service waiter (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Priest (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Police Officer Casey (uncredited)
Matty Fain	...	Ed (uncredited)
Sam Finn	...	Raker (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Lt. Col. Simpson (uncredited)
Kay Garrett	...	Dealer (uncredited)
Joe Gilbert	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Alyce Goering	...	Woman (uncredited)
Dick Gordon	...	Dealer (uncredited)
Wilton Graff	...	Surgeon (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Waiter at The Dixie (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Detective (uncredited)
Alvin Hammer	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Maynard Holmes	...	Desk clerk (uncredited)
Hugh Hooker	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Charles Jordan	...	Mike (uncredited)
W.E. Lawrence	...	Stewart (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Mark Roberts	...	Bandleader (uncredited)
Bob Ryan	...	Detective (uncredited)
Jack Santoro	...	Raker (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Morgue attendant (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Motorcycle cop (uncredited)
Lillian Wells	...	Pretty girl (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Hotel desk clerk (uncredited)
Isabel Withers	...	Nurse (uncredited)

Directed by
John Cromwell

Writing credits
Gerald Drayson Adams		(story) (as Gerald Adams) and
Sidney Biddell		(story)
Oliver H.P. Garrett		(screenplay) and
Steve Fisher		(screenplay)
Allen Rivkin		adaptation

Produced by
Sidney Biddell	....	producer

Original Music by
Marlin Skiles

Cinematography by
Leo Tover		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Gene Havlick

Art Direction by
Stephen Goosson		(as Stephen Goossón)
Rudolph Sternad

Set Decoration by
Louis Diage

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Seymour Friedman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jack A. Goodrich	....	sound recordist (as Jack Goodrich)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ned Scott	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Hugo Friedhofer	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

John Cromwell's Dead Reckoning (UK) (complete title) (USA) (copyright title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1947) | Finland:K-16 (1948) | Norway:16 (1947) | USA:Approved (PCA #11959) | Australia:PG | UK:U | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Penn Station, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Re-released in 1955, as a double-feature with I Am the Law (1938).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Murdock finds 'Morgue' in the phone book, the listing is shown beneath 'Municipal Laboratory' when it should be above it..

Quotes:

Captain Warren 'Rip' Murdock: Say, when you get on again as a professor at some college, and I'm back running my cabs in St. Louis, send me up a problem in algebra once in a while, will you?
Sergeant Johnny Drake: Blonde or brunette?
Captain Warren 'Rip' Murdock: Redhead in a sloppy joe sweater.
Sergeant Johnny Drake: I think you're a great guy, too, Rip, if that's what this conversation's about. Even in the U.S.A., this world.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Play It Again, Sam (1972)

Soundtrack:

EITHER IT'S LOVE OR IT ISN'T

Postwar Bogart in a Derivative Yet Gripping Film Noir

If Humphrey Bogart had ever decided to film one of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer thrillers, it would have turned out something like 1947's DEAD RECKONING. Although it's not actually based on a book, John Cromwell's tautly-directed film noir owes more than a little of its plotting and characterization to earlier classic crime novels-turned-classic Bogart movies. Indeed, when my husband Vin entered the room while the film was on, he began watching it with me and soon asked, "Is this THE BIG SLEEP, or THE MALTESE FALCON?" However, DEAD RECKONING is steeped in the kind of bitter post-war viciousness that distinguished Mickey Spillane's writing -- not that there's anything wrong with that! :-) Bogart commands the screen as Rip Murdock, a former Army paratrooper (lots of colorful references to parachutes and jumping here) and one of the most misogynistic good guys he ever played (not that you can blame Rip, after the wringer he's put through in this film). Captain Rip starts out trying to find out why his Sergeant and pal Johnny Drake (William Prince) has a Yale pin with the name "John Joseph Preston" on it, and more importantly, why Johnny bolts rather than accept the Congressional Medal of Honor for his wartime heroism. Rip's investigation leads him to Gulf City, Tropical Paradise of the South (don't take my word for it, check out the neon sign in the upper right-hand corner of the screen in the opening establishing shot :-), where he's quickly sucked into a whirlpool of secrets, double-crossing, murder, and such inventive mayhem as tossing napalm-powered Molotov cocktails at sinister smoothie Morris Carnovsky and his psycho henchman Marvin (THE MILLIONAIRE) Miller to make them talk. Standing in for quintessential Bogart leading lady Lauren Bacall (and original leading lady Rita Hayworth, who was hung up making THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI) is Lizabeth Scott as mysterious chanteuse Coral Chandler, the kind of dame guys go gaga for against their better judgment (she's got so many pet names from her various beaus that the first time I saw the film, I wasn't quite sure if her name was "Coral," "Dusty," or, of all things, "Mike"!). While Scott's no Bacall (don't get me wrong, Scott fans, I like her, but to my ears, her husky voice always sounds more phlegmy than sultry. Every time Scott speaks, I half-expect someone to offer her a cough drop!), she's certainly chock full of luminous blonde beauty, plus Scott has an air of wounded vulnerability that makes me empathize with her in spite of myself. Sometimes the film is gloriously, deliriously nutzoid. For instance, Bogart's speech to Scott early on about how men should be able to reduce women to pocket-size when necessary, and Scott's interpretation of this theory, must be heard to be believed. But when DEAD RECKONING works, it's dynamite (literally, when Bogart and Scott join forces with safecracker/explosives expert Wallace Ford)! Even when things get ugly, this movie is always gorgeous to look at, thanks to the stunning use of shadows and light in Leo Tover's black-and-white photography. If you love Bogart and you like your film noir grim yet glamorous and over-the-top at times, DEAD RECKONING is well worth a look.