Dead Reckoning (1947)

Director:

John Cromwell

Writers:

Oliver H.P. Garrett (screenplay) &
Steve Fisher (screenplay) ...
(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 | Medal Of Honor | Gambling | WWII | Hotel

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 Guest (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)
Harold Miller	...	Nightclub Guest (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
Oliver H.P. Garrett		(screenplay) &
Steve Fisher		(screenplay)
Allen Rivkin		(adaptation)
Gerald Drayson Adams		(story) (as Gerald Adams) &
Sidney Biddell		(story)

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)
Joseph Dubin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Hugo Friedhofer	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (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:

Continuity: When Murdock is listening Coral to sing, he leans his left elbow on the table and puts his hand to his face. In the next shot, before she stands up, his left hand is on the table.

Quotes:

Coral 'Dusty' Chandler: Oh, it's a blue, sick world, Rip.

Movie Connections:

References The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Soundtrack:

Either It's Love or It Isn't

Brutal Film Noir

One of Bogart's best, a brutal Film Noir with a surprising ending, & filled with sharp, witty dialog. Lizabeth has never looked more beautiful than here, & although her acting ability is overmatched by Bogart, she would improve in her later films & she's adequate in this role. There's glimpses of the basic "Maltese Falcon" plot here: Bogey searches out & seeks revenge for his partner, even some of the dialog is similar in that respect. If you like Bogart or if you like Film Noir, you can't go wrong with this one! And by the way, this is a REAL Film Noir, not in the newer use of this phrase (recently, people have been calling any B&W crime drama made in the 1940s a "Film Noir"). This film has all the classic Film Noir elements: lots of shadows & stark contrasts (in the beginning, Bogart speaks from shadows so dark that one can hardly see his face), a spoken narrative, a "hero" who works outside the law, a murder mystery, & a heroine who may not be a heroine.