I Walk Alone (1948)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writers:

Theodore Reeves (play)
Robert Smith (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 January 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Ruthless! because once he trusted a dame!

Plot:

Frankie Madison leaves prison expecting a share from his ex-partner. But Prohibition bootlegging didn't prepare Frankie for Big Business.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Frankie Madison
Lizabeth Scott	...	Kay Lawrence
Kirk Douglas	...	Noll 'Dink' Turner
Wendell Corey	...	Dave
Kristine Miller	...	Mrs. Alexis Richardson
George Rigaud	...	Maurice
Marc Lawrence	...	Nick Palestro
Mike Mazurki	...	Dan (the doorman)
Mickey Knox	...	Skinner
Roger Neury	...	Felix Walter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Barber	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
John Bishop	...	Ben (uncredited)
Charles D. Brown	...	Lt. Hollaran (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	George (uncredited)
James Davies	...	Masseur (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	Henri (the chef) (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Olin Howland	...	Ed (the watchman) (uncredited)
Bruce Lester	...	Charles (uncredited)
Walter Merrill	...	Det. Schreiber (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Toll booth policeman (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Heinz (uncredited)
Cap Somers	...	Butcher (uncredited)
Freddie Steele	...	Tiger Rose (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Policeman (uncredited)

Directed by
Byron Haskin

Writing credits
Theodore Reeves		(play "Beggars Are Coming to Town")
Robert Smith		(adaptation) and
John Bright		(adaptation)
Charles Schnee		(screenplay)

Produced by
Hal B. Wallis	....	producer

Original Music by
Victor Young

Cinematography by
Leo Tover		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt		(as Arthur Schmidt)

Art Direction by
Franz Bachelin
Hans Dreier

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Patrick Delany

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard McWhorter	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Harry Lindgren	....	sound
Walter Oberst	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Farciot Edouart	....	process photographer

Music Department
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Joan Hathaway	....	dialogue director

Production Companies

• Hal Wallis Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1949) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount Films of Italy Inc. (1949) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Paramount-Films (1949) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Norway:16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #12235)

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

First of seven films that Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster made together.

Quotes:

Nick Palestro: For a buck, you'd double-cross your own mother.
Skinner: Why not? She'd do the same to me.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

Soundtrack:

DON'T CALL IT LOVE

Good

Frankie (Burt Lancaster) is released after 14 years in prison and is met by old friend Dave (Wendell Corey) who sets him up with a place to stay. He senses that Dave is uneasy with him and discovers that he is working for his old partner in crime, Noll (Kirk Douglas), who is now running a successful nightclub. Frankie visits the club and Noll is curious to find out what he wants. He instructs his mistress Kay (Lizabeth Scott), who is a singer at the club, to pump Frankie for information over a dinner. It is soon clear to Frankie that everyone around him is under the influence of Noll and so confronts him with a demand of a half share in the business. Noll refuses and Frankie plans to take what he believes is rightfully his - they agreed to split things 50-50 if either of them went to prison. It is interesting to see the two different characters pitted against each other, ie, Frankie (straight forward and uneducated) vs Noll (deceitful and intelligent). Kay switches allegiance when she hears of Noll's intention to marry Mrs Richardson (Kristine Miller) and Dave also has 2nd thoughts about Noll....

The film is well-acted but Lizabeth Scott seems slightly out of place as a world-weary nightclub singer. She's too young to be believable as someone who has been "around the block", and I also found her voice slightly irritating. Another let-down is in the script with the actors speaking each other's names to the point of irritation - we don't need to hear "Frankie..." followed by "Frankie...." and then a couple of minutes later "Frankie...." ... we know he's called Frankie!