Close-Up (1948)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Jack Donohue

Writers:

John Bright (writer)
James Poe (story)
(more)

Release Date:

9 June 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Cast

Alan Baxter	...	Phil Sparr
Virginia Gilmore	...	Peggy Lake
Richard Kollmar	...	Martin Beaumont
Loring Smith	...	Harry Avery
Phillip Huston	...	Joseph Gibbons
Joey Faye	...	Roger
Russell Collins	...	Beck
Michael Wyler	...	Fredericks
Sid Melton	...	Stanislaus Kranobowsky (cabbie)
Wendell K. Phillips	...	Harold (as Wendell Phillips)
Erin Selwyn	...	Bessie, Receptionist (as Erin O'Kelly)
Jimmy Sheridan	...	Jimmy (as James Sheridan)
Marcia Walter	...	Rita
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dort Clark	...	Detective (uncredited)
Kenne Duncan	...	Detective (uncredited)
Lauren Gilbert	...	Miller (uncredited)
Johnny Kane	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Maurice Manson	...	Inspector Lonigan (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Donohue

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Bright		writer
James Poe		story
Martin Rackin		adaptation
Max Wilk		writer

Produced by
Robert L. Joseph	....	associate producer
Frank Satenstein	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerome Moross

Cinematography by
William Miller

Film Editing by
Robert Klager

Art Direction by
Furth Ullman

Makeup Department
Ira Senz	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jules Bricken	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Di Gangi	....	assistant director (as James Digangi)

Sound Department
Clarence R. Wall	....	sound (as Clarence Wall)

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward Hyland	....	camera operator
William J. Nallan	....	still photographer

Other crew
Faith Hubley	....	script supervisor (as Faith Elliott)

Production Companies

• Harry Brandt Productions (as Marathon Pictures)

Distributors

• Eagle-Lion Films (1948) (USA) (theatrical)

Runtime:

USA:76 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Harry Brandt Productions

Another Alan and a clown less might have done the trick

Without realizing it, two newsreel reporters took pictures of a surviving nazi-leader in front of a bank, while filming fashion mannequins in the streets of New York. The German, who was thought to have died during the war, was inquiring if he could recuperate a large sum of money. He needs it, to be able to continue Hitler's dream after the dictator's death. He is helped by a criminal gang, which is only in it for a slice of the money, not for political reasons. Hal Ericson's description in the All Movie Guide of the gang as being a "secret neo-nazi gang" is therefor incorrect. The gang will make several attempts to recuperate the film and its negatives, including by kidnapping one of the reporters. The boss of the two reporters however discovers whose face has been captured on the newsreel, and contacts the authorities.

The problem with this rare B movie is that it just can't decide whether it wants to be a kind of political thriller, a crime movie or some kind of comedy. The final result therefor isn't very bright, without being terrible at the same time. The movie sure is watchable till the predictable end, but well... The script too isn't always very convincing. While the Nazi leader's henchman doesn't hesitate to kill one of the criminals, our hero just gets knocked unconscious with a gun on his head. The dialogs are poor, no cute « one-liners », no quick exchanges of wisecracks etc. Well, the hero's colleague is trying to be funny every now and then, but the movie could have done perfectly well without his clowning.

Alan Baxter may be in the words of Hal Ericson a "character actor", but you won't see very much of it in this movie. Frankly, I would have liked much more Alan Ladd playing this role, the way he played in The Glass Key. That would have given the movie that extra status it desperately needed to rise above a certain mediocrity. The music doesn't help either: the soundtrack you'll hear while the names of the actors etc are shown is OK. But during the key moments, the music just doesn't support the action, or is simply irritating. I'd give it a 6/10, so just good enough to keep it in my collection. By the way, I found a good copy on eBay USA, via one of the main B-movie sellers.