Pitfall (1948)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Jay Dratler (novel)
Karl Kamb (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

24 August 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir

Tagline:

A man can be as strong as steel...but somewhere there's a woman who'll break him!

Plot:

John Forbes is a family man who's tired of the 9 to 5 humdrum of his job an insurance company executive...

Plot Keywords:

Insurance | Ménage À Trois | Based On Novel

Cast

Dick Powell	...	John Forbes
Lizabeth Scott	...	Mona Stevens
Jane Wyatt	...	Sue Forbes
Raymond Burr	...	MacDonald
John Litel	...	District Attorney
Byron Barr	...	Bill Smiley
Jimmy Hunt	...	Tommy Forbes
Ann Doran	...	Maggie
Selmer Jackson	...	Ed Brawley
Margaret Wells	...	Terry
Dick Wessel	...	Desk Sergeant

Directed by
André De Toth

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Bowers		uncredited
André De Toth		uncredited
Jay Dratler		novel "The Pitfall"
Karl Kamb		writer

Produced by
Samuel Bischoff	....	producer

Cinematography by
Harry J. Wild		(as Harry Wild)

Film Editing by
Walter Thompson

Art Direction by
Arthur Lonergan

Set Decoration by
Robert Priestley

Makeup Department
Robert Cowan	....	makeup artist
Kiva Hoffman	....	makeup artist
Hedy Mjorud	....	hair stylist (as Hedvig Mjorud)

Production Management
Ben Hersh	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph Depew	....	assistant director (as Joe Depew)

Sound Department
Frank Webster	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles Straumer	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Frank Tanner	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Frank Williams	....	grip (uncredited)

Music Department
Louis Forbes	....	musical director

Other crew
Cora Palmatier	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Regal Films

Distributors

• United Artists (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Classic Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Regal Films

Where Oh Where Is The DVD?

It's sad it is now 60 years after this film was released and we still don't have this available on DVD. You even have to pay big bucks to find a used VHS copy. It's "sad" because it is a fine film noir and would make an excellent addition to anyone's noir collection. So many film noirs are now on disc, where is this one??!!

I found you can't go wrong with Dick Powell in a film noir, and Lisabeth Scott certainly ranks among the all-time femme fatales in the genre's history. Add an unlikely pair of actors like Jane Wyatt and Raymond Burr, and Director Andre de Toth and you really have an interesting "old" crime story. "Crime Wave" and "Ramrod," two other fairly unknown-but-excellent hard-bitten noirs were also done by de Toth.

I am always amazed how Powell made such a tremendous career switch from Busby Berkely crooner and romantic to the hard-boiled detective or whatever (a restless insurance agent in here, believe it or not) while Scott seems to have always owned those "loser dame" roles. Between those two and the menacing Burr, who always was that until his Perry Mason TV days, I really enjoying watching this trio.

The film also featured Harry Wild's fine noir photography. Wild was the cinematographer on at least a half dozen film noirs, beginning with "Murder My Sweet" in the beginning of the period, so he knew what he was doing.