The Narrow Margin (1952)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Earl Felton (screenplay)
Martin Goldsmith (story) ...

Release Date:

4 May 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

'THAT BULLET'S MEANT FOR ME!" - Suspense every speeding second aboard a stream-lined limited...as syndicate killers seek to find and silence mystery woman headed for the Grand Jury!

Plot:

A woman planning to testify against the mob must be protected against their assassins on the train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Trial | Gangster | Nail File | Sleeping Car

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Charles McGraw	...	Det. Sgt. Walter Brown
Marie Windsor	...	Mrs. Frankie Neall
Jacqueline White	...	Ann Sinclair
Gordon Gebert	...	Tommy Sinclair
Queenie Leonard	...	Mrs. Troll
David Clarke	...	Joseph Kemp
Peter Virgo	...	Densel
Don Beddoe	...	Det. Sgt. Gus Forbes
Paul Maxey	...	Sam Jennings
Harry Harvey	...	Train conductor

Also Known As:

The Target (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #14631)

Filming Locations:

Santa Fe Railroad Depot - 1170 W. 3rd Street, San Bernardino, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Filmed in 1950, not released until 1952. According to director Richard Fleischer, when the film was finished RKO Pictures owner Howard Hughes heard good things about it and ordered that a copy of it be delivered to him so he could screen it in his private projection room. The film stayed in the projection room for more than a year, apparently because the eccentric Hughes forgot about it.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When the character of nine year old Tommy Sinclair (Gordon Gerbert) first appears, his traveling nurse clearly calls him "Tony". For the rest of the film he's called "Tommy", the character's official name.

Quotes:

Joseph Kemp: All right copper, I'm not in this alone, but you are. You're just one guy buckin' a big company, it don't matter if you beat my brains out or not - we're in business for keeps.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Narrow Margin (1990)

An Overlooked Classic

Here's an overlooked classic that more than holds its own over five decades after its release. Two-fisted detective Charles McGraw must protect a crucial witness (Marie Windsor) on a train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles. Since keeping a secret is hard, bad guys who aren't so keen on Windsor's testimony are also on board -- and will stop at nothing to silence her. Further complexities are added to an already tense situation when the hit men confuse another passenger as their target.

"The Narrow Margin" is known as a B movie, but you'd never know it from watching it. True, the film isn't flashy, but it does make the most out of everything it has. The story is original and full of twists, the suspense terrific and the acting memorable. With its creative take on what should be a simple story, and with its colorful characters and sharp direction, it's all more than a bit reminiscent of the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock. You won't regret picking this one up now that it's available on DVD.