The Sellout (1952)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Gerald Mayer

Writers:

Charles Palmer (writer)
Matthew Rapf (story)

Release Date:

18 February 1953 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

How much does it take for a Woman to Sellout her Man?

Plot:

Big-city newspaper Editor Haven D. Allridge starts a crusade to smash corrupt small-town sheriff Burke...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman

Cast

Walter Pidgeon	...	Haven D. Allridge
John Hodiak	...	Charles 'Chick' Johnson
Audrey Totter	...	Cleo Bethel
Paula Raymond	...	Peggy Stauton
Thomas Gomez	...	Sherrif Kellwin C. 'Casey' Burke
Cameron Mitchell	...	Randloph 'Randy' Stauton
Karl Malden	...	Capt. Buck Maxwell
Everett Sloane	...	Nelson S. Tarsson
Jonathan Cott	...	Deputy Edward 'Ned' Grayton
Frank Cady	...	Bennie Amboy
Hugh Sanders	...	Judge Neeler
Griff Barnett	...	Atty. General J. R. Morrison
Burt Mustin	...	Elk M. Ludens
Whit Bissell	...	Wilfred Jackson
Roy Engel	...	Sam F. Slaper

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #15484)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Losing Momentum

1951, the Kefauver congressional committee on organized crime and corruption is making headlines, and MGM under new head Dore Schary is trying to make that famously big-budget studio relevant to news of the day. The trouble is that the so-called Tiffany of studios just doesn't have the same feel for gritty material as a Warner Bros. or an RKO. Too bad this film doesn't sustain the harrowing feel of the first 15 minutes, when prominent editor Allridge (Pidgeon) is brutalized after a minor traffic infraction by corrupt Sheriff Burke (Gomez). Allridge's ordeal has the feel of a "sudden nightmare" to it, as if he's been abruptly forced into a savage new world where the old civilized rules no longer apply. It's a backwater county run by the sheriff like a private fiefdom and a jailhouse where inmates rule once the cell door slams shut. I like the way we're shown the difficulties state prosecutor Johnson (Hodiak) encounters in trying to rid the county of Burke and his outlaw regime.

Still and all, the longer the movie lasts, the more momentum it loses, ending with a final 20 minutes of plodding courtroom procedure. There's still some suspense in the air (why did Allridge skip town), but the initial energy has long since dissipated. At least part of the problem lies with uninspired direction that can't sustain the early sense of tension and evil. Too bad noir maestros like Phil Karlson or Anthony Mann weren't running the show. Those reviewers contrasting this film with Karlson's similar Phenix City Story are right on target. Nonetheless, the movie does have its moments, along with a vibrant turn from the under- rated Audrey Totter who never seemed to get the recognition her talent deserved.