Say, this was one clever little flick. What grabbed me was how elements of the picture fell into place while thinking about certain scenes after it was over. Like the sketch of the murderer and Susie's apparent suicide - geez, that hit me over the head later rather than sooner, as the movie's pacing managed to distract me when those crucial events took place. I also found it slick the way the Hart and Winston mannequin display led to an analysis of the two Eleanor's, highlighting the dilemma faced by Ann Sheridan's character as she wrestled with her feelings about a missing husband and their dissolving marriage.
The one thing that could have been handled better though was the revelation of Leggett (Dennis O'Keefe) as Danny Boy. It occurs too early in the story, probably about mid way in with that suspenseful 'Uh-Oh' music that portends certain doom. Wouldn't it have been something if Eleanor learned of Danny Boy's name in connection with the city's criminal enterprise? Then, while they're on the roller coaster ride, Leggett reveals himself - 'You can call me Danny Boy'! That would have been perfect, adding a twist of suspense that was diluted somewhat by the way it was actually handled.
Ann Sheridan is probably my favorite actress of the era, but this film offered a side I hadn't seen before. I'm more familiar with the wise cracking Laury Ferguson of "Angels With Dirty Faces", or saucy waitress Cassie Hartley from "They Drive By Night". Here she makes with the snappy dialog, but it's subdued and somber, tailored to the circumstances of a husband who's witnessed a murder and might be using that as an excuse to ditch his wife. In that respect, the movie's title might have been better served by calling it "Man On The Run", but then it wouldn't have been Sheridan's picture, which it most definitely was.
Ross Elliott portrayed the 'missing' Frank Johnson; funny how his character managed to pervade every scene even though he was almost never around till the finale. Robert Keith turned in a capable performance as the police inspector on the murder/missing husband case. But gee, it seemed a bit too ironic that his character's name would be Ferris in a story that winds up in an amusement park.
I managed to pick this movie up as part of a four DVD/sixteen movie collection from Mill Creek Entertainment as part of their 'Gangsters' set. Most, probably all of the flicks in the set are ones you never heard of, I certainly hadn't. Which made it a whole lot more satisfying to come away with a gem like this one in the mix, even if there was a clunker or two to sit through along the way.
The one thing that could have been handled better though was the revelation of Leggett (Dennis O'Keefe) as Danny Boy. It occurs too early in the story, probably about mid way in with that suspenseful 'Uh-Oh' music that portends certain doom. Wouldn't it have been something if Eleanor learned of Danny Boy's name in connection with the city's criminal enterprise? Then, while they're on the roller coaster ride, Leggett reveals himself - 'You can call me Danny Boy'! That would have been perfect, adding a twist of suspense that was diluted somewhat by the way it was actually handled.
Ann Sheridan is probably my favorite actress of the era, but this film offered a side I hadn't seen before. I'm more familiar with the wise cracking Laury Ferguson of "Angels With Dirty Faces", or saucy waitress Cassie Hartley from "They Drive By Night". Here she makes with the snappy dialog, but it's subdued and somber, tailored to the circumstances of a husband who's witnessed a murder and might be using that as an excuse to ditch his wife. In that respect, the movie's title might have been better served by calling it "Man On The Run", but then it wouldn't have been Sheridan's picture, which it most definitely was.
Ross Elliott portrayed the 'missing' Frank Johnson; funny how his character managed to pervade every scene even though he was almost never around till the finale. Robert Keith turned in a capable performance as the police inspector on the murder/missing husband case. But gee, it seemed a bit too ironic that his character's name would be Ferris in a story that winds up in an amusement park.
I managed to pick this movie up as part of a four DVD/sixteen movie collection from Mill Creek Entertainment as part of their 'Gangsters' set. Most, probably all of the flicks in the set are ones you never heard of, I certainly hadn't. Which made it a whole lot more satisfying to come away with a gem like this one in the mix, even if there was a clunker or two to sit through along the way.