Review of Take One False Step

Preparing to go from Los Angeles to San Francisco to give a lecture on the opening of a new college, distinguished William Powell runs into an old acquaintance (Shelley Winters) who takes him for the ride of his life as he becomes a suspect in her sudden disappearance. It is instantly clear that there is more to this than meets the F-B-I, and his efforts to clear himself and make it to his lecture. Everything than can go wrong does go wrong, especially a fight with a vicious German Shepherd whom Powell believes may be infected with rabies. His efforts to get treatment do not go without comical effect as the doctor he goes to for quick treatment moves at a snails pace, then he gets caught in a traffic jam as all of the cars ahead of him are searched for a rabies infected man.

While this film noir with comic overtones ends up being mediocre as far as structuring and the sometimes absurd screenplay, it is never without tension. Veteran actor James Gleason is a smarter-than-average detective, while the gorgeous Marsha Hunt as Winter's acquaintance who helps Powell out and Dorothy Hart as Powell's wife offer fine support. But watching the former Nick Charles even innocently being on the opposite side of the law is an enjoyable experience, his easy-going personality still prominent 15 years after being served his first shaken martini. Second-billed Winters, far thinner than her later character years, shows the blowsiness here in her young years that made her a fan favorite years later.