Steve Brodie ("The Caine Mutiny") gets a starring role here as Steve Randall. Randall is a former G. I. turned independent trucker in his civilian life. He ends up getting involved with warehouse thieves led by the intimidating Walt Radak (Raymond "Perry Mason" Burr, in another of his early career villain roles). *He* knows that he's innocent, of course, but refuses to go to the cops to clear his name until he can be sure that his pregnant wife (Audrey Long, "Born to Kill") is safe. So they must take it on the lam.
Director Anthony Mann sure made a lot of entertaining movies during his career. This was the first picture he made where he felt he could claim some true authorship, after making a series of B pictures for R. K. O. It's not great like his subsequent noir classics, but it does tell a pretty good story in highly capable fashion. It gets a lot of mileage from its solid cast: Jason Robards Sr. ("Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House") as a sardonic police lieutenant, Douglas Fowley ("Battleground") as a shady private eye, the distinctively featured William Challee ("Five Easy Pieces") as a henchman, et al. Brodie is an engaging lead, and the lovely Long is very appealing. Burr, unsurprisingly, dominates the proceedings as a sadistic heavy whose soft spot is his younger brother (Larry Nunn, "Men of Boys Town"), who wants in on his siblings' action just once.
The definite highlight is the big finish, a shootout in an apartment building stairwell that is wonderfully photographed by the talented George E. Diskant ("Kansas City Confidential"). But Diskant gives the whole picture an excellent look.
Snappy and fast-paced, "Desperate" features some good dialogue (especially from Robards), and sizes up as a nice example of this fresh genre that had yet to be dubbed "film noir".
Seven out of 10.
Director Anthony Mann sure made a lot of entertaining movies during his career. This was the first picture he made where he felt he could claim some true authorship, after making a series of B pictures for R. K. O. It's not great like his subsequent noir classics, but it does tell a pretty good story in highly capable fashion. It gets a lot of mileage from its solid cast: Jason Robards Sr. ("Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House") as a sardonic police lieutenant, Douglas Fowley ("Battleground") as a shady private eye, the distinctively featured William Challee ("Five Easy Pieces") as a henchman, et al. Brodie is an engaging lead, and the lovely Long is very appealing. Burr, unsurprisingly, dominates the proceedings as a sadistic heavy whose soft spot is his younger brother (Larry Nunn, "Men of Boys Town"), who wants in on his siblings' action just once.
The definite highlight is the big finish, a shootout in an apartment building stairwell that is wonderfully photographed by the talented George E. Diskant ("Kansas City Confidential"). But Diskant gives the whole picture an excellent look.
Snappy and fast-paced, "Desperate" features some good dialogue (especially from Robards), and sizes up as a nice example of this fresh genre that had yet to be dubbed "film noir".
Seven out of 10.