In "Strange Cargo" director Frank Borzage's noir thriller "Moonrise," a man is traumatized by his classmates because his father committed a murder and was hanged for it. Danny Hawkins (Dane Clark of "Pride of the Marines") suffers from constant bullying because everybody ridiculed him for his father's crimes and drove him to the brink of insanity. As this offbeat, 90-minute, psychological melodrama unfolds, Danny and Jerry Sykes quarrel in the woods behind a dancehall over a woman, Gilly Johnson (Gail Russell of "Angel and the Badman"), that both love. What Danny doesn't know is Gilly has accepted Jerry's marriage proposal. Meantime, these two stags tangle with each other with such venom and ferocity that Danny bests Jerry as they struggle over a rock that Jerry picked up in a fit of desperation. When the dust settles, an incredulous Danny discovers Jerry is in fact dead. When he drags Jerry's body away to another secluded spot, Danny's pocket knife-one of only two of a kind in the community-gets snagged up in some foliage and torn off his person.
Meanwhile, Gilly worries about Jerry's mysterious disappearance. Reluctantly, Sheriff Clem Otis (Allyn Joslyn of "Only Angels Have Wings") launches an investigation with no leads. Eventually, Otis figures something out and questions both Danny and Gilly. The sheriff assures Gilly that Danny has a better chance if he turns himself in and uses the story of his traumatic childhood to defend himself. Mind you, poor Danny suffers in silence and nearly kills Gilly and himself. This happens when he sees hallucinatory images of Jerry hurling rocks at him while he driving recklessly around in a friend's automobile. At the time, Jimmy Biff (Harry Carey Jr. Of "Rio Grande") and his girlfriend are sitting in the backseat. Jimmy repeatedly warns Danny to slow down. Danny loses control of the automobile and flips it. Miraculously, nobody is injured. When Danny isn't romancing Gilly, he spends time in the backwoods with a reclusive African American, Mose (Rex Ingram of "Cabin in the Sky"), who used to work for the railroad as a conductor. Now, Mose has the best tracking dogs in the county, and Sheriff Otis approaches him to use those hounds to search for Jerry's body. Indeed, Gilly in a roundabout way has suggested to Danny to give himself up. Ultimately, what convinces our tormented hero to turn himself over to the authorities is his Grandma (Ethel Barrymore of "Rasputin and the Empress") who convinces him he doesn't have bad blood as so many of his peers have accused him.
For the record, Ally Joslyn plays the most sympathetic lawman in the history of the cinema. He stands up for Danny once his deputies find him and refuses to clap handcuffs on him. Borzage creates a wealth of vivid imagery that epitomizes Danny's predicament. Earlier, Danny had climbed a tree to frighten a raccoon out of it. Literally, Danny is no better off than that unfortunate racoon. Later, when he realizes he has lost his pocket knife, Danny tries to buy another at the general store where he bought the one he lost. The owner remembers him and points out while the sheriff is in the store that there are only two such pocket knives in the county. As it turns out, one of Danny's non-judgmental friends that he stands up for is a mute, intellectually challenged individual, Billy Scripture (Harry Morgan of "Dragnet"), who has found it. Danny is conflicted throughout the film because he agonizes over being cursed with 'bad blood.' When he nearly strangles Scripture to death, the revelation tears Danny's soul up, and he apologizes. John L. Russell's atmospheric black & white photography is at times virtually surreal. Check out the opening scene when we watched Danny's doomed dad swing from the gallows! As unforgettable as this melodrama is with its wonderful performances and direction, "Moonrise" is not for everybody.
Meanwhile, Gilly worries about Jerry's mysterious disappearance. Reluctantly, Sheriff Clem Otis (Allyn Joslyn of "Only Angels Have Wings") launches an investigation with no leads. Eventually, Otis figures something out and questions both Danny and Gilly. The sheriff assures Gilly that Danny has a better chance if he turns himself in and uses the story of his traumatic childhood to defend himself. Mind you, poor Danny suffers in silence and nearly kills Gilly and himself. This happens when he sees hallucinatory images of Jerry hurling rocks at him while he driving recklessly around in a friend's automobile. At the time, Jimmy Biff (Harry Carey Jr. Of "Rio Grande") and his girlfriend are sitting in the backseat. Jimmy repeatedly warns Danny to slow down. Danny loses control of the automobile and flips it. Miraculously, nobody is injured. When Danny isn't romancing Gilly, he spends time in the backwoods with a reclusive African American, Mose (Rex Ingram of "Cabin in the Sky"), who used to work for the railroad as a conductor. Now, Mose has the best tracking dogs in the county, and Sheriff Otis approaches him to use those hounds to search for Jerry's body. Indeed, Gilly in a roundabout way has suggested to Danny to give himself up. Ultimately, what convinces our tormented hero to turn himself over to the authorities is his Grandma (Ethel Barrymore of "Rasputin and the Empress") who convinces him he doesn't have bad blood as so many of his peers have accused him.
For the record, Ally Joslyn plays the most sympathetic lawman in the history of the cinema. He stands up for Danny once his deputies find him and refuses to clap handcuffs on him. Borzage creates a wealth of vivid imagery that epitomizes Danny's predicament. Earlier, Danny had climbed a tree to frighten a raccoon out of it. Literally, Danny is no better off than that unfortunate racoon. Later, when he realizes he has lost his pocket knife, Danny tries to buy another at the general store where he bought the one he lost. The owner remembers him and points out while the sheriff is in the store that there are only two such pocket knives in the county. As it turns out, one of Danny's non-judgmental friends that he stands up for is a mute, intellectually challenged individual, Billy Scripture (Harry Morgan of "Dragnet"), who has found it. Danny is conflicted throughout the film because he agonizes over being cursed with 'bad blood.' When he nearly strangles Scripture to death, the revelation tears Danny's soul up, and he apologizes. John L. Russell's atmospheric black & white photography is at times virtually surreal. Check out the opening scene when we watched Danny's doomed dad swing from the gallows! As unforgettable as this melodrama is with its wonderful performances and direction, "Moonrise" is not for everybody.