Cry Danger (1951) User Reviews

A peevish Powell seeks redress in Los Angeles' post-war underbelly

[bmacv · 8/10 · 15 June 2003]

Among the male stars of the noir cycle, Dick Powell was the most peevish. When Humphrey Bogart smart-talked, it was with a wry bonhomie; when Robert Mitchum did it, it was with mumbled nonchalance. But when Powell snaps back a retort, you know he's got his dander up. This drastic change from his earlier days as happy-go-lucky hoofer began with his assumption (the first) of Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet and continued in Cornered, Johnny O'Clock, To the Ends of the Earth, and The Pitfall. His prickly temper informs Robert Parrish's Cry Danger, the last true noir he would appear in before affecting a pipe and cardigans in The Bad and the Beautiful.

Carrying a grip with the weight of the world in it, Powell steps off a train in Los Angeles; he's just spent five years in prison for a robbery and murder for which he took the rap. Luckily, a war-wounded and hard-drinking Marine (Richard Erdman), with whom he was supposedly drinking when the job was pulled, surfaced to give him an alibi. But Powell has never met this old buddy before.

Nonetheless, they throw their lot together and rent an armadillo-like trailer in a run-down park, where the wife of his old partner (Rhonda Fleming) lives, too. Powell has scores to settle, beginning with big-time bookie William Conrad who, he reckons, owes him $50-grand. Conrad pays off in classic mob fashion, by giving him a tip on a fixed race. The payoff money puts the police on his tail, as its marked bills are part of the take from the old robbery. But all traces of the illegal book have vanished, so Powell can't prove his innocence. He starts stalking Conrad for revenge, even though he's dodging pot-shots in the trailer park, while the duplicity that ensnared him lies much closer to home....

Cry Danger has a number of points in its favor, chief among them the pitiless photography of Joseph Biroc (it's decidedly the low-rent side of the City of Angels). Parrish keeps hustling the story along, nonetheless slowing down enough to allow Erdman a craftily underplayed, memorable performance (the same can't be said of Fleming, who simply lacks the wherewithal to function convincingly as femme fatale). There's a high quotient of violence, too – particularly when Powell extracts a confession from Conrad through a one-sided game of Russian Roulette. Somehow, though, the ingenuity of the earlier part of the picture starts to peter out near the end, turning its oddly low-key ending into something of an afterthought.

Good noir set in low-rent '50s Los Angeles

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 18 August 2009]

Dick Powell, Rhonda Fleming, Regis Toomey, Richard Erdman, and Jean Porter star in "Cry Danger," a 1951 film directed by Robert Parrish. Powell plays Rocky Mulloy, an ex-con, recently released from prison after an alibi appears that clears him of a robbery/murder. The alibi is a Marine (Erdman) named DeLong who says that he and Powell were drinking together at the time the job was pulled. In truth, Powell didn't commit the crime. However, he has never seen this Marine before in his life. The Marine wants money from the robbery.

The two rent a trailer in a trailer park, where the wife (Rhonda Fleming) of his ex-partner, who is still in prison, lives. She's actually an old girlfriend of Rocky's and the two are still attracted to one another. Rocky goes after a bookie (William Conrad) who cheated him and unknowingly bets on a fixed race, is paid in the robbery money, which sends the police after him.

It's good to read the comments for this film and realize that many people appreciate the versatility and talent of Dick Powell. He was many things to many people - a wonderful singer, a great tough guy, a savvy businessman, a good director, and a marvelous producer who launched Sam Peckinpah and Aaron Spelling. Not all of his later films were "A" productions, but he was always excellent.

The performances by Erdman and Conrad are very good. Rhonda Fleming is her usual beautiful self, and Jean Porter plays a lively party girl.

This is a good noir that captures the atmosphere of post-war LA, the down and out side of it. It's exciting and a little unpredictable, too, enough to keep you watching.

The Second Time Around

[ashew · 8/10 · 14 November 2006]

Like the old Sinatra song, things can be far better the second time around. The first time I saw "Cry Danger" it was shortly after a viewing of "Murder, My Sweet" and it just couldn't compare to that classic. I recently viewed the movie again and I must say that "Cry Danger" was a lot of fun.

The real stars of the movie are 1) the dialogue, and 2) Dick Powell's delivery of that dialogue. Bogart and Mitchum are blue collar guys who deliver these kinds of one-liners beautifully...and it stings...but Powell has an air of elegance and intelligence wrapped in a white collar, so when he gets caustic, condescending, sarcastic, and nasty, it seems to hurt even more. And it hurts so good. There is nothing more delicious to Noir fans than Powell letting rip with a great one-liner. And the more casual he is, the more "tossed away" the line is delivered, the more we grin with satisfaction. It's just a thing of beauty.

The supporting cast is good, with just about everyone pulling their weight admirably. William Conrad, Regis Toomey, and Rhonda Fleming are in fine form. I was expecting twists, turns, and deceit from Erdman's character, but after an interesting reveal in the beginning of the film, his character seems to be abandoned and left only to provide some comic relief. That missed opportunity aside, though, the script is fun and moves along briskly.

The direction is just fine, though not as dark as I would have liked it...but that is a minor complaint. There is a rawness and realism to these B films that I find much more rewarding than a lot of the glossy A films produced.

8 out of 10 for a thoroughly enjoyable hour and a half crawl through the seedy underbelly of Tinsel Town.

The real noir Los Angeles

[ike395 · 14 April 2004]

This film was shot on location in and around the Bunker Hill area of Los Angeles in the 1950's. The seedy trailer park, the crummy cocktail bars, and the Union Station (built in 1939) are the backdrop for a much better than average tale of revenge. Dick Powell gets off a train at the Union Station after spending 5 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He is met by a cop (Regis Toomey) that thinks he not only did the crime, but that he has stashed the loot. Also on the welcoming committee is Richard Erdman as an alcoholic former Marine that provided Powell with an alibi that got him out of prison. Rhonda Fleming plays the wife of a pal of Powell's that remains in prison for the crime. Powell intends to prove not only his innocence, but that of his buddy.

Add to the mix William Conrad as a bad guy with his own agenda and you have a better than average noir. The dialog between Powell and Erdman is dark and funny at the same time. The cinematography captures a part of Los Angeles that fell under the urban renewal wrecking ball that ripped the soul out of this part of the city. Not the greatest film noir ever made, but one of my favorites. Why isn't this film out on DVD?

Cry Excitement

[krorie · 7/10 · 27 July 2005]

Dick Powell, born in Mt. View, Arkansas, had a versatile career, starting out as a song and dance man with hit records who starred in some of the best musicals Hollywood ever made several of them by Busby Berkely. When his career floundered he changed genres and became one of the movies' best tough guys, in many ways better in the role than Humphrey Bogart, although Powell never became the cult hero Bogart became. Powell then went on to success in the new medium of television. While "Cry Danger" is no "Murder, My Sweet," it is an exceptional tough guy flick. One thing that always impressed me about Dick Powell, especially well done in "Murder, My Sweet," is his talk. He could read a line like nobody else. His voice helps make "Cry Danger" more realistic and more exciting to watch. William Conrad's Castro is an excellent foil for Powell's character, Rocky Mulloy. This was before the world came to know a real life villain, Fidel Castro. Today, Conrad's character has become even more dastardly as a result of historical events. There is even a freakish resemblance between Conrad's Castro and the cigar-smoking one in Cuba. Thus Conrad's character is even more menacing. Richard Erdman usually gets on my nerves when I see him in a movie. He had a habit of overplaying his part. But in Cry Danger he has been properly cast and comes off a winner. He ends up with some of the best lines in the film. This is the best acting I have seen him do. Rocky (Dick Powell) and Delong(Erdman)have trouble with their women in "Cry Danger." Both Rhonda Fleming and Jean Porter turn in creditable performances and add to the overall effectiveness of the film. One reviewer commented on the photography. And it's true the photography adds much to the overall impact of the movie. The trailer park is shown in such a realistic manner that the viewer can almost see the cockroaches crawl across the table. The action never slows down. The final scene is a good one. Once you start watching "Cry Danger" you won't want to stop.

Sorely Underappreciated Masterpiece of Atmospheric Noir

[MovieMarauder · 10/10 · 16 June 2004]

Ike basically took the words out of my mouth (for which I applaud him!), but I'll pledge my love for this film anyway. I'm fairly new to film noir (started getting into the style in my mid to late teens, and now at twenty, I'm a fanatic) and while I've seen almost all of the massive hits, the films that define the genre to the critics and the movie-loving public, I've found that my personal favorites are films like these, the ones that are so obscure you just might stumble upon them on accident and find that you've unearthed a treasure trove! An undiscovered gem that is virtually ignored altogether now (and perhaps then as well), "Cry Danger" is undoubtedly in my top ten favorite film noirs of all time. Many people will chalk this up to pure foolishness or relative inexperience with the genre on my part, but before you form these opinions, let me state my case. From the first long-angled shot of this film, the richly-textured atmospheric style is laid out. Our lead character steps off a train, fresh out of the jail where he spent five years of his life paying for somebody else's crime. He looks down a long, cylindrical tunnel at the station. The exit. But the tunnel represents something else. It represents the life he left as a younger man and the life he must return to as a forsaken, middle-aged, unemployed former gangster. It represents his cloudy, uncertain future, and his clinging reluctance to meet with it. From there, we're introduced to a set of characters so shady and so thoroughly corrupted by circumstances beyond their control that the story itself must logically take place in one of the seediest, most dilapedated settings to have ever been featured as a primary backdrop in a film noir...a worn-down trailer park! Yes, it's uncharacteristically rustic and completely atypical, but that's another one of this film's charms. The cramped trailer that Dick Powell and Richard Erdman share looks like it could have easily been ground zero for a moderately large hurricane, but as this is a west-coast noir, the above theory can be easily disputed. Beyond the trailer park lie villainous clip-joints and a non-descript deli which houses some mysterious vanishing bookies. Every civilian is a potential thug and every cop is on their payroll! The beauty of this film isn't necessarily the plot, as others have pointed out, even though I am certainly intrigued by the dilemma of our hero and the resolution of the story should be fairly unexpected. But the real reason to watch this film is for all the little things. So many fine details woven together to form a tapestry that, taken as a whole, makes for a really fun rainy-day noir caper! Dick Powell is awesome as a basically decent guy who's been set-up and screwed over one time too many. Richard Erdman really deserves glowing praise for his portrayal of a wise-cracking, one-legged ex-Marine (who lives in a trailer park! See why you should rent this right away?!?!). I've seen Erdman in a few things (most notably "Stalag 17" and "The Twilight Zone") and this film is the perfect vehicle to showcase his understated, cynical stage presence and his emphatic, cooly-paced and bitingly sardonic delivery. An underappreciated actor who really brings it to this role. All in all, this film is too smart and too cynical to win any awards, but if you enjoy a truly sinister noir with some very unique settings and memorable performances, "Cry Danger" just may be that film. All negative criticisms aside, see this and decide for yourself. I think you'll be glad you did!

Not who you'd first suspect

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 10 September 2005]

With Cry Danger, Dick Powell said good bye to the noir genre that had served him well since his electrifying Philip Marlowe in Murder My Sweet. Hard to believe the applecheeked tenor of all those sappy Warner Brothers musicals was the tough guy in some of the best noir films ever done. His few remaining films were not noir and pretty soon Powell was strictly on the small screen.

Powell in this case is a bookie who was sent up for a robbery that he didn't commit. He's out now due to an alibi provided by Richard Erdman who says Powell had been drinking with him the night the robbery had taken place.

With five years of his life taken from him, Powell's out to find who framed him and he hunts with only the determination Dick Powell can muster. He nearly gets framed again when he's given some of the hot money from the robbery to make a bet.

Usually in noir films, cops are usually a bit on the slow side unless the protagonist is a cop. Regis Toomey who plays the cop who arrested Powell five years before is an exception. He has Powell trailed from the moment he leaves prison and that pays off for him and for Powell.

This is a nicely done crisp little crime thriller. Good photography of the seamy side of Los Angeles, especially the trailer park where Powell is residing with Erdman, Rhonda Fleming who's the wife of his partner who's still in prison and Erdman's gal Jean Porter. The trailer park is pretty seedy, but with Rhonda Fleming there it does have its compensations.

Location! Location! Location!

[jimddddd · 9/10 · 22 May 2010]

Thanks to lighter, smaller film cameras developed during World War II, B-movie directors on a low budget often took their productions into the streets of Los Angeles (and elsewhere), adding a kinetic and exhilarating realism unavailable on the back lot. So-called films noir, particularly the documentary-style police procedurals, were especially enhanced by location shooting. I can name several films--"Crime Wave," "Kiss Me Deadly," "Angel's Flight" and this one, "Cry Danger," among others--that would have been far less interesting if the producers had kept them studio-bound. "Cry Danger" was shot at two locations on Bunker Hill, one at the corner of Third and Olive (the Amigos Club, where William Conrad had an upstairs office) and the other at the New Grand Hotel complex on the northwest corner of Third and Grand (where Conrad tricked Dick Powell into winning a bet with hot money from the robbery that had sent him to prison). But the most atmospheric scenes were shot several blocks away, at the top of Hill Place north of Sunset Boulevard in what is now a Chinatown neighborhood, where Powell moved into the Clover Trailer Park. (To see film stills matched with 2010 photos, check out www.electricearl.com/bh.) I recently (April 2010) saw the restored film version of "Cry Danger" at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood (where, incidentally, Rhonda Fleming and Richard Erdman were on hand to talk about the movie), and I can attest that the location scenes drew audible breaths and exclamations from the audience. Don't get me wrong; "Cry Danger" has great dialog and interesting characters, but without that wonderful personality called postwar Los Angeles it would have been much less of a movie.

Revenge

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 15 November 2006]

Rocky Malloy is a man that has served five years of his life in jail for a crime he didn't commit. We watch as he gets out of the train in Los Angeles' Union Station, where the newspaper man recognizes him from the front page story. A detective, and the man who gave Rocky his alibi, Delong, follow him until they meet. Rocky, while grateful to the guy that got him out of jail, but he knows Delong has an ulterior motive and wants to get to part of the money.

Rocky and Delong end up in a seedy trailer park. The beautiful Nancy happens to live there as well. Nancy, whose husband is tied up to Rocky, always liked Rocky. Being so close, they begin to get reacquainted. Delong, who likes Darlene, another woman in the trailer park, shacks up with Rocky. When someone shoots in Rocky's direction on the first night at the trailer park, he figures he has to pay a visit to an old friend so he can collect some of the money that's due to him. This is the beginning for Rocky to clear his name, even if it will take him to situations he didn't count on.

"Cry Danger", directed by Robert Parrish, is a minor film of the crime genre, not a film noir, as some comments indicate, and which Robert Maxwell, in his excellent commentary on this forum, analyzes objectively. This film was basically shot during the daytime. Sure, there are night scenes, but those menacing shadows are missing, also there are no tricky camera angles that distinguishes the noir genre from crime films. Which doesn't mean the film doesn't have its own merits.

Dick Powell, a versatile man, was at the end of his film career. As Rocky, he doesn't show the ease he showed in the much better "Murder My Sweet", but still he holds our attention. His contribution to the film pays off. Richard Erdman, who is seen as Delong, makes a good appearance. Rhonda Fleming plays Nancy, the woman who is the key to the mystery at the center of the story. William Conrad plays Louie Castro. Regis Toomey is seen as the detective Gus Cobb, who realizes Rocky is clean. Jean Porter has a couple of good moments as the party girl living in the trailer park.

"Cry Danger" while not a fine example of the crime film, gives us a look at how Los Angeles looked like thanks to the good black and white photography by Joseph Biroc. The director, Robert Parrish, gets good ensemble playing from his cast.

Fun Dialog In This Sort-of-Noir

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 30 November 2005]

Good dialog and a fast-moving story make this one of the better somewhat-unknown film noirs of its day.

Dick Powell and Jay Adler wisecrack their way through this film with some humorous sarcasm. Both are a lot of fun to watch. Powell was in his prime for this kind of role. He was much more mature looking than in his earlier musical days and he fits the part of a tough detective to a tee. His dialog with the tough cop, played by Regis Toomey, also is excellent stuff.

Jean Porter provides added humor with her supporting role as the bimbo-thief date for Adler and Rhonda Fleming adds beauty. A younger William Conrad - with a dark head of hair and a mustache - also has a key role in here.

Even though it is classified as film noir, I'm not sure it belongs in that category because it doesn't feature the brooding, dark type of characters and atmosphere one usually sees in that genre. One place is does belong is in your collection, if you like classic crime stories. This is another attractive film that still hasn't been issued on DVD.

Genuine L.A., straight ahead noir, Powell being Powell...a good one

[secondtake · 7/10 · 21 December 2010]

Cry Danger (1951)

Humphrey Bogart smiles. Robert Mitchum smiles. Lots of tough film noir types also show a grin or manage a laugh. But not Dick Powell. Forever grim and determined, he is a the archetype of an unhappy man, and usually, as in "Cry Danger," he's out to fix some problem.

This is a Dick Powell movie all the way, and a really good one. There are some great secondary characters, especially the mob leader William Conrad and a suspicious and wise-cracking Marine sidekick played by Richard Erdman. And the plot is good, if twisting slightly and improbable at times. It's also a somewhat cheaply made affair, with a car crash that won't convince a child, and some sets that show their seams. But hey, who cares? It barrels along and stern stiff unflappable Powell (his name is Rocky Mulloy in the movie) won't be stopped, even by love, even by duplicity. And certainly not by cops who should have arrested him several times for his liberties while on parole.

This is director Robert Parrish's first film, and he didn't really direct much later of note except, in 1966, a couple scenes in "Casino Royale." Between the two he did a bunch of so-so westerns. William Conrad, who is thirty at the time of filming here, went on to be television's "Cannon" and "Jake and the Fat Man," but he appeared in a bunch of these B-list noirs and is good every time. The leading woman is a simple type, and good enough at it, but her most memorable role is in "Spiral Staircase," a couple years earlier (definitely see that one). She, too, like half of Hollywood, drifted to t.v. by 1960.

Powell's career is interesting, and his last big role before moving to television himself was in "The Bad and the Beautiful," just a year later. He is never quite a distinctive leading man, and I'm guessing he thought of this as just bread and butter work, but he gives it his usual steely best, and holds the movie together. The other leading character has to be 1950 L.A., without the glamour. Every scene is gritty and real, night and day, and it's yet another sign of end of the studio system and the rise of t.v., with all the location shooting.

A fast, fun one, well filmed.

A Class Act

[gordonl56 · 9/10 · 28 December 2013]

Cry Danger – 1951

Dick Powell shines in this mid cycle film noir. Powell has just gotten out of prison after doing 5 years of a life sentence for a 100 grand armed robbery. He says he was framed and wants to get even.

This film noir is a true gem with some of the best use of location shooting in the genre. The acting, from the top to the bottom of the cast is first rate. The look of the film is also top flight, with cinematographer, Joseph Biroc, supplying director Robert Parrish with a nice assortment of blacks and greys. Add all this to a screenplay from noir veteran, William Bowers, and we have a genuine classic.

The cast includes, Dick Powell, Rhonda Fleming, Richard Erdman, Regis Toomey, Jean Porter, William Conrad, Jay Adler and Gloria Saunders.

Dick Powell – He is very good as the less than pleased man just out of prison, who is trying to clear his name. His role features some great back and forth with fellow cast members, William Conrad and Richard Erdman. He is not quite as innocent as he claims. Powell shows he can be a hard man when the need arises. This is, in my humble opinion, his best noir role.

Richard Erdman – Erdman also hands in an excellent performance as the alibi who arranged for Powell to be sprung from prison. His motive is that he figures Powell still has the 100 large hidden somewhere. He would like a slice.

Rhonda Fleming – Fleming plays the wife of Powell's friend who was also sent up the river over the robbery. Powell and Fleming had been an item before her wedding to Powell's buddy. Fleming has the most difficult role in the film as she is playing both sides of the street. She was in on the robbery, though Powell does not know this.

William Conrad – Conrad is a hoot here as the bookie who had arranged the robbery that started the mess. He is less than amused that Powell is out and after him. He spends the film setting up another frame job so Powell well get sent back to prison. When that fails, he sends killers out to whack Powell.

Regis Toomey - Toomey made a career out of playing world weary Police detectives etc. Toomey is not sure if Powell is guilty or was framed. He watches from a distance as Powell hunts down the swine he believes set him up.

Jean Porter- B-starlet, Porter sparkles here as the perky blonde bimbo with a penchant for picking pockets. She has some snappy lines with Richard Erdman before she gets killed in a botched hit on Powell.

Gloria Saunders – Though only on screen for a couple of minutes, Saunders has a very effective bit in Conrad's new frame attempt of Powell. Some might recall her as "The Dragon Lady" on television's TERRY AND THE PIRATES.

Jay Adler – Long-time bit player Adler, takes full advantage of his small amount of screen time as the slimy owner of the trailer park where a lot of the film takes place.

This one is well worth a watch. There is more than enough snappy dialogue and violence here. Plus the added bonus of the wonderful use of LA's old Bunker Hill district as the film's backdrop.

Noir Resumes

Dick Powell – MURDER MY SWEET, CORNERED, JOHNNY O'CLOCK, PITFALL, ROUGES' REGIMENT, TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, SPLIT SECOND. The last film was as a director.

Richard Erdman – DANGER SIGNAL, SHADOW OF A WOMAN, NOBODY LIVES FOREVER, THE BLUE GARDENIA. Most will recall him from his bit in STALAG 17

William Conrad – THE KILLERS, BODY AND SOUL, SORRY WRONG NUMBER, TENSION, ONE WAY STREET, DIAL 1119, CRY OF THE HUNTED. He also starred as Frank Cannon in the long running P.I. series, CANNON. He was very much in demand as a narrator for various show. His voice can be heard on many Quinn-Martin productions.

Rhonda Fleming - WHEN STRANGERS MARRY, SPELLBOUND, THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE, OUT OF THE PAST, INFERNO, THE KILLER IS LOOSE, WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS, SLIGHTLY SCARLET,

Regis Toomey – PHANTOM LADY, SPELLBOUND, STRANGE ILLUSION, THE BIG SLEEP, THE GUILTY, THE BIG FIX, HIGH TIDE, I WOULDN'T BE IN YOUR SHOES, UNDERCOVER GIRL, THE HUMAN JUNGLE.

Jay Adler – THE UNDERWORLD STORY, THE MOB, SCANDAL SHEET, THE TURNING POINT, VICE SQUAD, THE LONG WAIT, 99 RIVER STREET, DOWN THREE DARK STREET, MURDER IS MY BEAT, THE BIG COMBO, ILLEGAL, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, CRIME OF PASSION, THE KILLING

Robert Parrish –Twice Oscar nominated and one time winner, Parrish, was involved with, SHOOT FIRST and THE MOB as a director. As a film editor, he worked on, CAUGHT, A DOUBLE LIFE and BODY AND SOUL, which he won the Oscar for.

Joseph Biroc – Two time nominated and one time Oscar winning cinematographer, Biroc, worked on, ROUGHSHOD, LOAN SHARK, WITHOUT WARNING, THE GLASS WALL, VICE SQUAD, WORLD FOR RANSOM, NIGHTMARE and THE GARMENT JUNGLE. His most famous films are likely, HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

William Bowers – The prolific Bowers was also nominated for Oscars twice. His work includes the story or screenplay for, THE WEB, LARCENY, ABANDONED, CONVICTED, THE MOB, SPLIT SECOND, TIGHT SPOT as well as un-credited work on PITFALL and CRISS CROSS.

Cry Danger is a must see for the film noir fan.

Dick Powell exhibits cool.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 4 December 2012]

Film-Noir; Powell on the prowl. Rocky Malloy(Dick Powell)is released from prison and immediately begins looking for who framed him for a robbery he did not commit. An ex-Marine(Richard Erdman)proves to be a false witness to get Malloy released in hopes of getting a share of $100,000 believed to be hidden. No-nonsense cop(Regis Toomey)greets Malloy on his arrival in Los Angeles and promises to tail his every move. Rocky goes gunning for nightclub owner Castro(William Conrad), who had arranged the robbery. Malloy manages to meet up with his still incarcerated buddy's wife(Rhonda Flemming), who still carries a torch. Deception and flying lead is not going to deter Malloy from trying to prove his innocence. Rounding out the cast: Jean Porter, Jay Adler and Joan Banks.

Where's the noir?

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 15 November 2006]

It's never been clear to me what a film noir is. A treacherous woman? The traditional iconography of black sedans and snub-nosed revolvers? Black and white? Seedy surroundings or exotic ones? Murder or grand larceny? Revenge? Charlie Chan had all of them.

This one would seem to have all the proper elements though. Here is Dick Powell, who gave a good performance as Philip Marlowe in "Murder My Sweet." A .38 and a .45 caliber pistol. Rhonda Fleming, a femme than whom no one is more fatale. A semi-comic sidekick in Richard Erdman. Good old Los Angeles setting, and well chosen too. Fine noir title.

Yet the whole thing just doesn't jell. If film noir has anything, it has two basic elements, as Alain Silver pointed out -- dramatic photography and unusual camera placements. This has neither stylistic element. It's shot mostly during the daytime and Robert Parrish, an intelligent guy, has shot it as the straightforward unraveling of a mystery surrounding a double cross. You could substitute Cagney and Bogart and you'd have a typical, inexpensive Warner Brothers' gangster movie from the 1930s.

Dick Powell looks good in his neatly tailored suits and flat-brimmed fedora. He gets to drive a two-ton Nash as well. He's just been released from the slams after serving five years for a robbery he did not take part in. But, man, is he expressionless. When he makes a wise crack or is supposed to be sad, his face takes on a look of agony, as if trying to rearrange its own musculature is a colossal effort. And the script doesn't help him. The hospitalized Erdman asks about his, Erdman's, girl friend. "What about Doreen? How bad is she?" Powell: "As bad as she can get." William Conrad gives a stereotypical performance too but it is probably the best one because, cliché or not, the evil fat man is invariably a colorful role. Think of Sidney Greenstreet. Regis Toomey as the cop with whom Powell has a suitably ambivalent relationship looks like General George Marshall. In fact, I'm not entirely convinced they're not one and the same person. Let me put it this way. Have you ever seen the two of them in the same room together?

And the end, such as it is, kind of collapses in on itself. There isn't the expectable shootout. The villain doesn't twist around and fall from the roof with a splash. There is no clinch followed by a dissolve. Instead, after learning the true story from an unwitting Fleming, Powell tells her they're leaving for Timbuctoo and tells her to pack. Then he walks out, spills the beans to the waiting police, and strolls away.

I'm kind of making fun of it but I rather enjoyed it too. Everyone likes to see a puzzle solved.

Dick Powell faces William Conrad, and wins ... eventually.

[cm-4 · 10 July 1999]

Dick Powell is pardoned for a crime and searches for justice in post-war Los Angeles. Powell moves into a seamy trailer park on a hill overlooking the downtown (there is a great film shot of this) and teams with a disabled ex-marine. Powell confronts a gangster named Castro, played by William Conrad. Castro is definitely bad news for everyone around him.

The plot is not exceptional and certainly does not transcend B-movie standards, but the film is visually good and somehow the characters and the setting create a milieu which draws in the viewer. Definitely worth watching.

Above=Average, Gritty, Film Noir with a Lush L.A. Setting

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 2 September 2015]

Former Academy Award winning editor Robert Parrish cut his teeth as a director on this gritty, hard-broiled, black & white, Dick Powell urban thriller. Powell plays a hard-luck guy fresh out of prison after serving five years of a life term for a $100-thousand dollar robbery. No sooner has Rocky (Dick Powell of "Murder, My Sweet") gotten out of stir courtesy of a lame Marine, Delong (Richard Erdman of "Objective: Burma"), who has provided an alibi about clearing Rocky of a crime that our hero didn't commit. Meantime, a Los Angeles Police Lieutenant, Gus Cobb (Regis Toomey of "The Big Sleep"), tells Rocky that he plans to maintain tabs on him twenty-four/seven until he recovers the stolen loot. Rocky checks in with a shady bookie, Louie Castro (William Conrad of "The Killers"), who gives him $500 to place a bet on a horse that he claims will pay off 18-to-1. Naturally, Rocky demands more money to make up for the $100-thousand that he lost because he went to jail and couldn't hold down his $20-thousand dollar a year job. Everything goes smoothly for Rocky and Castro's long-shot horse pays off. Rocky picks up five grand from another bookie (Hy Averback), but he learns to his chagrin that he was paid off with dough from the robbery.

Cobb pulls Rocky in, and Rocky cannot prove where he got the race horse money. As it turns out, Cobb has been following Rocky so he knows that Castro is lying when Castro tells him that he hasn't seen Rocky. Rocky hooks up with a friend's wife, Mrs. Nancy Morgan (Rhonda Fleming of "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral"), whose husband Danny is up for parole. The villains shoot up a car that they believe is being driven by Rocky, but he isn't behind the wheel when the bullets blast holes in an innocent bystander, Delong's part-time model girlfriend Darlene (Jean Porter of "Bathing Beauty"). Delong winds up in the hospital, and Rocky packs a pistol and goes after Castro. He plays an interesting game of Russian roulette with Castro and convinces him to spill his guts to Cobb. When Castro calls the police, he is actually calling his own henchmen. Rocky calls Castro's bluff and forces him to ring up the police. The cops show up just as Castro's gunsels are coming to his rescue.

"Cry Danger" isn't the best movie that Powell ever made, but this atmospheric RKO release holds its own until the final revelations. Conrad makes a sturdy villain. This complicated movie qualifies as a film noir because the heroine isn't on the level and the heroine is treacherous. She has been lying all-along to our soft-touch protagonist. Of course, Rocky gets away without having to go back to jail, and Cobb collects the loot. Powell and Fleming never generate sparks. Nevertheless, "Cry Danger" has some strong moments, and the Los Angeles setting is terrific. Interestingly enough, future James Bond credits creator Maurice Binder served as an assistant to the producer.

Richard Erdman Rides Again!

[playwrite2000 · 8/10 · 29 January 2007]

Seen at the SF Film Noir Festival January 2007. Eddie Muller, the host of the affair, interviewed Richard Erdman between films. Erdman is viciously funny and a great raconteur. You'd recognize his face anywhere, he's done so many bit parts in movies over the years. His role in Cry Danger is one of his favorites and served as a kind of break through for his career. The scene where he has sworn off booze and is putting together a hamburger and pouring himself a glass of milk shows a man who makes himself promises and keeps none of them. He tosses the burger, pours out the milk and fills the glass with whiskey. Noir films from this era made no apologies. A drunk was a drunk. Nobody went to rehab. Cigarettes are lit like Roman candles and nobody complained about second hand smoke. Babes in low cut gowns make it obvious what they're after. Powell's character is focused and relentless. Rhonda Fleming is a gorgeous red herring (to match her red hair?) The print came up from the UCLA film vaults after the 35 mm print sent out from Cambridge proved technically unwatchable. Muller says there will never be a DVD of this film. The master is shot and the 16 mm version shown at the Castro Theater was murky and grey. Still, the film is worth watching if for no other reason than to hear Bill Bowers' sharp dialogue. His family was in the audience including his widow for a touching tribute to this master Noir scripter.

A List Cast & Better Than Average Noir Script

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 12 January 2019]

Dick Powell was an excellent actor. Rhonda Flemming is an under rated actress. Toget her they pump a lot into this script, and it shows. Powell is the classic ex-con who gets out of jail but then some folks try to get him put back in. As for Flemming, she is excellent as the dame who loves Rocky (Powell).

William Conrad is the heavy as he sets up Rocky with a fixed horse racing bet to give Rocky stolen money that the cops are looking for, There's more to it, but that is the base line I will go with rather than spoil the ending here.

Filmed in California in glorious Black and white, the film is a "b" RKO feature that is just over an hour in length. Like most noirs it packs a lot into an hour including Powell beating up Conrad.

It's worth seeing the film just to hear the wonderful dialog!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 8 October 2012]

During his early years in Hollywood, Dick Powell was pigeonholed into roles that were very, very similar. Because of his lovely voice and handsome face, he starred in one musical after another for Warner Brothers. While these films were pretty agreeable to watch, they were light-weight--with little depth and posing little challenge to Powell. He ached to do something more and around the end of WWII he got it--a great string of tough film noir movies. Now these were the antithesis of his earlier films and my assumption is that he got this chance because his boyish good looks were disappearing as he reached middle age. And, as far as I'm concerned, this was definitely for the better. With such tough films as "Cornered", "Johnny O'Clock" and "Murder My Sweet" he proved he could play a guy every bit as tough and cynical as the best of them!

"Cry Danger" begins with Powell being released from prison. Apparently, he'd spent five years there for a crime he didn't commit--and the only reason he was released is because an opportunist (Richard Erdman) perjured himself to provide him with an alibi. But he DIDN'T commit the robbery and he's determined to get to the bottom of it. The trail leads to a real crumb (William Conrad) and some snappy scenes between them. I'd say more, but don't want to divulge the film's nice twists.

All in all, the film worked for three major reasons--Powell's snappy acting, Conrad's performance as a slime-ball and wonderful dialog. While this is not exactly a great example of film noir, it's near-great--and well worth your time.

interesting twist with 'Harry'

With a good lawyer you may get lucky and just end up with life

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 19 November 2006]

**Spoilers** Railroaded into prison for life in a payroll robbery that resulted in the shooting death of a security guard US Marine combat veteran Rocky Mulloy, Dick Powell, is given a break after serving five years of a life sentence. When disable veteran and fellow Marine Delong, Richard Erdman, later came up with an alibi for him. Delong tells the D.A that Rocky was with him in a bar at the time of the robbery, it was a lie.

Not that Rocky was guilty, he wasn't. Delong desperate for cash felt that Rocky knew where the payroll money that was never recovered, some $100,000.00, was stashed and wanted a part of it. Out on the street Rocky is now more then ever interested in finding out who set him and his friend Danny Morgan up in the crime, that he and Danny were sent up the river for. Rocky goes to see the person who was behind and planned the robbery. A small time hood named Louis Castro, William Conrad.

Going to Castro's office on the top floor of a bar in order to beat the truth out of him Rocky get's Castro, who knows that Rocky is a man of his word,to placate the angry Rocky Mulloy. Castro gives Rocky $500.00 and a tip on a race that afternoon; put it all on a horse named "Draganfly" they already got his winning photo developed Castro tells him.

Rocky going to Castro's bookie, a guy named Hy, and plunking down the $500.00 ends up collecting, with "Draganfly" winning at odds of 8 to 1 by a nose, a cool $4,000.00! Taking out Danny's wife Nancy, Ronda Fleming, together with Delong and his kleptomaniac girlfriend Darlene LaVonne, Jean Porter, to celebrate Rocky is shocked to find out from Det. Gus Cobb, Regis Toomey, that Castro and his bookie Hy paid him off in hot money! In fact the very money that was taken in the payroll heist/murder that he was sent to the state pen for!

Better then your average film-noir crime drama with not as much darkness like in William Powell's earlier film-noir flicks. The movie "Cry Danger" has all the ingredients for success and puts them all together with style. we have the down and out pasty, Rocky Mulloy, being manipulated by those that he trusts. In a crime that he had nothing to do with but was conned or made to take the rap for. There's a very surprising ending when we realize that not only was Rocky innocent his friend Danny was involved with Castro in the robbery! In short Rocky was not only set up by the sleazy hood Castro but his best friend!

Injustice, Betrayal and Revelations

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 24 December 2018]

After five years in prison wrongly accused of robbery of US$ 100,000.00 and murder, Rocky Mulloy (Dick Powell) is released when the ex-marine Delong (Richard Erdman) gives the necessary alibi to him. Rocky was framed and sentenced to life, but he has always claimed that he was indeed drinking with marines. Delong is a one-leg ex-marine that wants a share of the stolen money and gave the fake alibi to release Rocky. They go to visit Nancy (Rhonda Fleming), who was Rocky´s former girlfriend that married his best friend Danny Morgan that is in prison for the same robbery, and she welcomes Rocky. Meanwhile Police Lt. Gus Cobb (Regis Toomey) tails Rocky day and night. Rocky borrows Delong´s car and seek out the gangster Louis Castro (William Conrad), who planned the robbery and he demands US$ 50,000.00 using a revolver. Castro promises to settle up with him later but frames Rocky instead. But Rocky wants to prove that he and Danny are non-guilty. Will he succeed?

"Cry Danger" is a film-noir with an engaging story of injustice, betrayal and revelations. The screenplay is very well written with plot points and excellent conclusion. The lovely Rhonda Fleming steals the film and her biography shows also a shining woman to be admired. The final twist will certainly surprise the viewers of this highly recommended film-noir. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Golpe do Destino" ("Blow of the Destiny")

Small Timer with Big Entertainment Value

[krocheav · 6/10 · 26 April 2014]

Dick Powell must represent one of the most successful transformations of character in screen history, from light hearted romantic crooner to tough guy. While this little, recently re-discovered film, may be far from one of the best examples, it certainly makes for a good watch.

The story by Jerome Cady (A.K.F. Call Northside 777 '48) has many good one liners, and enough twists to keep you hooked till the close. It's unfortunate Cady died at only 45 from an overdose of sleeping pills, taking with him whatever other stories he may have wanted to tell...as well as his own! The Screenplay by William Bowers (A.K.F: The Web '47, Night and Day '46 and Split Second '53) rolls along at a lively pace up to the final scene, that unfortunately, seems to have been either tacked on or hastened by other commitments.

The support cast are also good, with William Conrad menacing as the Orson Wells look alike - double crossing partner in crime. Richard Erdman adds a good presence as Delong, a strange opportunist tagging along hoping for a share of missing heist monies. Auburn haired beauty, and trained Soprano, Rhonda Fleming provides adequate feminine interests. Would sure be nice if someday, footage of her traveling Gospel quartet with Jane Russell, might come to light. Ms Fleming also received the Living Legacy award in '95 for her many contributions to women's health issues. Regis Toomey makes a convincing Detective, and his character is intelligently defined.

'Cry Danger' marks the first Directorial effort for Award winning editor Robert Parrish (Body and Soul '47) who went on to direct: Saddle the Wind '58, and Journey to the Far Side of the Sun '69. Prolific Director of Photography: Josef Biroc (It's a Wonderful Life '46, The Detective '69) captures the seedy sets designed by Hungarian Joseph Kish, to the point where you can almost smell the mold and dust on the walls.

Paul Dunlap (Walk Like a Dragon '60, and several Samuel Fuller efforts) along with Emil Newman, are credited with the Music Score, but others were also involved, so it comes across as pretty much like a stock Library effort.

Not first class Noir, but should please lovers of 50's mystery double features and, any work by Powell is worth watching.

Slick, Sharp & Punchy

[seymourblack-1 · 8/10 · 9 March 2016]

Everything about this movie (which was famously filmed in just 22 days) is slick, sharp and punchy. Its story about injustice, revenge and numerous betrayals is told without any unnecessary embellishments, its running time is brief and its dialogue is consistently razor-sharp. With plenty of action, humour and violence, it's gripping right from the start and its relentless pace ensures that audience interest stays at a high level throughout.

After serving five years in prison for crimes he didn't commit (robbery and murder), Rocky Mulloy (Dick Powell) is released early from his life sentence when a disabled ex-marine called Delong (Richard Erdman) steps forward with a strong alibi. Detective Lieutenant Gus Cobb (Regis Toomey) who'd originally arrested Mulloy, isn't convinced by Delong's testimony and so puts a round-the-clock tail on Mulloy to test if his cynicism is justified and also to see whether Mulloy leads him to the $100,000 loot from the robbery.

It soon emerges that Delong is an opportunist who never knew Mulloy in the past and made up his alibi in the hope that Mulloy would be grateful enough to give him a share of the proceeds of the robbery. After Mulloy explains that he doesn't know where the stolen cash is but is determined to find out, the two men hire a trailer in a local park. Mulloy is out for revenge on whoever framed him and wants to hunt down the real criminals in order to clear his name and also that of his best friend Danny Morgan who's still in prison.

Danny's wife (Rhonda Fleming) who was also one of Mulloy's ex-girlfriends, is one of his neighbours at the trailer park and seems interested in reviving their relationship. The determined Mulloy is more focused on other priorities, however, and so goes to visit local crime boss Louie Castro (William Conrad) who he knows was involved in setting up the robbery and demands a payment of $50,000 as compensation for the years he spent in prison. Predictably, Castro doesn't oblige and instead, cleverly sets Mulloy up to be caught in possession of stolen money. Other complications then follow before Mulloy eventually discovers who was responsible for framing him and also where the money from the robbery was hidden.

The strongest and most consistent theme that runs through "Cry Danger" is betrayal and the main protagonist's natural bitterness about the circumstances under which he was framed and then lost his liberty for five years is compounded further when, after completing his investigation, he discovers that the extent to which he was betrayed was actually far greater than he ever realised. Dick Powell is convincingly tough, cynical and witty in a performance that makes his shady character very likable and Richard Erdman stands out among the supporting cast who are all extremely good.

"What are ya gonna do with all that dough?"

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 5 July 2017]

Engaging, compact crime meller has Dick Powell in excellent form as Rocky Mulloy, framed for a robbery and out of jail on parole after serving five years; he's being tailed by a Los Angeles police lieutenant, who thinks Rocky knows the whereabouts of the loot never retrieved from the heist. Powell is nearly upstaged by William Conrad as a slick, slimy bookie, the boss behind the job that sent both Rocky and a pal up the river. Supporting cast is pretty solid; only Rhonda Fleming misses the mark as Rocky's former-flame who married his partner (Fleming's general nature is too sweet for this scenario, and she looks too coiffed and glamorous to be living in a seedy neighborhood trailer park). Lots of delicious, overripe tough talk and an exciting finale, though it's a shame Rocky never gets to expose the bookmaker's flunkies, who pull a fast one on him with some hot racehorse dough. **1/2 from ****

Another excellent Powell Noir

[Ripshin · 16 October 2004]

Somehow, I missed this little gem over the years.

Excellent location filming, combined with a compelling script and great acting - a definite must-see for "film noir" fans. My only complaint is the somewhat stale performance by Rhonda Fleming - I think they needed somebody a bit more "earthy" for the part. Richard Erdman and Jean Porter are excellent in their supporting roles.

It was rare in 1951, to see so many actual locations in a film, but this is obviously a low-budget enterprise. Plus, the nature of "noir" is almost always to utilize reality, as opposed to artifice. I did notice some sloppiness with the usage of studio sets; the interiors of the trailers were, of course, sets, and many times when characters exit, the blank studio wall is clearly visible.

One goof occurs when Powell's character drops off Fleming at her office. As the car drives away, the cameraman is clearly visible in the window's reflection. Of course, who knew then that a viewer would eventually be able to freeze-frame a shot?

Great film.....highly recommended.