twists and turns, and unusual developments. The perfect suspense and noir film not only for John Garfield fans.
Garfield is a man down on his luck who with partner in crime Norman Lloyd decides the perfect heist is to rob a payroll clerk on payday. They steal the money and to escape he blends in to the crowd. He ends up at a sort of YMCA/neighborhood pool which is very crowded; the police are looking for him but he hides the money in his locker. There is much suspense created here under rather ordinary circumstances. Some of the scenes in the pool are interesting, as when he is swimming, hiding underwater to avoid the police. He flirts and eventually befriends a stand-offish Shelley Winters. She has that likable and vulnerable quality that a thief could use, to hide-out. He takes her home, which turns out to be a small apartment where she lives with her parents and kid brother. The parents portray the average working class, decent people who would not expect a man to be capable of such crimes.
Eventually Winters falls for him. She has her hair done and even buys a new dress to impress the Garfield character. He needs to make a get-away and gives her $1,500.00 of the money to get a car. When she returns the jig is up. The police have been notified and it is just a matter of time. Garfield doubts that Winters even bought the car... she must have turned him in, he thinks. Possibly not? The ending has a good twist of fate and movies such as this are hard to come by. Highly recommended.
There was something very real, and affecting about these movies centered in NYC. Nothing since has ever come close. If you enjoyed this you may also like "Pickup on South Street" with Richard Widmark and Thelma Ritter. Also "Road House" with Ida Lupino and Richard Widmark. Another stand-out. 9/10.
Garfield is a man down on his luck who with partner in crime Norman Lloyd decides the perfect heist is to rob a payroll clerk on payday. They steal the money and to escape he blends in to the crowd. He ends up at a sort of YMCA/neighborhood pool which is very crowded; the police are looking for him but he hides the money in his locker. There is much suspense created here under rather ordinary circumstances. Some of the scenes in the pool are interesting, as when he is swimming, hiding underwater to avoid the police. He flirts and eventually befriends a stand-offish Shelley Winters. She has that likable and vulnerable quality that a thief could use, to hide-out. He takes her home, which turns out to be a small apartment where she lives with her parents and kid brother. The parents portray the average working class, decent people who would not expect a man to be capable of such crimes.
Eventually Winters falls for him. She has her hair done and even buys a new dress to impress the Garfield character. He needs to make a get-away and gives her $1,500.00 of the money to get a car. When she returns the jig is up. The police have been notified and it is just a matter of time. Garfield doubts that Winters even bought the car... she must have turned him in, he thinks. Possibly not? The ending has a good twist of fate and movies such as this are hard to come by. Highly recommended.
There was something very real, and affecting about these movies centered in NYC. Nothing since has ever come close. If you enjoyed this you may also like "Pickup on South Street" with Richard Widmark and Thelma Ritter. Also "Road House" with Ida Lupino and Richard Widmark. Another stand-out. 9/10.