Back in the 1930sl, Lew Ayres was on top of the world in Hollywood. After starring in "All Quiet on the Western Front", he had a steady career in Hollywood. And, when he got the lead in MGM's Dr. Kildare series, Ayres continued on his winning ways. However, WWII arrived and Ayres was an avowed pacifist. While he bravely volunteered to be an orderly in the military, his refusal to fight soured him with the public and the studios. As a result, his career, with a few exceptions (such as "Johnny Belinda" in 1948), was mostly flat in the post-war years. He worked but the quality of the films declined. This is why he starred in a low-budget film like "No Escape"...a film that paired him with mostly no-name actors and Sonny Tufts...who, himself, had fallen even further in his career thanks to his off-screen habits (as well as his rather wooden acting). So, it seemed obvious that this film was most likely a second or third-rate affair. But is it worth seeing despite this? Read on....
The story finds John Tracy (Ayres) a down and out lounge singer. This part is pretty funny, as it's clearly NOT Ayres singing and the voice isn't even close to his. Soon, he's accused of a vicious murder and the San Francisco police force is looking for him. Oddly, however, Detective Shayne (Tufts) is mostly interested in getting John to disappear instead of catching him. Could this all have something to do with the lady who BOTH men are interested in...Pat (Marjorie Steele)?
This film has some shortcomings. Not only is the singing bad but a few scenes looked pretty cheap (such as the view from Pat's apartment which was at a VERY strange angle). Despite this, however, the film is still entertaining and worth seeing. A great mystery/suspense movie? Nah...but interesting and better than I had first hoped!
The story finds John Tracy (Ayres) a down and out lounge singer. This part is pretty funny, as it's clearly NOT Ayres singing and the voice isn't even close to his. Soon, he's accused of a vicious murder and the San Francisco police force is looking for him. Oddly, however, Detective Shayne (Tufts) is mostly interested in getting John to disappear instead of catching him. Could this all have something to do with the lady who BOTH men are interested in...Pat (Marjorie Steele)?
This film has some shortcomings. Not only is the singing bad but a few scenes looked pretty cheap (such as the view from Pat's apartment which was at a VERY strange angle). Despite this, however, the film is still entertaining and worth seeing. A great mystery/suspense movie? Nah...but interesting and better than I had first hoped!