The Hunted (1948) User Reviews

Good 1940's noir

[Panamint · 7/10 · 19 March 2017]

This is a film that manages to keep the viewer's interest through well- conceived plot twists and a well-played romantic relationship between the two lead characters. Preston Foster is believable as a tough cop with a hard-nosed exterior who has a complicated emotional entanglement with an enigmatic and dangerous woman. Foster does a great job in the role.

A now rather obscure actress named Belita gives a studied and endearing performance as the ex-con blonde noir babe who maybe does or does not love the cop. She manages to convey a vulnerable yet dangerous persona that is not easy to maintain for an entire film length but she pulls off this feat with remarkable consistency and aplomb. The multi-talented Belita also gives us a fine and professionally done figure skating routine wherein her rather tall, lean and graceful style reminds me of the great Olympian Peggy Fleming. And its good to see noir icon Charles McGraw in a supporting role.

I found "The Hunted" to be a rewarding blend of constant emotional tension between the characters and plot tension related to the twists and turns of its basic noir story line. View it if you get the chance.

No `Decoy,' The Hunted has its noir credentials in place – and novelty star Belita

[bmacv · 6/10 · 13 September 2003]

Imported from her native England as a second-string Sonja Henie, ice-skating novelty star Belita soon found that there was little call in Hollywood for her to lace up her blades. After a couple of ice musicals, she landed in three Poverty-Row noirs. In the first of them, Suspense, her skating skills were worked, however awkwardly, into the plot. But in the second, The Hunted, her prowess on the ice was a mere afterthought – she briefly shows off her twirls and figure-8s because what audience she could still command expected them of her.

Too bad, because on the solid ground of The Hunted, Belita's not bad (with a tough, long forties face) and no longer needed the gimmickry. She's just finished a four-year stretch in Tehachapi for her part in a jewel robbery (she may have been framed). When her bus pulls into town one night, waiting for her, unseen, is Preston Foster, the cop who once loved her but sent her up anyway. He's convinced that Belita will come gunning for either him or the prosecuting attorney (Pierre Watkin). But when she has no place to go, he lets her bunk at his apartment, and lands her a gig skating during intermissions at hockey games. He slowly relents, thinking she's on the straight-and-narrow. Then Watkin is found murdered, and all the evidence points her way. When Foster turns against her once more, she lams it to Arizona to sling hash in a diner....

Jack Bernhard, who two years earlier had the good fortune to have Jean Gillie and the script for Decoy fall into his lap, directs this much less flamboyant script. He's good on atmospherics (dark highways in hard rains, cheap apartment houses) and keeps the story moving along (near the end of the movie, an uncredited Charles McGraw turns up as a hard-nosed cop). Bernhard made one or two more low-budget entries of passable interest (Blonde Ice among them), but Decoy's lightning was never, alas, to strike him again.

Black Ice for Film Noir

[boblipton · 6/10 · 22 October 2018]

Internet Rule 34 says if there's a subject on the Web, there's porn about it. Maybe we need something like that for Film Noir: if it exists in the movies, there's a Film Noir about it. I suppose that's why this one has Belita as a femme fatale who does ice dancing routines.

Four years ago, cop Preston Foster arrested his girlfriend Belita for a jewelry robbery. Now she's out on parole, and he's gotten her a job at a hockey rink, teaching and performing. She says she was framed. He yearns for her and drinks. Eventually they reconcile, but then the defense attorney she claims threw her case is murdered.... and Belita's ring is found at the murder site.

Foster was at the end of his starring days. He was in his late 40s, and had been mature-looking when he entered the movies in the early days of sound. Fortunately, his solid presence would keep him working in star character roles. Belita is all right, but awkward off the ice. Longtime B cinematographer Harry Neumann (more than 300 films from 1918 through 1959) offers a lot of night-time shots, particularly a carnival midway sequence, for shadowy film noir lighting.

It's not a great movie -- Monogram didn't distribute those -- but it is a solid film noir for fans of the genre.

FEMME FATALE AS ICE SKATER...HUH?

[masonfisk · 7/10 · 29 October 2018]

A B movie noir from 1948. The only reason I bring up B movie is that this particular outing had a cheaper budget than most in this tale of a recently released woman from prison & the cop who arrested her re-entering her life to see if she really is walking the straight & narrow. Starring Belita (a once popular ice skater, I kid you not) who parlayed a film career specializing in noir roles, plays the ex-con & since she wasn't trained as an actor, most of her line deliveries sound strange & ill prepared but it actually works in the narrow confines of this story. Shot handily on minimal locations, this slight nugget of noir may not redefine the genre but it does what it sets out to do.

Ex-Girlfriend Getting Out of Prison Movie.

[Henchman_Number1 · 7/10 · 1 April 2020]

Police detective Johnny Saxon (Preston Foster) is on high alert when his former girlfriend Laura Mead (Belita) is released on parole for a bank heist which she was found guilty of four years earlier. Despite always having proclaimed her innocence, at the trial she had threatened to kill those she thought were responsible for her conviction, including boyfriend Saxon who helped put her away for the crime. Despite his misgivings Saxon again becomes involved with Mead when she appears in his apartment after arriving back in town. Though she is seemingly repentant, Saxon remains suspicious of her motivations. When a body turns up, Saxon pegs Mead as the likely suspect and figures he might be next. Did she do it or not?

A crime, mystery and melodrama mixture, this film could be described as a niche noir. The casting with the well into his forties Foster and Belita as his 21 year old girlfriend is on the surface a bit odd since the premise of the film teeters on the chemistry of the two characters. The older Foster, a definite candidate for a smoking cessation program, is spot on as the hard boiled cop and former boyfriend. The big surprise is Belita. 'The Hunted' is the third in a trio of crime programmers the former skating champion did for Monogram / Allied Artists. After watching this film it's hard to understand why her career never gained much traction. She certainly had the screen persona even though not what might be described as a classic Hollywood look.

Even though there is some padded fluff (superfluous ice skating sequence) and an over-extended early scene where the characters rehash their previous relationship, the movie is also a stylized and entertaining trek though the post war era of tough-guy detectives and dangerous dames. Again, not a straight up noir film but for viewers who enjoy filmdom's golden age of grit and duplicity it will likely check off enough boxes to make them happy.

Great noir dialog...and a very disappointing ending.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 5 November 2018]

"The Hunted" starts off very well and showed tons of promise as a film noir picture. However, by the time it ends, I found myself incredibly disappointed.....as the movie seemed afraid to really allow itself to be tough and cynical like most noir pictures. Plus, the happy ending just seemed stupid and like a wimp out!

This movie stars Belita, a one-namer who was a skating star and appeared in just a few movies. Much of it might be because although she IS pretty, she's not traditionally pretty and her looks are a tad tough...which is a plus for noir. It seems that Laura Mead (Belita) just got out of prison, where she'd been for four years after being convicted of robbery. However, to complicate things, her old boyfriend, the Lieutenant (Preston Foster), is the man who arrested her! Now that she's out, he is interested in re-starting their relationship...though he's not sure if she can be trusted. See the movie to find out the answer.

Belita was excellent--mostly because they gave her some amazingly snappy dialog. But the ending....it was as if they'd lost the ending and just EXPLAINED the ending...a terrible way to wrap up any film. Plus, the upbeat ending just didn't seem to fit...hence me score of only 6. I really wanted to like this movie more than I did.

Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of A Noir Day

[cutterccbaxter · 16 October 2023]

There's a plot to a story and then there's the what's-the-story-about aspect to a story. With The Hunted, it's is about the nature of relationships. Do I trust you? And if I don't trust you, why is it that I got a thing for you?

Johnny the cop (Preston Foster) doesn't trust Laura the figure skater (Belita) because he busted her for being a jewel thief even though she claimed she was innocent.

Laura gets out on parole and Johnny still has the hots for her even though she apparently would like to kill him for arresting her. Laura still has feelings for Johnny too. Yes, romantic relationships sure can be complicated.

I realized while watching The Hunted that I have a soft spot for actresses with one name who are also world class figure skaters. I grew up on a pond and enjoyed skating on it during the winter months. I used to think it would have been cool to go skating with Lynn Holly-Johnson but after seeing The Hunter, I think I would rather have Belita skate circles around me.

More like "The Haunted"...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 23 October 2018]

...because cop Johnny Saxon (Preston Foster) is literally haunted by his old relationship with recently released ex con Laura Mead (Belita). Four years ago she was his girl, but then the jewels from a robbery showed up in her apartment, and her brother was involved, but before he could say anything about Laura's involvement he was murdered. Laura went up the river for four years, vowing to kill her attorney and Johnny when she got out. This either means she was very guilty or very innocent.

So one minute Johnny is acting cold towards Laura because he thinks she played him for a fool by acting the good girl when she was actually a thief, and the next minute he is getting her a job at an ice rink(???). Yes I said ice rink, and there is even about a 5-10 minute number with Laura (Belita) figure skating in all of this in the middle that has nothing to do with the plot. But I'll get to this later.

So after Johnny spends a significant amount of time wandering around tormented about Laura, trying to get back to where he was emotionally in a way that reminds me of James Stewart in Vertigo, wandering the streets of San Francisco looking for a lost love he knows is gone, suddenly Johnny is OK with Laura. He believes her. Surprisingly Laura accepts Johnny's acceptance and seems to return this double minded man's love.

But then over one hour into this 84 minute film Laura's lawyer is found shot to death in his apartment with one of Laura's personal belongings lying close to the body. So has Johnny been made a fool of by this woman AGAIN, or is she really that unlucky? Watch and find out.

This is not one of those non stop action noirs. It is mainly just Johnny and Laura and their verbal dance of regret and attraction combined with some great cinematography and some classic noir scenes - the 40's diner, the bus stops, the long haul truckers, the line ups and inquisitions under hot lights. And there are a couple of LOL moments that are probably because this came from poverty row. Why is it every time there is a break in one of Johnny's cases the entire police force comes to a stop while he recovers from a punch or a wound or whatever? Can they not go after the suspect themselves? Then there is the case of X-Ray eyes Johnny has where he enters a room and goes straight to the place where a gun is hidden! Make this guy officer of the year!

Earlier I said I would explain the ice skating. Belita was a championship figure skater before her short acting career. I think her uncertain and untrained acting style worked for her in the films in which I've seen her, because you really don't know where she is coming from, and that adds to the suspense. I recommend it, especially if you've seen or heard Eddie Muller's comments on the film.

See it if you can

[Executor-3 · 8/10 · 13 February 2001]

One of those very good, but forgotten film-noirs, it's a relatively strong story, of a girl who spent 4 years in prison for a crime she may or may not have done, and a cop who loved her and turned her in. It has good, tight execution and it's a film for film-lovers. The female lead is excellent in her portrayal, and it's too bad she only got used in several films, mostly for her skating and dancing abilities; and you should keep an eye out for the name of Jack Bernhard, the director, as he has other great noirs, such as The Decoy.

slow in the beginning

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 January 2024]

Honorable police detective Johnny Saxon (Preston Foster) suspects his former girlfriend Laura Mead (Belita) who is on parole. He originally had helped put her away in prison although she insists that she was framed. He is still in love with her.

The movie spends too much time in his apartment. I want them to get out and investigate. It needs some action. It's a lot of mannerisms and hard talk. I just need this plot to get going sooner. It takes a bit too long. I really like Belita as she plays damsel in distress and femme fatale. I also really need this story to get moving sooner than it does.

Run for it

[AAdaSC · 5/10 · 27 May 2018]

Belita (Laura) is back in town after spending 4 years in prison. She's vowed to kill her ex-boyfriend Preston Foster (Johnny) because he arrested her and her lawyer Pierre Watkin (Simon). She protests her innocence for her original crime and then one of the two men in question is killed. Well, we have a suspect number one......and she goes on the run.

The cast are ok but the story, whilst it sounds interesting, develops at a slow pace. The beginning scenes go on far too long in setting the scene and we need more location changes to keep things interesting. The film gets a bit boring right at the point where it should be drawing you in. Belita gets to do some skating and she does well in the lead role. Preston Foster's character is a ghastly jobsworth who turned in the woman he loves just because he is a cop and that comes first. I was certainly hoping that Belita would get to carry out her threat against him. Maybe she does....

Loved It!

[ricktoye · 10/10 · 21 October 2018]

I stumbled on to this movie this morning on tv this morning and afterward got on my computer to rate it and purchase me a copy. I even put my breakfast on hold until the movie was over. This is a love story involving a man dedicated to his law and order profession (Preston Foster) who does not compromise it even when he is in love, and a beautiful woman (Belita) of questionable ethics and integrity. Belita, though she had limited acting experience was flawless in her role. She and Preston Foster had such outstanding chemistry, you thought that they were in love in real life! The ending is a huge surprise, and I'm not sharing any of it! See the movie and then post your comments. You may even do like I did and purchase it.

True Noir Eclipses Script & Directorial Narrative Holes

[sfumatosprocket · 8/10 · 10 July 2020]

Towards the end, you get the idea this was on a deadline and / or budget cap expecting, but good little movie carried by good performances by all cast members. A real effort put in by each actor to not ham it up nor plod through the lines. It's film, we won't know for days what was in the can! Pretty solid in that respect, and no great stunts, just a story line to push it along. This movie could be done in a modern setting and fill in the holes, but I'm not sure Hollywood has the discipline to keep all characters humble and sublime. It would really need to be done with obscure but top flight actors to pull it off. Belita's character would be more realistic if she's not an ice skating star on probation. That was a bit silly, but you read about Belita, that's probably the driver that got this film made in the first place. But probably a sales clerk in a jewelry store profession would match the script a bit more realistically. The heist she was accused of isn't so well explained at the beginning nor at the end, where the audience is tasked to read a newspaper headline to tie everything together (not going to spoil it, but you can't be looking away from screen for a split second!). It's definitely worth the watch, and an interesting piece of period magic. Did anyone look up Belita's actual bio? I got the impression she was probably an actual resistance operative of some type(?); Born in England, trained for ballet in Russia, performed in skating & ballet in France, actress & skater in USA...all of this during WWII era?! That's really her skating in this movie, so obviously that was the money driver and how it got added hamfisted into the script that would do better without any tinges of glamour. It doesn't fit for ideal movie result, but in historical sense, Belita such a very interesting woman with immense talent. How does that international background not come out in her lines at all with any accent? How could she have such stellar talents on the ice and be such a committed actress? I find it interesting she competed in 1936 Olympics. Traveling itself was dicey stuff her entire young professional career, and this comes out as European friction is still high in post WWII reparations and fragile political climate. Really great movie in the context of the times.

'Belita ' the "Ice Queen" is great inn this lite Film noir

[robfollower · 8/10 · 23 January 2019]

In this detective story, a private eye must send his fiancee to prison as he truly believes that she was involved in a bank robbery. Unfortunately, she is innocent. Still she serves her time. Upon her release someone frames her for murder. The detective is in quite a quandary until the real criminal is found. The woman finally returns to her beloved private eye. More romantic melodrama than 'noir' 'The Hunted' still shines as 'Belita ' the "Ice Queen" who was in the 1936 Olympic games as a figure skater for England ; serves up a great cat and mouse performance as Laura Mead . B-film crime story ably directed by Jack Bernhard. The Hunted is lit on 'noir' but is still a great Crime, Drama and Film-Noir in the end . Highly entertaining .

Innocent or not, the beautiful Ice Maiden Belita is not to be missed in this hard boiled crime noir.

[cgvsluis · 8/10 · 7 November 2023]

The Ice Maiden herself, figure skater Belita plays the starring role in this crime noir in which she is the recently released from prison Laura Mead. Laura, who has always maintained her innocence, was arrested by her then boyfriend Johnny Saxon, an honest cop. When she was taken to prison after her trial she threatened to seek revenge upon her release...which is how the film begins.

Johnny is checking in with both her parole officer and the lawyer she feels let her down. He thinks that the lawyer and his life could potentially be in danger upon Laura's release. When he arrives home, there she is. The tension between these two is phenomenal. The screen practically crackles! Johnny has worked out a place for her to stay and a place for her to work...The Polar Palace Ice Rink in Los Angeles.

At first Johnny feels hunted...and then when the lawyer is killed, Laura goes on the run because she feels hunted. It's an interesting cat and mouse at that point that ends in the truth.

This film was a surprise to me. Belita has no formal acting training, as she was an ice skater, but she suited this noir role perfectly. She had a hard edge with her beauty that really left you guessing. Her character had every reason to be hardened, which left me wondering if she could ever forgive Johnny. All in all, I think this is a worthy noir film for noir aficionados, Belita fans and any classic film fans who like ice skating. I loved seeing Belita take the ice. It was especially nice not to have to pan out or blur the skater because Belita was doing her own skating. My favorite part of the film however is the banter between Laura and Johnny, delivered with sharp precision...Belita and Preston Foster who plays Johnny, have the kind of chemistry to really sell this story. Worthwhile and a recommendation from me. I really was kept in the dark as to her guilt or innocence until the end.

Bellissima Belita

[michaelchager · 8/10 · 26 November 2023]

Overtones of Vertigo here with an obsessed older man and a younger blonde. To believe that Belita could be a criminal is disproved by every move she makes. However, her former defense counsel, breaching confidentiality, tells Foster that she admitted stealing the jewelry. Now out on parole she confronts her old flame Foster, who arrested her, that to not believe in her innocence is to not believe in her. And what talent in this budget Monogram feature, experienced Harry Neumann on camera, a Steve Fisher screenplay, a familiar notable cast including Charles McGraw. But this is Belita's show, such a gifted aristocratic artist to grace this production.

The Age Difference Was A Tad Weird

[steve-belgard-1 · 8/10 · 7 July 2020]

A nice little cheap noir, but the one distracting thing for me was the age difference between Preston Foster and Belita.

Her character was 16 when she was sent to jail, yet she was supposed to have a torrid affair with mid 40ish "boyfriend" Preston Foster before her arrest.

I don't know, just a little weird since Foster was about 47-48 when he made the film.

Maybe it's just me.