CONNECTION TO PREVIOUS ENTRY: George Raft and unintentionally, Harry Morgan
SOURCE: TCM
STARRING: George Raft, William Bendix, Marilyn Maxwell
CO-STARS: Harry Morgan, Frank Faylen, Gale Robbins
DIRECTOR: Edwin L. Marin
COMPOSER: Roy Webb
STUDIO: RKO
SUMMARY: Lieutenant Barney Runson’s (William Bendix) narration bookends this story about his friendship with bookie Dan Gannon (George Raft). Dan has a new “dish” on his arm, Robbie (Marilyn Maxwell), and plans to give up the bookie racket and go straight. Despite being a cop, Barney looks the other way from Dan’s illegal activity, because of their friendship. Things go awry however when Dan’s friend, fellow bookie Hal (Harry Morgan) is murdered by a rival gang, led by Phil Dixon (Frank Faylen) who want to get in on Dan’s bookie operation. Prior to the murder, Dan had been offering “protection” to Hal, but ceased, due to wanting to get out of the operation. Phil offers Dan protection against any future “accidents” but Dan declines. He then begins to experience a lot of “accidents.” Barney, leading an official police investigation into Hal’s murder warns Dan against getting involved, but Dan doesn’t heed his warning, wanting to avenge his friend’s murder. The two men run parallel investigations, with the occasional intersection, but ultimately ends with different results.
FAVORITE PART(S):
1) The plot twist was excellent and added some life to an otherwise lackluster film.
2) Seeing Charles Lane as the hotel clerk.
3) Marilyn Maxwell, wearing this hideous hat that supposedly cost $67, leaving her apartment wearing said hat, still fussing with it in George Raft’s convertible and exclaiming “do you know how hard it is to put a hat on in a convertible?” Marilyn, you were already wearing the hat before he started driving!
4) George Raft planting a somewhat romantic-seeming kiss on the mouth of Gale Robbins who up until that point, I thought was his sister! (Apparently she was supposed to be his sister o.O!)
BEST QUOTE(S):
DAN: Don’t bet on horses, Lucille, it’s a sucker’s game.