Noir-vember: He Ran All The Way (1951)

Based upon a novel of the same name, written by Sam Ross, He Ran All The Way is a very enjoyable and brisk noir that should appeal to those who have enjoyed the similar, and better-known, (The) Desperate Hours (released later, 1955, and remade in 1990). This is the kind of noir that maintains a decent bit of grit, but also has you hoping for some turn in the third act that might allow some of the characters to change their apparent fate.

John Garfield plays Nick Robey, a young man who takes part in an armed robbery and shoots a policeman. Desperate to evade the authorities, Nick ends up ducking into a busy swimming pool, where he meets Peg Dobbs (Shelley Winters). There's a bit of a connection, but only while Nick needs to stay hidden in the crowd. Once out of the pool, however, Nick gets the idea to escort Peg home, aiming to lay low there a while until the heat dies down. That gets a bit trickier when Peg's parents (played by Wallace Ford and Selena Royle) enter the home. They also have another young boy in tow (Tommy, played by Robert Hyatt). It's not long until everyone figures out just what Nick is up to, but maybe Peg won't mind the opportunity to help a man she sees to have taken a liking to.

Adapted into screenplay form by Hugo Butler and Guy Endore (although the bulk of the work was done initially by an uncredited Dalton Trumbo), He Ran All The Way doesn't waste much of the relatively short 77-minute runtime. We see Nick getting himself into seriously hot water and the rest of the film shows us his attempt to get out of that situation. Sometimes he looks unwilling to harm people he has just met, sometimes he looks ready to dispose of anyone he even suspects of getting between him and his pending freedom.

Garfield is suitably on edge for most of the runtime, initially sympathetic, but soon hardening as he feels the world closing in around him. Winters is wonderful in her role, soft and naive and loving without ever seeming like a world-class dope. Both Ford and Royle do well in their supporting roles, as does Hyatt, and together they represent a very typical family unit that you don't want to see kept in a dangerous situation any longer than necessary.

I've not seen any of the other films directed by John Berry, and no other titles immediately jump out at me, but his handling of this material makes me think I could do a lot worse than check out more of his output from the 1940s and 1950s (aka his most prolific period). If there's anything else like this gem in the mix then I'll be a happy viewer.

7/10

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Prime Time: The Prowler (1951)

Credited to writer Hugo Butler, but actually written by Dalton Trumbo, The Prowler may be easier to overlook than many other films from director Joseph Losey, but that doesn't necessarily make it not worth your time. In fact, it's a deliciously dark and twisted little noir that develops a growing sense of real danger and dread all the way to a fantastic finale.

Evelyn Keyes is Susan Gilvray, a woman who phones the police one evening when she suspects a prowler in her area (hence the title, but there may be more than one prowler as the movie plays out). Susan is married to a radio personality who spends most of his evenings entertaining the masses before signing off with a namecheck for his wife. That makes it easier to plan some evening-time shenanigans when Susan is given some attention from Webb Garwood (Van Heflin), one of the cops who was called about the prowler situation. Both of our main characters seem to want the same thing, but feelings can change, and that's when The Prowler starts to twist and turn as Webb plots to have Susan all for himself, as well as a bit of money that could help them to lead a comfortable life together.

Like many other wonderful film noirs from this time, The Prowler starts off with a spark between two people who should really know better than to help turn it into a crackling fire. The fact that one of the main characters is a policeman adds an interesting layer to the proceedings, as does the fact that it's the male who may well prove to be the more dangerous and manipulative character. A potential homme fatale.

Trumbo's script is more interested in the plotting than any sharp dialogue, and it's wonderful to watch everything fall into place as he builds towards a powerful third act. Nothing is left ambiguous, and it's amusing to see every step toward temptation highlighted like some tasty apple hanging from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Losey directs with the sure hand that he had on almost every film he helmed, knowing the noir elements being brought to the fore while also happily exploring the relationship and dynamic between the two main characters in ways that feel ever so slightly removed from the more entrenched ways of presenting this kind of morality play.

Both Keyes and Heflin are enjoyable in the main roles, neither one afraid to fully lean into the moments that shade their character with even more darkness. Although the supporting cast isn't expansive, it includes John Maxwell, Katherine Warren, Wheaton Chambers, and one or two others circling the core of the premise while trying not to get themselves dragged down into the developing whirlpool. Those just mentioned are highlights, but everyone onscreen does a fine job with the roles given to them.

Despite the 92-minute runtime, which I would say is a bit lengthy for this premise, the film never drags. It may be slight, but it's a viewing experience akin to being placed on the beach and allowing loved ones to cover your legs and body with lots and lots of sand until, despite the warmth and the fun of it all, you suddenly notice that you can't actually move enough to extricate yourself from what has been a happy and sun-kissed burial.

7/10

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