Cry Danger (1951) stars Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming and was Robert Parrish's directing debut, though according to the film's IMDb trivia page, Dick Powell actually did all the directing. Basically, Rocky Mulloy gets out of prison for a robbery he didn't commit. His friend and supposed partner, Danny Morgan, remains locked up for the crime. Mulloy finds Morgan's wife, Nancy, and then goes in search of whoever framed him. The police think Mulloy will pick up the missing stolen dough ($100,000), so they tail him. Guns are fired, a horse is bet on, another elaborate set-up unrolls, and all the while danger lurks around every corner. Best shot: Extreme close-up of Castro's (bad guy's) face, upside-down, as he lies flat on his back on a table in the Russian roulette scene.
I quite liked this 79-minute film noir thriller, particularly for all its one-liners. It's not as dark or twisted as other films of the genre, or as melodramatic, but there's plenty of tension and humor to make it enjoyable. The endings of films noir from the 50s often seem rushed to me, but this one resolves itself at a more natural pace. Best line... Castro: Would you kill me, Rocky? Rocky Mulloy: Wouldn't you?
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