Summary
Sadistic killer-for-hire Philip Raven becomes enraged when his latest job is paid off in marked bills. Vowing to track down his double-crossing boss, nightclub executive Gates, Raven sits beside Gates' lovely new employee, Ellen, on a train out of town. Although Ellen is engaged to marry the police lieutenant who's hunting down Raven, she decides to try and set the misguided hit man straight as he hides from the cops and plots his revenge.
Cast
Veronica Lake
Ellen Graham
Robert Preston
Det. Michael Crane
Laird Cregar
Willard Gates
Alan Ladd
Philip Raven
Tully Marshall
Alvin Brewster
Marc Lawrence
Tommy
Olin Howland
Blair Fletcher
Roger Imhof
Senator Burnett
Pamela Blake
Annie
Frank Ferguson
Albert Baker
Victor Kilian
Drew
Patricia Farr
Ruby
Harry Shannon
Steve Finnerty
Charles C. Wilson
Police Captain
Mikhail Rasumny
Slukey
Bernadene Hayes
Albert Baker's Secretary
Mary Davenport
Salesgirl
Chester Clute
Rooming House Manager
Charles Arnt
Male Dressmaker
Earle S. Dewey
Mr. Collins
Clem Bevans
Scissor Grinder
Lynda Grey
Gates' Secretary
Virita Campbell
Little Girl
George Anderson
Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Don Barclay
Piano Player (uncredited)
Ernest Baskett
Porter (uncredited)
Jack Baxley
Innocent Dupe (uncredited)
Karin Booth
Waitress (uncredited)
Harry Brown
Superintendent (uncredited)
William Cabanne
Laundry Truck Driver (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler
Demolition Foreman (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham
Policeman (uncredited)
Kenneth Chryst
Workman (uncredited)
Yvonne De Carlo
Showgirl at Neptune Club (uncredited)
Gordon De Main
Superintendent (uncredited)
Joan Evans
Saleslady's Mother (uncredited)
Jim Farley
Night Watchman (uncredited)
Virginia Farmer
Maid in Dress Shop (uncredited)
Betty Farrington
Woman on Bridge (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton
Policeman (uncredited)
Sam Harris
Man at Rehearsal (uncredited)
Harry Harvey
Passenger (uncredited)
Harry Hayden
Man in Restaurant Recognizing Gates (uncredited)
Charles Irwin
Old Irishman (uncredited)
Louise La Planche
Dancer (uncredited)
Lora Lee
Girl in Car (uncredited)
Arthur Loft
Man who Bumps into Raven (uncredited)
Patsy Mace
Young Girl in Reception Room (uncredited)
George Magrill
Policeman (uncredited)
John Marston
Superintendent (uncredited)
Charles McMurphy
Detective (uncredited)
Ivan Miller
Doorman (uncredited)
Charles R. Moore
Pullman Waiter (uncredited)
Frances Morris
Receptionist (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley
Conductor (uncredited)
Sarah Padden
Mrs. Mason (uncredited)
Reed Porter
Workman (uncredited)
Lee Prather
Gateman (uncredited)
Cyril Ring
Neptune Club Waiter (uncredited)
Julian Rivero
Man with Monkey (uncredited)
Dick Rush
Lt. Clark (uncredited)
Tim Ryan
Weems, Guard (uncredited)
John Sheehan
Keever (uncredited)
Oscar Smith
Train Porter (uncredited)
Alan Speer
Frog (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley
Police Captain at Train Station (uncredited)
Elliott Sullivan
Officer Glennon (uncredited)
Phil Tead
Machinist (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan
Police Sgt. Charlie Carlisle (uncredited)
Fred Walburn
Walt - Newsboy (uncredited)
Richard Webb
Young Man (uncredited)
Pat West
Janitor (uncredited)
Gloria Williams
Woman (uncredited)
Robert Winkler
Jimmie (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Frank Tuttle
Novel
Graham Greene
Screenplay
Albert Maltz
Screenplay
W.R. Burnett
Reviews
John Chard
January 10, 2019
9
I like Cats! So says the icy cold broken wrist killer!
Phillip Raven is a hit man of no obvious moral fibre, he literally will kill anyone for the right price. After fulfilling a contract for the chocolate munching Willard Gates, he finds himself pursued by the law on account that he was paid by Gates with stolen money. Raven sets out for the ultimate revenge and dovetailing towards the explosive finale with him is sultry conjurer Ellen Graham and honest cop Michael Crane.
Based on the Graham Greene novel "A Gun For Sale", this is not a straight out adaptation, the plot has been re-jigged with very impressive results. The most enlightening thing I found when reading up on the film was that the studio were so blown away by the efforts of Alan Ladd as Raven, they turned the script around to make him the film's chief axis, and boy what a smart move that was for this is Alan Ladd's show all the way.
Ladd plays Raven with brilliant icy veneer, he's cold and devoid of emotion, his only trip to anything resembling caring is an affinity to cats - because in his own words, "cats don't need anyone, they are on their own, just like me", the result is one of the most unnerving killers put on to the 40s cinema screens. Veronica Lake is the stunning female of the piece, she glides through the picture with ease as Ellen, a character with her own issues, but thankfully she's integral outside of any sort of romantic plot, even though she is the only one who gets close enough to Raven to learn anything about what makes him tick.
Robert Preston as Michael Crane was to be the pics focus but he becomes a mere side part thanks to Ladd's barnstorming show, and unsurprisingly Laird Cregar is suitably shifty as Gates. It's a fine film in its own right, it's tightly filmed, wonderfully scripted and contains a great noir ending, but ultimately it's all about the cold as death hit-man Raven - and of course the great performance by the man who played him. 8.5/10
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$512,423.00
Revenue:
$1,000,000.00
Keywords
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