Directed by:
Norman FosterCinematography:
Russell MettyComposer:
Miklós RózsaCast:
Joan Fontaine, Burt Lancaster, Robert Newton, Ben Wright, Kenner G. Kemp, Colin Kenny, Harry Tenbrook, David McMahon, Brick Sullivan, Frank Hagney (more)Plots(1)
In this film noir drama, Bill Saunders (Burt Lancaster) is a former Prisoner of War living in England whose experiences have left him emotionally unstable and prone to violence. One night, while drinking in a pub, he gets into an argument with the owner which quickly escalates into a brutal fist fight; Bill kills the publican and flees with the police giving chase. Bill is given shelter by Jane Wharton (Joan Fontaine), a kind-hearted nurse who believes Bill when he tells her that the killing was an accident and that he's innocent of any wrongdoing. Bill soon gets in a fight with a policeman and ends up in jail, but Jane, who has fallen in love with Bill, still has faith in him, and upon his release she finds him a job driving a truck delivering drugs for the clinic where she works. Career criminal Harry Carter (Robert Newton), who witnessed Bill's murder of the pub owner, now sees a perfect opportunity for blackmail, and he forces Bill to tip him off for his next major drug shipment, which can then be routed to the black market at a high profit. Bill has little choice but to agree, but when Jane ends up tagging along when Bill is to make the delivery in question, he refuses to jeopardize her and makes the delivery to the clinic without incident. This quickly earns Harry's wrath, and they soon find themselves at the mercy of a very dangerous man. Miklos Rozsa composed the film's highly effective score. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Joan Fontaine
Japan
Best movies:
You Gotta Stay Happy (1948)
Rebecca (1940)
Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)
Burt Lancaster
USA
Best movies:
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
The Life of Verdi (1982) (series)
1900 (1976)
Robert Newton
UK
Best movies:
Oliver Twist (1948)
Gaslight (1940)
Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
Ben Wright
UK
Best movies:
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Kenner G. Kemp
USA
Best movies:
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Limelight (1952)
Colin Kenny
Ireland
Best movies:
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Harry Tenbrook
Norway
Best movies:
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Inherit the Wind (1960)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
David McMahon
USA
Best movies:
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Storm Warning (1951)
The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)
Brick Sullivan
USA
Best movies:
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Love Crazy (1941)
Frank Hagney
Australia
Best movies:
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Modern Times (1936)
The General (1926)
Harry Wilson
UK
Best movies:
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Great Dictator (1940)
Modern Times (1936)
Al Ferguson
Ireland
Best movies:
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Gaslight (1944)
East of Eden (1955)
John George
Syria
Best movies:
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
The Killing (1956)
East of Eden (1955)
Harold Goodwin
USA
Best movies:
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
The Cameraman (1928)
Spartacus (1960)
Jay Novello
USA
Best movies:
Miracle of Fatima (1952)
Rhapsody in Blue (1945)
Boys Town (1938)
Leslie Denison
UK
Best movies:
Song of Love (1947)
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
The Court Jester (1955)
Jimmy Aubrey
UK
Best movies:
Waterloo Bridge (1940)
The Gay Divorcee (1934)
Random Harvest (1942)
Harry Cording
UK
Best movies:
East of Eden (1955)
Bernadette (1943)
The Last of the Mohicans (1936)
Robin Hughes
Argentina
Best movies:
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Quo Vadis (1951)
The Court Jester (1955)
Jack Stoney
USA
Best movies:
Rear Window (1954)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Reap the Wild Wind (1942)