NORMAN FOSTER
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBB.5. USA, 1950. Fidelity Pictures Corporation. Screenplay by Alan Campbell, Norman Foster, from a story by Sylvia Tate. Cinematography by Hal Mohr. Produced by Howard Welsch. Music by Arthur Lange, Emil Newman. Production Design by Boris Leven. Costume Design by Martha Bunch, Travilla. Film Editing by Otto Ludwig.
A man walking his dog late at night witnesses a murder and, before the cops can get a full testament from him, hits the road to hide out from the killer. With the killer still on the loose, the police are determined to find him and find out what he knows, their frustration with his disappearance making it seem as if they suspect him of as much of a crime as they do the murderer. They approach his wife (Ann Sheridan), who appears bitter and unhappy with the missing man herself, and she plays along but is fearful until she teams up with a reporter (Dennis O’Keefe) who promises a payment for an exclusive on the story. As she delves further into her husband’s life in search of his whereabouts, she discovers things she never knew about him and begins to realize that she actually does love him and very much needs to get him back. A fun climactic twist that is not dampened by your ability to possibly see it coming is a plus in this diverting film noir which, for the most part. plays like the kind of B-movie you come to expect from the grimy reaches of the genre but has a lot of personality and is topped by a marvelous ending on a roller coaster.
