Deadline at Dawn
Posted by martinteller on August 7, 2010
An odd little murder mystery. A naive sailor enlists a dancehall girl to help track down the killer of a woman he barely knew… and the killer might be himself. The film has an unusual pace and tone to it, almost wistfully philosophical at times. The quest for answers becomes a journey through New York misery, as nearly everyone they encounter has some kind of trouble of their own. The script by Clifford Odets (whose talents were an immeasurable asset to Clash By Night and Sweet Smell of Success) is loaded with idiosyncratic little gems… like the way the cabbie keeps saying “Statistics tell us…”. There’s also a very sly, tongue-in-cheek reference to It’s A Wonderful Life, in which Al Bridge (who played the sheriff in IAWL) says something like “You’re headed for a grave in Potter’s Field”. Susan Hayward and Paul Lukas both have compelling screen presence, but Bill Williams lays on the golly-gee innocence a little too thick for my tastes. I’m not really sure what to make of this movie, to be honest. It’s not so out there that I would call it “weird”, but it definitely has a different flavor to it. It’s not great, but it’s interesting. Rating: 7
