Raw Deal (1948)

On the road to becoming a bankable Hollywood director, Anthony Mann (Fall of the Roman Empire) made several classic B movie films noir on Poverty Row. Working in conjunction with ace cinematographer John Alton, Mann made three gritty and stylish crime movies that are as good as it gets.

The first of these gems I viewed was He Walked By Night, a dark and violent police procedural that starred Richard Basehart (Moby Dick, The Brothers Karamazov) as one of the finest screen villains ever portrayed. This film established the mold for the police procedural and gave Jack Webb the inspiration for "Dragnet," a long running radio and television series. The second collaboration between Mann and Alton was T-Men, the story of the infiltration and demolition of a counterfeit currency ring by US Treasury Agents. The follow up to T-Men was Raw Deal, a story of a convict who breaks out of the big house and lams out looking for revenge on the guy who put him there.

Both T-Men and Raw Deal starred Dennis O'Keefe, a square jawed Irishman of the mold of James Cagney who unfortunately never rose above the second tier of leading men. O'Keefe had the perfect looks and mannerisms for these ill-starred tales of flawed people on the highway to hell. Starring with O'Keefe are two gorgeous women, "A" movie actress Claire Trevor (Stagecoach, Key Largo) and Marsha Hunt.

The two women represent the dual nature of man, with Trevor, a shopworn gun moll, representing the dark side and Hunt, a goody two shoes paralegal, the good side. Trevor is hopelessly in love but O'Keefe is more interested in the younger, better looking Hunt, who at first snubs him but later comes to love him just as much as Trevor. The interplay between the three characters makes for some interesting situations. Everybody is betraying everybody else, especially Hunt and Trevor. It takes O'Keefe a while to catch on... You can bet your bottom dollar this story won't have a happy ending!

As villain, we have a magnificent performance from Raymond Burr (Rear Window) in a younger thinner version. Burr's fetish is fire and he alternately burns his henchmen with his cigarette lighter or throws flaming chafing dishes in their faces, in the case of a poor party girl who spills a drink on him. Burr is very effective in his performance and exhibits the reflexes of a rattlesnake and the cowardice of a jackal.

Raw Deal has an interesting script with a voice over. This time, instead of a Walter Winchell type narrator, the narration is spoken by Claire Trevor, who sits at the heart of the story, sharing her inner thoughts and motivations with the viewer.

What makes these movies unforgettable is the combined talents of Director Anthony Mann and Cinematographer John Alton. These two work together to make some of the most innovative and indelible images I've ever seen. Every frame is composed and lit to perfection with camera angles that Orson Welles would be proud to claim. The figure of the fully-clothed younger woman is backlit in one scene showing the subtle sculpted curves of her body that is more provocative than full frontal nudity. Raymond Burr is photographed from a low angle making him monumental and powerful. All the edits are absolutely on target, showing what needs to be seen and leaving out any superfluous footage. These films just need to be seen to be appreciated as mere words cannot do justice to them with their magnificent inky shadows and stark contrast.

I've saved the best for last; all three of these films are available on DVD and at a bargain price of around $6.00. These films are more satisfying and have more redeeming value in terms of becoming your favorites than most of the current run films that cost $20.00.

The DVD is from VCI Entertainment and runs 79 minutes. The film is quite well preserved and presented in 1.33:1 format. A surprise extra is part two of the very interesting feature “Dark Reflections,” an analysis of film noir by Max Allan Collins. Part 1 is on the VCI Entertainment DVD of T-Men so you have no excuse to not get the set because the bonus is as good as the feature. After all, it's only twelve bucks for both! Check Deep Discount DVD which is a reputable source.

For more hard-boiled entertainment, see also

T-Men

He Walked By Night

The Asphalt Jungle

Thanks for reading!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening