Customer Reviews

Criss Cross [VHS]

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Criss Cross is one of those films that never quite gained top billing, but unashamedly reigns as one of the kings of the B noir genre. Directed by Robert Siodmak (The Killers, Phantom Lady, Cry of the City) Criss Cross is highlighted by memorable performances by Burt Lancaster, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Dan Duryea. The protagonist Steve Thompson (Lancaster) is drawn into an armored car hiest as an inside man. Lancaster neither smart not dumb is haunted by the love he still possesses for his ex-wife Anna (DeCarlo). Thompson cannot shake the fever even though Anna is married to a hoodlum nightclub owner Slim Dundee (Duryea). The power triangle seems to be controlled by Dundee, but it is Anna who has carefully measured all the angles. As in his earlier films Siodmak allows the femme fatale brooding distant power that overshadows mere hoods. When gang members carefully plot the caper around a smoke filled table, it is Anna's shadowy distant stare that reveals the real stake in the game- her. Robert Osterloh's role as the sadistic henchman posing as a mild mannered salesman is chilling. Sidomak's use of a darkened hospital room as a place for torture is one of the most creepy scenes in noir history. Nightclubs, bustling train stations, and darkened apartments provide noir imagery of a past not forgotten. Watch for screen appearances by Tony Curtis (one of Anna's rumbha partners) and Alan Napier (Batman's butler Alfred) as the respected old timer who plays the layout man.

Criss Cross...a state of being at conflicting or contrary purposes...that's what Mr. Webster may say in his book, but I'd probably use giving someone the double cross, the Judas kiss, selling out, double dealing, the flimflam, a snow job, hoodwinked, a four-flusher, swindle, two-timer, bamboozler, chicanery, giving someone the screwgee...any of these may apply for something most of us have probably experienced in allowing someone to get close enough to us, affording them trust, only to discover later on they weren't deserving of said trust, using against us in some fashion or other...and that's the meat of this film...

Criss Cross (1949), directed by Robert Siodmak who also directed The Killers...the 1946 version with Burt Lancaster, and not the 1964 version with Lee Marvin (both are available on one Criterion DVD...pick it up, it's worth it), stars legendary tough guy and self-taught actor Burt Lancaster (Brute Force), along with the extremely beautiful Yvonne De Carlo (Brute Force, The Ten Commandments). Also appearing is Dan Duryea (Ministry of Fear) in one of his more typical roles as a villainous hoodlum, although I did recently see him in the film Black Angel, showing that he could also play the protagonist equally as well (the character may have been intrinsically weak, but the characterization wasn't).

Steve Thompson's (Lancaster) got it bad...for what (actually, it's `for whom'), you may ask? For his rather flighty ex-wife Anna (De Carlo). The film, set in Los Angeles, begins with Thompson returning home after kicking around the states, working odd jobs, all in an attempt to remove his ex-wife from his mind (he was unsuccessful). Soon we are into an extensive flashback, detailing the events that led up to Steve leaving, specifically his relationship with his ex-wife running hot and cold, and her eventual marriage to local hoodlum Slim Dundee (Duryea), but she's still got it bad for Steve...their relationship is extremely complicated (and kinda sick, if you ask me), exaggerated by outside influences like Steve's mother and a friend of the family who's also a police lieutenant. Anyway, Steve happens to work for an armored car company, and in an effort to free his love from the clutches of Slim, he offers Slim and his gang an opportunity they can't resist involving a whole lot of dough-re-mi. Problem is who can be trusted? Especially when there's so much moola involved...and let's face it, virtue isn't exactly a quality found or coveted within the criminal community...

I really did enjoy this film a lot, despite a few, minor issues. Lancaster is wonderful as the lovesick mug inexorably drawn into the seedy world of low level criminals in an effort to save Anna, a woman who may, or may not need saving, as her intentions seemed a bit murky at times, along with her loyalties. The harder he tried to get away from her, it seemed the stronger the draw...also, the more inaccessible she became, the worse he wanted her...reminded me of a child with a toy that's never played with when he has the opportunity, but when the threat of removal of the toy becomes apparent, that's when the child wants it the most. It's not so much the toy, but losing the access to the toy. Anna's flip-flopishness seems to matter little to Steve, as he's intrinsically optimistic with regards to their relationship, at least when it's revealed that Anna never stopped loving him. I thought Yvonne De Carlo did alright, but there were times when I thought she didn't sell her character as well as she could have...but I suppose when you're appearing with someone like Burt Lancaster, you have your work cut out for you. Her character annoyed the heck out of me, but I suppose it's because I once had a relationship with someone with similar characteristics, running hot and cold, completely inconsistent, etc. She made up for a lot of this by being a fabulous babe, and making easily understandable why these men are drawn to her. I thought Duryea did very well as Slim, head of a small, but colorful, underworld gang. His character seemed to fall into the same trap as Lancaster's with regards to Anna, yet he had very different methods of dealing with Anna and her idiosyncrasies (think more in the physical sense). The main, individualizing difference between Steve and Slim is highlighted excellently near the end, with Anna still stuck squarely somewhere outside the middle, torn between her base intentions and her humanizing elements. Siodmak's directions worked really well, but the pacing did slow down a little, due to all the time spent on detailing the volatile relationship between Steve and Anna, which I think was time well spent, serving to really flesh out the two main characters and raising the film above the standard `noir' thriller. The story had a definite Shakespearian quality about it, star-crossed lovers fighting against their predetermined fates. The supporting cast did very well, especially Tom Pedi (a very Italian member of Slim's gang) and Alan Naiper, who played Finchley, the man Slim and his gang turned to when elaborate plans needed to be drawn up, and he had the ability to not only foresee complications, but also develop the appropriate contingencies. I also really appreciated the way the film ended, as it was one of the better finales I've seen in a long time (the only other that comes to my mind at this moment is Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious). It sure didn't `cop out', although the opportunity was certainly presented.

The transfer looks pretty good, and the audio is strong and clear. The film is presented in full screen format (original aspect ratio) and supplemented with a meager original theatrical trailer (Universal doesn't seem to appreciate the capabilities of the DVD format with their lack of extras...oh well, I'm just glad to have the opportunity to watch the movie). All in all, not only a great `noir' film, but also a great film in general.

Cookieman108

"Criss Cross" has all the classic elements of good film noir. Lust, crime, betrayel, murder, mobsters, the stalwart anti-hero and a sultry femme fatale all in the netherworld of b&w. With crisp direction by Robert Siodmak and a tight script, "Criss Cross" starts on a roll and doesn't stop until the finale. Steve (Burt Lancaster) can't keep away from his ex-wife Anna (Yvonne de Carlo) even after she marries mobster Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea). So he concocts a robbery at the armored car business where he works to throw Slim off the scent. He gets double crossed, winds up in the hospital and ironically labeled a hero by the press. But that's not the end. There's still Slim and Anna. The cast is compelling and reason enough to watch this classic but Siodmak crafted an exciting film as a whole. It seethes with tension, anxiety and a pall of doom seems to hang over everything. The sensual de Carlo is seen to good advantage and is noir perfect as the catalyst for the robbery. When Steve sees Anna dancing in a roadhouse that features a very good rhumba band (Esy Morales and his group), it's exciting because she's really sexy as she dances, tossing her dark hair. Her partner (barely glimpsed) is a young Tony Curtis. The rhumba music is exotic and pulsating and you can see that Steve is one gone dude as he watches her. So much to recommend about "Criss Cross". If you're a noir collector, this is a first rate addition. The DVD looks very good. Enjoy.

Robert Siodmak's "Criss Cross" is a stylishly bleak, torrid and brilliant ménage a trois of shadowy intersecting lives in which all the multilayered plot entanglements are tainted with a threat of violence and ultimately lead to ruin and betrayal. Burt Lancaster is Steve Thompson, a love-struck mama's boy who returns from a one year sabbatical after his painful divorce from the love of his life, Anna (Yvonne DeCarlo) only to discover that Anna is eager to rekindle their love. The lure is not without its own subtext. Against his better judgment, Steve jumps into the deep end of the pool, so to speak, and once more, ignites his tawdry lust that ends miserably when Anna decides to better herself - financially, at least - by marrying mobster, Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea). But Anna isn't quite ready to give up her playtime with her former husband. When the two are nearly exposed by one of Slim's bodyguards, Steve plots against Slim by saying that the two are planning on an armored-truck robbery, one which results in a maelstrom of greedy, godless passion from which no one escapes.
THE TRANSFER: Universal has done a bare bones job of remastering "Criss Cross" for DVD. The gray scale is very well balanced with deep solid blacks and whites that are clean. There's a hint film grain and some age related artifacts. Also there's more than a hint of edge enhancement and pixelization that tends to distract from a visual presentation that, overall, is a considerable improvement over previously issued VHS tapes. There are, unfortunately, no extras on this disc. Nevertheless, it is a good disc to add to your library of classic cinema.

Being an absolute film noir fanatic, I just had to purchase all the Universal noir dvds recently released. This is, in my opinion, the cream of the crop. Burt Lancaster plays an armored car driver who can't get over his beautiful ex-wife, played by Yvonne DeCarlo. Just as he's planning to get back together with her she marries mobster Dan Duryea, who quickly becomes her worst nightmare. However, she still can't stay away from Lancaster, & when Duryea becomes suspicious, Lancaster plans a heist along with Duryea in order to convince him that all he's after is money. Duryea has plans of his own, however, & the heist doesn't exactly go "as planned". The final confrontation between Duryea & Lancaster & DeCarlo is unforgettable. DeCarlo plays a greedy femme fatale to perfection, & Duryea & Lancaster, both already "veteran" actors of film noirs by 1948, are terrific as usual. If you're into noir heist movies then I also recommend "The Asphalt Jungle". "Criss Cross" is a classic of the genre that has it all: uncontrolled lust, greed, betrayel, murder, robbery, & lots of suspense. Do yourself a favor & add this to your collection!

Long before 'The Munsters,' Yvonne de Carlo was heating up the screen in melodramas like Robert Siodmak's fateful thriller 'Criss Cross.' In this L.A.-set tale of straight guy Burt Lancaster caught between sexual obsession and a dubious armored-car heist, de Carlo provides the smouldering chemistry that keeps Burt and us viewers going. The on-again, off-again couple swap some great tough-love lines (keep your rewind button handy), while Siodmak neatly contrasts sunny California days with dark motives and shadowy interiors (notably, a rather claustrophic nightclub). 'Criss Cross' is a very entertaining late-40s noir period piece, and all you 'Munsters' fans owe it to yourselves to see de Carlo as a sizzling femme fatale. Her rhythmic rhumba scene with then-unknown Tony Curtis should do the trick.

Yvonne De Carlo (what a great name!) plays an eyeful in high heels with swishy hair and cup size C. She faces a choice that many of her less voluptuous sisters have had to face down the ages - do you plunk for true love with the boring mother's boy with lousy taste in jackets (played by Burt Lancaster) or do you run off with good time Charlie with in the double breasted gabardine tan suit, with dark shirt, nifty tie, two toned shoes and a grin that would make Mummy's toes curl? Answer - a girl has to get ahead in this lousy world so what is she to do but play two sides against the middle. Mr Lancaster as the schmuck is miscast and struggles with some saccharine dialogue and tight Bond singlets - let's face it, Burt is no schmuck from Palookaville and could quite easily give Slim (played by Mr Duryea) the what for with a bunch of fives and wipe that sleazy grin off his face. Miss De CArlo is great as a dishy sweet girl with a heart of ice and Mr Duryea is wonderful. The Cuban band is also a fabulous treat - one of the great bands I suspect - and we see that Mr Curtis can shake the bootie quite well to the music. Not one of the great film noir, but worth a look more for the bits, than the denoument where the three players get their comeuppance.

"Criss Cross" could not be a more apt title for the 1948 film noir thriller in which Burt Lancaster is caught in the middle of a double cross orchestrated by Dan Duryea and Yvonne De Carlo. The film marked a reuniting of star Lancaster and director Robert Siodmark, who two years earlier teamed up in the noir classic "The Killers."

Lancaster, playing former armored truck driver Steve Thompson, returns to the tired section near downtown Los Angeles where he lives with his mother and younger brother Richard Long, who would ultimately star on television in "Seventy-Seven Sunset Strip" and "The Big Valley." Thompson left L.A. for one year, hoping to put his painful divorce to opportunistic good time girl Anna, played with fidelity by Yvonne De Carlo in one of her most impressive roles, behind him for good. The returning prodigal convinces no one when he insists that Anna holds no more memories for him, after which he ventures over to the old hangout, a local bar called The Roundup, to look in on the old gang. He tries to convince himself he is not looking for Anna, but realizes how futile his effort is as he spots Anna dancing with Tony Curtis, making his film debut.

The dance ends and so does Curtis' involvement in the picture. A smiling De Carlo spots Lancaster, going over to resume acquaintances. Before long Lancaster learns that Dan Duryea, a favorite film noir heavy, is romancing his ex-wife.

Before long De Carlo marries local mobster Duryea to better herself economically. Even then Lancaster will not lay off, failing to listen to his mother and old neighborhood buddy Steven McNally, now a prominent local police detective. In fact, after McNally, at the behest of Lancaster's mother, warns De Carlo to leave his old friend alone or he will find a reason to run her in, a furious, drunken Lancaster takes a wild swing at his him, then promptly falls to the floor.

The film's shrewd "Criss Cross" occurs when De Carlo and Lancaster reheat their old romance while gangster Duryea is in Detroit on business. De Carlo makes an arranged visit to Lancaster's house with Duryea and his mob cronies, led by John Doucette, arriving shortly thereafter. Needing a quick explanation as to why De Carlo is there, Lancaster, who has gone back to work driving an armored truck, explains to Duryea that they were discussing the possibility of pulling an armored truck holdup. Lancaster explains that such a holdup, while deemed impossible, is possible with the cooperation of someone on the inside, namely himself.

While Lancaster is convinced that he is launching into the criminal world for De Carlo and himself, after which they will be together again, the woman he loves is actively cooperating with Duryea. Eventually she will tell Lancaster, "In this life you have to look after yourself."

Events ultimately spiral out of control after the holdup occurs. Eventually a showdown will occur involving the opportunistic De Carlo and the two men she has used for personal gain, Duryea and Lancaster.

"I never cared about the money," Lancaster morosely muses to De Carlo at one point. "I just wanted you." He learns ultimately that the feeling was far from mutual.

McNally had the whole situation intelligently analyzed. In his last meeting with Lancaster, he exclaims in total frustration, "I should have been a better friend and kicked your teeth in!"

Looking at most of the reviews herein, it appears that the people have spoken: overall, it must be said that "Criss Cross" deserves a place of honor in the noir genre. For those who've seen and loved all the usual entries (Big Sleep, Double Indemnity, et al)check out this lesser-advertised gem. Anyone can find something they don't like about any film----nitpicky stuff like "Who called the cops?" "Why does a basically smart guy like Steve (Burt Lancaster)act so dumb around a woman?"----but such questions mean Zip. Movies need be no more logical than real life, and real life ain't logical, in case you haven't noticed. The story is involving and believable. As Steve, Lancaster presents a picture of a nice guy gone wrong, and you care about what happens to him. Star quality is in his every move. Yvonne DeCarlo, for those of you who may only be familiar with her campy TV fame, was one major beauty---in addition to the sizzling good looks, she has an Everywoman quality that many "above it all", major stars of the day didn't possess. Her character here is less than above-board, but you still understand how Steve can feel the way he does about her. Good acting---including that of perennial heavy Dan Duryea---and the director has created a nifty package that can be enjoyed over and over. See it!

Ever fall in love with a girl that no one likes ? Well here is one movie that has that situation is it. Burt is love sick in this, despite his family and a friend who is a cop to stay away from her. He should have. Anyway, I really like this movie. Burt Lancaster plays a sap for Lily Munster, well Yvonne De Carlo who cant stay away from her,& wants to give her everything.. He loves her and she is a femme fatele who is married to a crook named Slim (Dan Duryea) They plan to steal a ton of money from an armored truck which of course backfires with double crossing.(I wont spoil anything with the double cross or the shocking ending) This was a good noir,strong story and acting performances were all top notch here. Your basic Noir with Gangsters back in the golden age. A good classic worth checking out.