Customer Reviews

Crossfire

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While "Gentleman's Agreement" exposed anti-Semitic bigotry among New York's sophisticated cocktail set, RKO's "Crossfire" tackled the topic from a Middle American perspective as Robert Ryan gave one of his most stirring performances as a soldier returning to America from war filled with hatred.

"Crossfire" was one of the greatest low budget achievements in film history, earning five Academy Award nominations. Director Edward Dmytryk turned out a gem on a $550,000 budget. It was shot in 20 days. Dmytryk shot 140 scenes distributed out over a 6 1/2 hour daily schedule, a pace of 20 scenes per day.

The film noir classic was based on the novel "The Brick Foxhole" written by ex-Marine Richard Brooks, who would later became a film writer, and finally the great director of classics such as "Elmer Gantry" and "In Cold Blood." Brooks' novel differed from the film in one basic area. In the book Montgomery, the hateful killer, murdered a homosexual, while also revealing a hatred for Jews. In the movie he was revealed as a former police officer from St. Louis who detested Jews, killing kindly Sam Levene, who invited him into his Washington, D.C. residence for a drink.

The film encompasses one very busy night in our nation's capital, in which Robert Mitchum, playing a worldwise, cool-headed sergeant, helps police detective Robert Young to solve the case. Mitchum is determined from the outset to clear George A. Cooper, the vulnerable young soldier on whom Ryan seeks to pin the crime, taking advantage of the fact that Cooper had been drinking and cannot initially adequately account for his time during the time period of the crime.

Cooper's cause is aided by Paul Kelly, who plays a bizarre, mentally troubled man with a penchant for alcohol and a strong urge for B-girl Gloria Grahame, who takes Cooper back to her apartment. Not wanting to get involved, Grahame refuses to help provide Cooper with an alibi, not even after Cooper's wife, Jacqueline White, has interceded on her husband's behalf. Just as Young, Cooper and White are about to leave, Kelly, having overheard the conversation, walks into the living room and corroborates Cooper's account of events.

Ryan commits a second murder, killing fellow soldier Steve Brodie when he fears that he will go to the police, strangling him with his victim's Army tie. It is the shrewd Young, who reveals to Mitchum that his own Irish immigrant grandfather was killed by a bigoted mob not long after coming to America, whose expertise ultimately traps Ryan into revealing himself. He uses young Southerner William Phipps, a soldier Ryan likes to make fun of, to reveal information that proves perfect bait for the merciless killer, who falls into the trap.

One outstanding noir ploy of the film is that, in order to hide Cooper from the D.C. police while he is under suspicion for murder, the wily Mitchum takes him to an all-night movie theater. Mitchum and fellow soldiers periodically surface in the darkened theater to hold quiet strategy sessions, focused on the task at hand of clearing Cooper and proving their steadfast belief that Ryan is the killer of Levene. The all-night theater idea was adapted from Brooks' novel.

RKO intended to use the "Crossfire" team of Dmytryk, producer Adrian Scott and screenwriter John Paxton on numerous other projects. The right wing anti-Communist witch hunt period surfaced at that inauspicious point as Dmytryk and Scott eventually went to jail for contempt of Congress as two members of the Hollywood Ten.

The first big movie to deal directly with anti-Semitism - it beat "Gentleman's Agreement" to the screen by a couple of months - CROSSFIRE brackets its message of tolerance with a brace of murders. The movie opens and closes with scenes of freshly minted corpses, the first one sparks the narrative, the second neutralizes evil.

All of which is accomplished in deep shadows on cheap sets. There's a short, 9-minute featurette bundled on the dvd entitled "Hate is like a gun." (DON'T watch it before you watch the movie for the first time; it gives away most of the major plot points.) The featurette contains archive footage of director Edward Dmytryk discussing CROSSFIRE. Made on a limited budget for RKO, Dmytryk recounts how he wanted to flip-flop the normal economics of a movie, so he decided to spend the bulk of the budget on actors and proportionately less on lighting, sets, etc. I was tempted to write `at the expense of...' but the shadowy, seedy look serves the movie admirably. The three Bobs this approach allowed Dmytryk to afford - Young, Mitchum, and Ryan - would have been more than worth the sacrifice, though.

Sam Levene plays Joseph Samuels who will be brutally beaten to death simply because, the movie will soon explain, he was Jewish. Samuels was last seen at a hotel bar, drinking with a group of soldiers who are about to be mustered out. He invites a lonely, despondent and seemingly disoriented soldier - George Cooper as Cpl. Arthur Mitchell - to his room. They're joined by a couple of other soldiers, including characters played by Steve Brodie and Robert Ryan , and before the night is through Samuels will be dead and Cpl. Mitchell will be missing and eagerly sought by police Captain Finlay (Robert Young) in connection with the murder.

Although it's nowhere near as preachy as `Gentleman's Agreement,' CROSSFIRE does carry a strong message of religious and societal tolerance that comes across as heavy-handed today. In their informed commentary track, Alain Silver and James Ursini rightly observe that this movie's message had to be sold to its audience, while we accept it as a given today. Enough already with your folks coming over from Ireland, Capt. Finlay! More `subversive,' to their view, is the non-judgmental attitude CROSSFIRE takes toward the b-girl (played to Academy Award nominee perfection by Gloria Grahame,) Cpl. Mitchell befriends and may provide an alibi for him when the police and - gasp! - his wife close in.

The `message' didn't make me realize that anti-Semitism is evil, that in some places it's pervasive, or that it's something that needs to be fought. Young's delivering-the-message scenes were, therefore, a little lost on me, although I found them interesting in a historical sense. And even though Robert Mitchum was a tad wasted - more a bystander than a central character - Ryan, Young, and Grahame more than compensated with their powerful characterizations. Strongest recommendation for this great crime thriller.

In one of the first films to expose the issue of anti-Semitism in post WWII America, Edward Dmytryk's 1946 film Crossfire, brings forth the dangerous venality of ethnic hatred to an unsuspecting screen audience. A hit at the box office and a winner of several humanitarian awards, Crossfire is most remembered by Robert Ryan's portrayal of a twisted, menacing, racist who vilifies Jews. Ryan as the callous G.I. Montgomery, created a screen presence that would secure him numerous roles as Hollywood's most notorious racist. In reality, Robert Ryan was actually a champion of civil liberties and an agressive campaigner for equality of rights among minority groups. Although scriptwriter John Paxton and RKO producer Adrian Scott were nervous about the film's public reaction; credit should be given to the creative team of Dmytryk, Paxton, and Scott for collaborating on a film dealing with a controversial topic that was buried in American society. While other major studies such as Warner Brothers, Paramount, and MGM refrained from social "message films" minor studio RKO showed resilience in forging an avenue for future social commentary films such as Gentleman's Agreement, and Bad Day At Black Rock. The film's storyline is pure noir; an innocent man is accused of murder and a midnight to dawn investigation of the true killer ensues. Robert Mitchum plays G.I. Keeley, who aids in the murder investigation. George Cooper is Finlay, the naive, innocent, soldier on the run. Gloria Grahame recieved an Academy Award nomination for her brief appearance as a prostitute, and like Robert Ryan solidified a position in future urban noir films. Crossfire is one of those films that has largely been forgotten by film buffs. Do not let this one slip by you.

Perhaps the first of the social injustice movies Hollywood began turning out in the late Forties, Crossfire is one of the few in my opinion which still hold up. That's because the social message, against hate in general and anti-Semitism in particular, doesn't become too preachy and get in the way of the story. Unlike Gentleman's Agreement (anti-Semitism), Boomerang (legal and class injustice), Pinky (racial prejudice) and others, Crossfire tells a taut story first, in this case about a murder, and features some first-rate acting, especially from Robert Ryan.

The murder mystery is straightforward and there's little doubt about who the killer is. We know a man named Samuels (Sam Levene) has been beaten to death. We know the suspect, Corporal Arthur Mitchell (George Cooper) is one of four recently discharged soldiers who met him in a bar. We know one of the four is a big, edgy guy, Sergeant Montgomery (Robert Ryan), who laughs too much and likes to verbally poke at people he thinks are weak. The body is discovered, evidence points to Mitchell as the killer and police Captain Finlay (Robert Young) goes to work. One of Mitchell's buddies, Sergeant Peter Keeley (Robert Mitchum) doesn't think Mitchell could be a killer. In a cautious way he starts working with Finlay to establish an alibi for Mitchell, and then to concentrate on Montgomery. One of the biggest issues is what could Montgomery's motivation be. It turns out Montgomery doesn't like civilians, doesn't like "hillbillies," and hates Jews. He's a bigot. When Montgomery complains about "those kinds of guys", Finlay asks, "What kind of guys?"
"You know the kind." Montgomery says. "Played it safe during the war, keepin' themselves in civvies, nice apartments, swell dames...you know the kind."
"I'm not sure that I do."
"Some of 'em are named Samuels, some of 'em have funnier names."
It isn't long before we realize that Montgomery is a psychopath who hates just about anyone who is different. With Keeley's help, Finlay finally is able to lay a clever trap for Montgomery.

Young does a fine job as the cop. He's seen probably too much. He's tired. He's a decent man who relies on his training. "I've been at this job too long," he tells Keeley. "I go about it the only way I know how. I collect all the facts possible...most of them are useless." Mitchum, laconic but alert, makes a nice partner for Finlay. He's ready to stand by a buddy he thinks is incapable of killing, and he really doesn't like Montgomery.

Robert Ryan makes you feel uncomfortable from the moment you see him. There's something too friendly about him, something too hidden, something too ready to explode. You're not surprised when he suddenly beats Samuels to death with his fists. The difference between the part of Keeley and the part of Montgomery is, I think, the difference between a role that can lead to a reputation as a movie star and a role that can lead to a reputation as a movie actor. I think it was only when Mitchum took on unsympathetic roles in Night of the Hunter and Cape Fear that many critics realized he was a first-rate film actor, not just a star. By that time, Ryan already had the actor reputation, but major stardom had eluded him.

In a smaller part, Gloria Grahame is excellent as a dance hall hostess who might give Mitchell an alibi. With her cat eyes and pouty lips, Grahame always was distinctive. She and Paul Kelly as a man who may or may not be her husband bring an uneasy and almost surreal quality to their scenes.

Crossfire is a solid looking noir. The DVD presentation is very good.

Completed in only about 20 days of shooting, 1947's "Crossfire" was one of Hollywood's first attempts to make a movie focusing on anti-Semitism. Directed by Edward Dmytryk (Murder My Sweet, Cornered, The Sniper), it was filmed on a very low budget yet featured an amazing cast: Robert Young, Robert Ryan, Robert Mitchum, Gloria Grahame, Paul Kelly, Sam Levene, and Steve Brodie. To everyone's surprise, the movie (released shortly before the similarly-themed Gentlemen's Agreement) was a big hit and was nominated for five Academy Awards including best picture.

Joseph Samuels, a Jewish veteran who had survived World War Two has just been murdered, and the police are baffled. Captain Finlay (Robert Young) interrogates the last two people who saw him alive, Mitchell (George Cooper) and Montgomery (Robert Ryan). They are also veterans, but only Montgomery seems to have an alibi for the night of Joseph's murder, and Mitchell was too drunk that night to remember what really happened. Knowing that he's the police department's prime suspect in the case, Mitchell hides from the cops. Meanwhile, Mitchell's friend Sgt. Peter Keeley (Robert Mitchum) tries to help the police find the real killer, while clearing Mitchell.

As Finlay's investigation progresses, he learns that Montgomery was the only one who had any reason to kill Joseph. The motive: a burning hatred of all Jews. Also, the police find out that Mitchell was at Ginny Tremaine's (Gloria Grahame) apartment while the murder took place. But proving that Montgomery was the murderer will be very difficult, because Montgomery has a ready answer prepared for just about any question the police can ask him. Eventually, the police use Montgomery's own friend Floyd Bowers (Steve Brodie) to try to trick Montgomery into revealing himself as the killer.

Despite some badly dated scenes of Robert Young "preaching" about racism, "Crossfire" is a terrific film noir with an excellent cast and stylish, shadowy lighting that creates a very dark atmosphere for a story of hatred and murder. Gloria Grahame, who played a sexy nightclub girl (it is implied that she's also a prostitute), was nominated for a best supporting actress oscar for her brief but very memorable performance. And aside from Robert Ryan's outstanding and chilling portrayal of a racist killer, the second most interesting character IMO was Paul Kelly, who played Gloria Grahame's pimp (for lack of a better word).

The picture and sound quality of the Warner DVD of "Crossfire" is very satisfactory. Bonus features include commentary by film noir historians Alain Silver and James Ursini (which includes audio interview excerpts of director Edward Dmytryk), and a brief documentary "Crossfire: Hate is Like a Gun," which explains how difficult it was to get the movie made, and how the director had his career almost ruined by the communist "witch hunt" of the late 1940's that resulted in many people in Hollywood being wrongfully blacklisted. One minor error I noticed in the commentary: they state that "Crossfire" was Robert Young's only film noir credit. Actually, he made two other noir films: "They Won't Believe Me" and "The Second Woman." Other than that error, though, the commentary was very interesting. "Crossfire" is a wonderful example of how many late 1940's noir films had strong messages concerning social and moral issues. This dvd is a must-have for any film noir buff!

"Crossfire",a film noir, from 1947, deals with the subject of HATE,specifically anti-semitism in a powerful way.A Jew,Sam Levine,is killed and Insp.Finley,played by Robert Young, investagates and concludes that a just discharged GI is the culprit.But which one,Robert Mitchum,Steve Brodie,or Robert Ryan,or perhaps one played by one of lesser known actors?The acting,screenplay,direction,and photography is fine,but the subject matter HATE is most MOST relevant item.America is at a crossroad,in its history,and I'm afraid its leaning in the WRONG direction.Gloria Graham,Jacqueline White, and Paul Kelly also appear.Even better than the film,is the commetary by noir experts Alain Silver and James Ursini with audio inserts by director Edward Dmytryk,of Hollywood Ten fame.The three do an excellant job in describing the political climite of the times.There certainly wasn't any lack of political conservatives,in hollywood back them,or a lack of informers either.Both director Dmytryk and producer Adrian Scott(also Hollywood 10) went to prison,for contempt of Congress,refusing to answer HCUA questions perting to alleged Communists in the film industry.Dmytryk,after his jail term named names.Also included on the DVD is a featurette "HATE IS LIKE A LOADED GUN".The film rates 4-stars.The extras rate 5-stars.Maybe its bcause I'm a political leftist that I love noir.

Movie: ***** DVD Transfer: *** Extras: ***1/2

Director Edward Dmytryk's stark, hard-hitting examination of a hate crime was way ahead of its time in 1947, and has lost neither its topicality nor its punch in the years since. Based on a Richard Brooks novel ("The Brick Foxhole") about the senseless murder of a gay man, the script dropped the book's sub-theme of homophobia to focus on the more cinematically "acceptable" topic of anti-Semitism. Despite this concession to the Production Code, what emerged was a mature, pungent indictment of all crimes motivated by discrimination and blind hated that was nominated for five Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Robert Ryan), and Supporting Actress (Gloria Grahame). Also deserving award consideration were top-billed Robert Young (arguably giving the best performance of his decades-long career as a taciturn police detective) and supporting actor Robert Mitchum, as well as J. Roy Hunt's masterful black and white cinematography.

The Warner Brothers DVD release of this classic film noir is, in all honesty, a major disappointment, mainly because the film-to-video transfer is not up to their usual high standard of quality. There is very distracting jump in one of the earlier scenes, apparently caused by a break in the film which was subsequently spliced together by an amateur; one or two scenes are unacceptably grainy; and there is a flurry of horizontal visual "snow" toward the end of the movie. Surely such a key title deserved a little restorative work before being transferred to DVD! (That's a statement, not a question.) Furthermore, the DVD does not include a Theatrical Trailer; however, it does contain a very informative snippet from an interview shown on TCM featuring director Dmytryk reminiscing about the film's production. There is also an audio commentary by film noir authorities James Ursini and Alain Silver. Overall, despite the inadequacies in the master print, "Crossfire" remains a must-see film, and therefore this DVD edition is definitely recommended.

Despite the great noir visuals, a good (if somewhat over-the-top) performance by Robert Ryan as the villain (you can tell his character is guilty right away) and the always welcome presence of sultry femme fatale Gloria Grahame, I think that "Crossfire" hasn't dated as well as other film noirs. "Crossfire" is really two films in one. First, the film is a murder mystery in which the crime turns out to have been motivated by anti-Semitism. This is the part that hasn't aged well, especially the customary (for a classic Hollywood film) educational speech delivered by a white actor (Robert Young) in a father figure role. Secondly, the film is about the difficulties faced by soldiers and their wives as they try to get back together in postwar America. There are two couples that face this problem, and this is the part of the film that is still interesting nowadays. In the original version of the story, the crime was motivated by homophobia and not anti-Semitism, which makes a lot more sense when trying to understand the relationship between the murder mystery and the domestic problems of the two couples. The cast of "Crossfire" is uniformly good. Robert Ryan, Gloria Graham and Paul Kelly are particularly memorable, but Robert Young and especially Robert Mitchum could have played their parts in their sleep.

Ostensibly "Crossfire" is a police procedural about finding the murderer of a kindly Jewish man in post World War II Washington D.C. On that count I thought the film telegraphed the murderer a little early but that is beside the point because the story here is so intricately textured that there are many riches to be found. The film touches on not only irrational bigotry that leads to murder but also portrays a country and yes a military in a malaise following the end of our 4 year campaign to free the world of tyranny. We now have peace and the question arises as to where to devote our energies. It's in this climate where after we saved some Jews from Nazi extermination only to direct our hostilities toward the Jews at home. The film is starkly lit and filmed by director Edward Dmytryk to maximum effect. The cast is superb with Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, and Gloria Grahame giving some of the best, in some cases the best, performances of their careers. This film was nominated for best picture in 1947 losing to "Gentlemen's Agreement" another film touching on domestic Anti-Semitism. I recommend seeing both films but in my mind "Crossfire" is clearly the superior film.

"Crossfire" was considered a risky film when it was released in 1947. It was a relatively rare 1940s example of "social conscious" filmmaking that had largely gone out of style after the 1930s. And the film addressed the subject of bigotry in America, which was still considered taboo in some quarters -or at least box office poison. "Crossfire" was adapted from the novel "The Brick Foxhole" by Richard Brooks, which concerned a gay Marine who was beaten to death by his fellow soldiers. The Production Code did not allow homosexuality to be discussed openly in films, so screenwriter John Paxton made the victim Jewish instead, and "Crossfire" became a statement against lingering anti-Jewish sentiment in America and a denunciation of bigotry in general. The message was couched in a stylish murder mystery/detective story, and "Crossfire" achieved both critical and commercial success, including 5 Academy Award nominations.

As the film opens, Joseph Samuels (Sam Levene) has been beaten to death, and Police Captain Finlay (Robert Young) is trying to piece together the events that led to his murder. Four army buddies on leave -Mitchell, Montgomery, Floyd,and Leroy- went out drinking. They met Samuels and his girlfriend in a bar. Mitchell was feeling homesick and had drank too much. A sympathetic Samuels invited him to dinner. They preceded to Samuels' apartment, followed by Montgomery and Floyd. Samuels ends up dead. Mitchell's wallet is found at the scene, and he is missing. Finlay seeks out Sergeant Keeley (Robert Mitchum), who knew the men, for help with the investigation. Keeley tries to protect Mitchell, while Montgomery (Robert Ryan) implicates him. But what possible motive could any of these men have to kill a man whom they'd only just met?

We have a pretty good idea of who committed the murder early on in "Crossfire". The mystery is the motive. And that is where the film's message is found. But this isn't sophisticated writing. The characters are 2-dimensional and seem to exist only to service the theme. And the theme is a little weak. It undermines itself by assuring the audience that Samuels embodied none of the stereotypes that his assailant had assumed of him. But what if Samuels had conformed to a stereotype or two? Would it be ok to bludgeon him? "Crossfire" is sometimes presented as the sole example of a "film noir" social conscious picture and as proof that such an animal could exist. I find this curious because I don't see anything but the most superficial qualities of film noir in "Crossfire". Director Edward Dmytryk made use of low-key lighting because it was cheap and disguised his low-budget sets. This is a crime film. I suppose it's an introverted film, but that just makes it characteristic of the era. In any case, this is an example of overtly "social conscious" filmmaking in the 1940s. The mystery cleverly relates directly to the film's anti-bigotry theme and keeps the audience engaged. "Crossfire" is entertaining but uncomplicated.

The DVD (Warner 2005): Bonus features include a documentary and an audio commentary. "Crossfire: Hate is Like a Gun" (9 minutes) talks about making a "message picture" during the Communist witchhunt of the late 1940s. It includes an interview with director Edward Dmytryk in which he talks about shooting the film in 20 days on a low budget and the resulting visual style. The audio commentary features film noir theorists and authors Alain Silver and James Ursini as well as archival commentary from Edward Dmytryk. Silver and Ursini discuss the film's style, characters, themes, and director. Dmytryk talks about the political climate in Hollywood at the time, the House Un-American Activities Committee, being one of the "Hollywood Ten", and his own experience with blacklisting. He does not, however, discuss his decision to "name names" to HUAC after spending some time in prison for contempt of Congress. Nevertheless, Dmytryk's commentary will interest anyone studying HUAC and Hollywood. Subtitles for the film are available in English, French, and Spanish.