WALK A CROOKED MILE [1948] [Limited Edition] [Blu-ray] [1948 / 2021] [UK Release] FBI Teams up with Scotland Yard to Avenge the Murder of a G-Man!
Screenplay by George Bruce, and was based on a story by Bertram Millhauser. With Louis Hayward, Dennis O’Keefe, Raymond Burr. Investigating the murder of an FBI agent and a security breach at a secret Southern California defence facility, a Scotland Yard detective and a square-jawed G-Man are led to a communist spy ring operating out of San Francisco. ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ is an early example of Red menace noir: Cold War crime films that urgently uncovered a vast Soviet conspiracy within our sacred American institutions; in this case, modern art plays a particularly incriminating role in the smuggling of atomic formulas.
FILM FACT: The film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ was one of the first Cold War movies, and was made specifically to exploit the new anti-communist sentiment in the country after World War II. Producer Edward Smalls hoped to repeat the success he had with the “film noir” ‘T-Men’ [1947] and ‘Raw Deal’ [1948]. It was director Gordon Douglas’ first major production; as he had been making B movies for M-G-M. Outside exterior scenes are mostly around San Francisco but the film starts with exteriors from Brand Boulevard, Glendale, California. When the film was released, The New York Times film critic, Bosley Crowther, while giving the film mixed review, wrote well of the screenplay, “No use to speak of the action or the acting. It's strictly routine. But the plot is deliberately sensational.” The staff at Variety gave the film a favourable review, writing, “Action swings to San Francisco and back to the southland, punching hard all the time under the knowledgeable direction of Gordon Douglas. On-the-site filming of locales adds authenticity. George Bruce has loaded his script with nifty twists and turns that add to the air of reality to the going ons in the Bertram Millhauser story. Dialogue is very good and situations believably developed, even the highly contrived melodramatic finale. Documentary flavour is forwarded by Reed Hadley's credible narration chore."
Cast: Louis Hayward, Dennis O'Keefe, Louise Allbritton, Carl Esmond, Onslow Stevens, Raymond Burr, Art Baker, Lowell Gilmore, Philip Van Zandt, Charles Evans, Frank Ferguson, Reed Hadley (Narrator’s voice), Paul Bryar (uncredited), Fred Coby (uncredited), Bert Davidson (uncredited), John Hamilton (uncredited), Myron Healey (uncredited), Marten Lamont (uncredited), Jimmy Lloyd (uncredited), Howard Negley (uncredited), Steve Pendleton (uncredited), Lee Phelps (uncredited), Grandon Rhodes (uncredited), Keith Richards (uncredited), Suzanne Ridgway (uncredited), Tamara Shayne (uncredited), Arthur Space (uncredited), Gale Storm (Voice on Record Recorder) (uncredited), William Tannen (uncredited), Ray Teal (uncredited), Arthur Tovey (uncredited) and Crane Whitley (uncredited)
Director: Gordon Douglas
Producers: Edward Small and Grant Whytock
Screenplay: Bertram Millhauser (story) and George Bruce (screenplay)
Composer: Paul Sawtell
Make-up and Hair Department: Norbert A. Myles (Make-up Artist) (uncredited) and Margaret Martin (Hair stylist) (uncredited)
Cinematography: George Robinson. A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Black and White)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 91 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Columbia Pictures / Powerhouse Films / INDICATOR
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: As the film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ [1948] starts, the voice over narrator Reed Hadley informs us, “This is Lakeview, California, one of a score of American communities which came into being during and after World War II, and this is the Lakeview Research Laboratory of Nuclear Physics, and one of the Top Secret Government project, vital to the national Defence and Security, and to be a worker at Lakeview, one must first be an American, and a proven loyal citizen. The task of guarding projects like Lakeview, is entrusted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation which explains why Special Agent Daniel F. O'Hara [Dennis O'Keefe] is in charge of Lakeview security detail, and remains his office long after regular hours, night after night.
‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ is a very high calibre loaded adventure into Columbia Pictures “film noir” in fine style, with beautiful location shots in San Francisco and Southern California.
The documentary style technique for the film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ gives a factual gloss to a very melodramatic format. Action moves back and forth between San Francisco and the Lakeview Research Laboratory of Nuclear Physics atomic plant in southern California. Gordon Douglas’ knowledgeable directing keeps the film moving forward at a fast pace. Gordon Douglas manages to build up the suspense throughout the movie. The method used to take information out of the atomic plant is well protected thus keeping you guessing throughout the film.
The film is a post-war look at America and its increasing desire to warn its citizens about the dangers of Communism, and ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ is almost documentary style and complete with narration, and it follows two special agents Daniel F. O'Hara [Dennis O’Keefe] and Philip 'Scotty' Grayson [Louis Hayward] who are assigned to find whoever is responsible for leaking top secret information from a nuclear plant in California.
Set mostly in San Francisco, the narrative plays out showing how a spy ring uses seemingly inconspicuous items to move information around, and leaving the viewer guessing as to whom the main “bad guy” might be, all while watching the two special agents slowly piecing information together. ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ is a slow burner, but one greatly enriched by its location shooting and the inclusion of actor Raymond Burr as Krebs.
Two things particularly drew me into getting the Blu-ray ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE.’ One was the suitably foreboding title. The other was a nice concept of the genre that has always been a favourite of mine. It is very interesting seeing Louis Hayward in a role never seen in this way before, or at least from my experience.
‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ is worth viewing, even if in my view it isn't a must or a genre classic. For me, I really appreciated its totally pull no punches approach to the movie and was really surprised by how well Louis Hayward came off, but on top of all that, I thought the dramatic ending to the film was extremely well directed and a brilliant conclusion who was the passing on the top secret to the communist fraternity if California.
There is a lot to like about the movie ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ and it does have brilliant moments of stylish and moody photography and especially eerie lighting. The brilliant composed music by Paul Sawtell is suitably ominous without over emphasising the mood of the film. The direction by Gordon Douglas is suitably assured and shows a total command and understanding of the genre, and much of the screenplay by George Bruce is really terrific.
‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ is smoothly directed by Gordon Douglas at a very fast pace and Raymond Burr has his usual “bad guy" role, and Louise Allbritton, Carl Esmond, Art Baker and Charles Evans all make interesting suspects in the mystery behind the identity of the true key traitor.
‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ is a tautness and uncompromising gritty “film noir” that is the uncompromising and sometimes brutal storytelling, which has some very nice tension and totally entertainment value. Its documentary noir style structure is fascinating and is handled very well, not at all gimmicky or too heavily used. Louis Hayward as Philip 'Scotty' Grayson is hard boiled yet also understated and nothing melodramatic. Dennis O'Keefe as Daniel F. O'Hara is even better and the two works very well together. The movie is typical 1940’s and early 1950’s “film noir.” All in all, I found the end of the film very satisfying and all the actors were totally amazing and the two main character actors worked so well together as a team if finally bringing a great conclusion to the end of the totally brilliant and dramatic film.
Please Note: We are informed that this picture is meant to acquaint the people of the United States with the problems of our Federal Agents, to whom is entrusted the safeguarding of our Nation’s top secrets – and with the character of our enemies. Who “walk the crooked miles” along the highways and byways of Free America.
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Columbia Pictures, Powerhouse Films + INDICATOR presents us the film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ with a wonderful 1080p black-and-white image and of course is shown in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio and the whole film looks really good in high-definition and of course it has been fully remastered and excluding a few minor density fluctuations and shaky darker nuances this will likely be its definitive presentation and of course there is great clarity and depth are already very good. There are no traces of problematic digital work. Image stability is very good. Lastly, the entire film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ looks really wonderful. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Columbia Pictures, Powerhouse Films + INDICATOR brings us the film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ with a good quality 1.0 LPCM Mono Audio experience. The dialogue is very clear, sharp, and stable. I expected to hear rather substantial fluctuations in terms of dynamic intensity/stability because of the documentary nature of film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE,’ but everything sounded really great, superb and its audio qualities are retained as best as possible throughout the movie.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Image Gallery: With this featurette, we get to view 24 wonderful 1080p dramatic and gritty black-and-white and colour original promotional material for 1948 Columbia Pictures film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE.’ Please Note: Use the right hand NEXT button on your remote control to advance the images. Press MENU or TOP MENU to EXIT the featurette.
Special Feature: Routine Job: A Story of Scotland Yard [1946] [1080p] [1.37:1] [22:12] With this featurette, we get to view a brilliant short film following the day-to-day work of the Scotland Yard detectives in the pursuit of a case in London, and it is about the theft of some tea chests, and how the suspects are tracked down, processed and eventually convicted, with at least one of them choosing to plead guilty in open court after the prosecution has presented their evidence. Starring Detective Sergeant John Walsh, Detective Sergeant Paddy Doyle, Detective Constable Owen Phillips, Criminal Investigation Department, New Scotland Yard and the Uniformed Branch. To sum up this 1946 special film, it was totally fascinating and very interesting on how these detectives solve the crime.
Special Feature: The March of Time: ‘Policeman’s Holiday’ [1949] [1080p] [1.37:1] [19:19] With this featurette, we get to view a dramatized instalment of the famed newsreel series, featuring an American detective who assists Scotland Yard while in the UK, echoing, but reversing the plot of the film ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ [1948]. Once again, to sum this 1949 film, it again is totally fascinating and very interesting on how these detectives in London solve the crime. Please Note: The March of Time is an American newsreel series sponsored by Time Inc. and shown in movie theatres from 1935 to 1951. It was based on a radio news series broadcast from 1931 to 1945 that was produced by advertising agency Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn. The "voice" of both series was Westbrook Van Voorhis. This 1949 film was distributed by 20th Century-Fox.
Special Feature: Dunked in the Deep [1949] [1080p] [1.37:1] [16:54] With this featurette, The Three Stooges are tricked into becoming stowaways by their neighbour “Borscht,” a spy for an enemy country. Stranded on a freighter on the high seas, they discover that their friend has concealed some stolen microfilm in watermelons they brought aboard for him. After a wild chase, they subdue Borscht and recover the microfilm.
Finally, ‘WALK A CROOKED MILE’ [1948] is a totally well-made political brilliant thriller. 1948 is the year Hollywood joined the anti-communist crusade, and there's no mistaking the bad guys like Raymond Burr in a Lenin-like goatee, with a sinister gathering of “comrades,” and Hollywood's version of communist rhetoric about how the individual doesn't matter in the global scheme of things. Up to that point, the studios had been turning out generally pro-Soviet films in behalf of our WWII allies. But now, turning on a dime, we find out what perfidious characters we had been supporting. Oh well, as they say, in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests. What I liked most about this film noir picture is that it is unflinching and brutal for 1948. It's a very tough picture and really delivers for lovers of the genre. My only complaint is the use of a terrible cliché near the end of the picture. Agent O'Hara figures finally out who is passing on the secrets to the Russians but instead of telling everyone immediately over the phone, he tells them he'll meet them and tell them. You just KNOW that means that the enemy will then try to kill him before he has a chance to tell... an obvious plot device to say the least. Still, apart from that it's NOT clichéd, but most of all it is very well written. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
