Konterr Brilliant and touching

Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Phillida Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

JohnHowardReid Director: FRANK TUTTLE. Screenplay: Sydney Boehm, Martin Rackin. Based on the Collier's magazine serial, "The Darkest Hour", by William P. McGivern. Photographed in CinemaScope and Eastman Color by John F. Seitz. Film editor: Folmar Blangsted. Art director: John Beckman. Set decorator: William L. Kuehl. Make-up: Gordon Bau. Costumes: Moss Mabry. Music composed by Max Steiner, orchestrated by Murray Cutter. Assistant director: William Kissel. Sound recording: Charles B. Lang. Associate producer: George C. Berthelon. Producer: Alan Ladd. A Jaguar (Alan Ladd) Production, released through Warner Brothers Pictures. U.K. release: 28 May 1956. Sydney opening at the Plaza. 98 minutes.SYNOPSIS: After serving a five-year term for manslaughter, a wrongly convicted ex-cop goes after the waterfront gangster who was really responsible.COMMENT: Alan Ladd versus Edward G. Robinson, the posters promised, but, disappointingly, the screenplay keeps the two stars apart until the climax. In fact, Ladd and Robinson share only two scenes. For most of the movie, Robinson plays against Paul Stewart, and it is these two actors rather than producer Ladd, who provide the story's chief points of friction. Nonetheless, Robinson is always in his element and the script does come to a grand climax on San Francisco Bay in which CinemaScope is brilliantly utilized to round off the movie with maximum dramatic impact. In other respects, however, director Frank Tuttle's hand seems somewhat lethargic. The color photography suffers from the early CinemaScope disease of over-graininess, but rates as reasonably acceptable. Indeed, most audiences probably won't notice, especially in theaters with smaller screens. On the Plaza's huge screen, however, where I saw the movie, the color looked undeniably blotchy.

bob the moo This film offers a lot of potential. The cast features Robinson and Ladd, the city in the background is a great one and the plot offers us murder, conspiracy, betrayal, infidelity and revenge. So why is it so very pedestrian from start to finish? I'm not totally sure as to the why but I have little doubt this is the case since the film really crawled across my screen, offering very little to make me sit up and take notice at any point. The problems for me are several but they are mostly intertwined to create one central problem which is that the film really lacks atmosphere and tension.The most obvious cause of this is the setting and the delivery. San Francisco is a beautiful city and one filled with coolness; it isn't the best backdrop for a tough noir-esque film. The film delivers the city in full color with lots of space and vibrancy and this doesn't help the tone of the film. This isn't to say that such a film can't be set in such a place, but if it does then it needs to create an atmosphere another way – setting it in gritty urban decay would have helped but it isn't necessary if ou deliver with plot, performances and other ways to make atmosphere. Sadly this film doesn't. In terms of characters they are flat and the performances match this. Ladd is supposed to be bitter and driven by rage but never looks more annoyed than someone who has misplaced their car keys. He really sleeps through this and even in the "dramatic" conclusion, his face is more emotionless than Steven Seagal. Robinson does his thing but without anything much to work with, so he is only his usual style, nothing special. The rest of the cast have some good turns but generally the pace is set by the leads – and the pace is slow.This really hurts the atmosphere and I never felt anything other than a general plod through a plot which didn't have anything to it. The bright color and space of the film doesn't help, but the lackluster performances and lack of general tension or atmosphere do more damage again.

bkoganbing In Hell on Frisco Bay Alan Ladd who also produced this film plays an ex-cop who's served five years on a manslaughter rap for which he was wrongly convicted. Of course as in the case of noir films he's on a mission to find the real killer and clear himself.It doesn't take him long to sniff out a trail that leads to San Francisco underworld boss Edward G. Robinson. Robinson is easily the best in the cast. He's as malevolent as he was in Little Caesar or at least in Key Largo. It's not that Hell on Frisco Bay is a bad film, but it's all so routine for Alan Ladd. He would not transition into character roles as he hit his forties. His legion fans which were gradually dwindling by this time still wanted their guy in action hero parts.He's not terribly animated here. I wouldn't have been surprised if he was ill during the making of this. In a way that might have helped the believability factor. Five years in jail would have given him a certain prison pallor to his complexion.Alan Ladd liked having friends around and the cast here is filled with players who were close personal friends and/or co-workers from his Paramount days. They include, Anthony Caruso, George J. Lewis, Peter Hansen, Perry Lopez, William Demarest. Look for young Rod Taylor as a contract killer and Jayne Mansfield in her screen debut as a bimbo.Joanne Dru plays the estranged Mrs. Ladd and was probably grateful to be in a modern setting. Paul Stewart gives a memorable performance as Robinson's chief henchman along with his lady love Fay Wray who played a former movie star who was keeping company with Stewart. Their relationship with Robinson is the key to the story.Cinemascope and noir usually don't mix, but in this case with the final scene being a police chase and fight with speedboats across San Francisco bay, cinemascope helped greatly.Fans of both Alan Ladd and Edward G. Robinson will enjoy this film.

Ale fish Edward G Robinson dismissed this one with a passing comment in his autobiography and it's not hard to see why. He exudes menace in the classic 'Little Caesar' manner and his interplay with the underrated Paul Stewart does have a touch of real quality. However, Cinemascope is not a process designed for urban thrillers and the wide open spaces rob the film of any sense of tension or claustrophobia. The greatest weakness, however, lies in Ladd's robotic performance. His boredom is evident throughout and the lacklustre supporting cast do little to help. In the end Robinson is left out on his own, gat in hand, the true professional giving it all he's got.