THE STEEL TRAP

US, 1952, 85 minutes, Black and white.
Joseph Cotten, Teresa Wright, Jonathan Hale.
Directed by Andrew Stone.

The Steel Trap is a brief effective thriller from the early '50s, written and directed by Andrew L. Stone. He used the star Joseph Cotten in A Blueprint for Murder about the same time. He made other thrillers including The Decks Ran Red and The Last Voyage. In the '70s he made the overblown, almost absurd, musical biographies: Song of Norway, The Great Waltz.

While the material of this film has become familiar from television series, it is an effective example of its kind from its period.

1. The impact of the thriller, the study of human behaviour and motives, suspense?

2. Black and white photography, brevity? The stars? Editing and pace for suspense?

3. The plausibility of the plot? The time span and the sense of urgency? The voice-over by Jim Osborne - and the moral point of view? Explaining motives? The similarity of beginning and end with the emphasis on the familiarity of routine - and its being a relief after the robbery?

4. The focus on an ordinary American couple, home life, money needs, ambitions, career, family life, working in a bank? The details for atmosphere?

5. Jim and his work, his dissatisfaction with routine, his fantasy about robbing the bank, a future, his investigations, studying laws, extradition, his beginning to tell lies to his wife, the suddenness of his decision, the need to act swiftly, the effect on him as a person, on his nerves, reaction, perceived by his wife?

6. The wife and her reaction, an ordinary wife, steady, wanting to discuss things, getting the details about the passports, giving support, wondering at Jim's reactions, the gradual dawning of the truth, her leaving him, relief when he rang?

7. The details of the robbery plan: audience knowledge of how the bank worked, the closing of the vault, extradition laws and Jim's research, the passports, the tickets, the time, the closing of the vault but leaving the catch undone, the teller and the double-checking of the money and Jim's examining it, the boss on the phone, the actual stealing of the money, the charlady's hearing the noise, the boxes, the weight in the cases, the passport and the breaking into the Brazilian Consulate, the tips for the investigator, for the taxi driver, the Customs and their suspicion, examination, the police and no charge being able to be made? The airport? Jim's behaviour towards the pilot? The timing at New Orleans? The having to stay there - the pause and the pleasure of the touring of the city? The break between husband and wife?

8. The background at home: the grandmother, the daughter, the friends bringing the fruit, suspicions, phone calls? The wife phoning to thank the couple for the fruit?

9. The decision to return the money? The pace and haste for him to return, the atmosphere of the bank?

10. The return to normality and audience sharing it?

11. The film as a thriller about a bank robbery? As a thriller about an ordinary man tempted, failing, rectifying his crime?