WALK A CROOKED MILE
US, 1948, 91 minutes, Black-and-white.
Dennis O' Keefe, Louis Hayward, Louise Allbritton, Carl Esmond, Onslow Stevens, Raymond Burr, Art Baker, Lowell Gilmore, Philip Van Zandt, Charles Evans, narrated by Reed Hadley.
Directed by Gordon Douglas.
By 1948, it was clear that there was an Iron Curtain down the middle of Europe. In the United States, films about the Iron Curtain, including the film with that title, begin to be made, semi-documentary in style, to inform the American public and some morale boosting. However, it is the beginning of the House of un-American activities, leading to red scares, Mc Carthyism and blacklisting.
This is an effective straightforward drama, similar to many being made at 20th Century Fox, semi-documentaries about politics, police, crime.
Dennis O’ Keefe is always a reliable leading man and is the leading agent in the investigation of leaks from a centre where atomic research is being done. Louis Hayward represents Scotland Yard, joining in the investigation because the secrets are being sent to the UK.
At the opening, there is a suspect who leaves the centre, holes up in an apartment, is under surveillance, but is murdered. (The film uses the device of the murderer disguising himself as a priest and not considered under suspicion.)
There is a Communist cell, a wide range of ordinary citizens, but becoming more fanatical in their loyalties. They are being led by an artist who is able to incorporate with secret ink substances the formulae on his paintings and ship them to England. Amongst the cell is Raymond Burr who gets the sinister jobs.
The main scientists on the project are filmed during a meeting – and all are under suspicion, especially Louise Allbritton as the secretary of the group. This leads to a drop at a laundry, the Scotland Yard man going undercover at the laundry, investigations of the substance used to conceal the formulae, the work of the scientists. This leads to a final confrontation and shootout and the eventual unmasking of the traitor.
The film was directed by Gordon Douglas who began as a child actor, was a prolific director from the 1930s, starting with some comedies, Laurel and Hardy but moving for many decades into action films, even the late 1960s, three with Frank Sinatra.
1. A film from the beginning of the Cold War? Atomic secrets? Espionage, communication with the enemy? The past alliance with the Soviet Union, changes?
2. The documentary-like style, the serious narration, the description of the action, the issues, the role of the characters? The agents, the FBI, Scotland Yard, collaboration?
3. The plausibility of the plot? The Communist cells? Overseas contacts? Nuclear secrets? The parallels with actual cases of the period? And the beginning of the fears and the anti-Communist era in American politics and society?
4. The explanation of the centre, the research, the qualified scientists, their meetings, formerly? Leaks from the centre? The local contacts in Los Angeles? Getting the information to the UK?
5. The involvement of local authorities, the police, the FBI? O’ Hara and his involvement, dedication? His associates and their strategies? The phone information about the suspicious character? The murder? Krebs and the Communist cell, photographing O’ Hara for identification? Surveillance on the contact, his hiding out in the apartment, photographing the visitors? The priest, the ignoring of the priest because of his status? His being the killer?
6. Scotland Yard, Scotty Grayson, committed to his work, the British connections with the case? Collaboration with O’ Hara, working together, friendship, tactics?
7. The authorities at the centre, permission to film the meeting? Each of the scientists under suspicion? Especially Tony, her having the key to the safe? Following each of the scientists? Tony and her going to the laundry? The manager of the laundry and his being part of the Communist cell? Her going out with the scientist and her attraction to him? The other members, no suspicions?
8. Grayson going undercover, working at the laundry, the connections? Krebs taking the box of laundry, O’ Hara following him, the confrontation in the alley, Krebs losing the information? His being cross-examined?
9. The role of the artist, concealing the formulae on his paintings? Identifying the location, identifying the painter? The recovery of the handkerchief with the formula, the scientists and the various ways of trying to bring it to the surface? Success?
10. The interrogation of Tony, under suspicion? The murder of the scientist?
11. O’ Hara, the address, hurrying to confront the members of the cell? His crash? Urging Grayson to meet him, Grayson rescuing him from the crash? O’ Hara, taken by Krebs, the gun? The interrogation and torture? The role of the landlady, her courage because she had been interrogated during the war, her gratitude to the US, hitting Krebs but her being shot?
12. The police, the FBI, the shootout? The apology to Tony?
13. The clue of the ink, the ash, the identification of the scientist who was guilty of treason?
14. The morale boosting for the American cinema going public at the time?
