Director: Alfred L. Werker
Cast: Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Roy Roberts, Jack Webb
Have I Seen It Before: Never. At this point it approaches a tired cliché to say that I’ll go see anything as long as it is projected in 35mm, but here we are again. Of note, Josh Fadem mentioned in his introduction of the film that Circle actually got the clearance to project the film, only for me to realize in getting the above details that the film is actually in the public domain.
Did I Like It: The danger in embracing anything along the lines of a mockumentary is that you’re already tempted to lean on voice over narration like a crutch, and that’s exactly what happened here. This would be a murky enough choice if the film didn’t also suddenly realize (an uncredited director came into the mix at some point here) that things were starting off on the wrong foot and decided to become a more straight ahead noir thriller.
I actually enjoyed the final act, where the net slowly but inevitably closes in on Roy (Basehart). Intellectually, I understand that the poor guy is doomed, but I catch myself as the film unfurls wondering if he actually does have all the angles—or at least all the turns in the Los Angeles sewer system—all figured out. Maybe it was just because I felt sorry for his dog being abandoned once the chase begins. If the whole film had been like that, I’d be raving that it was able to make me go with the flow of its plot and not engage with any cynicism. Instead, it is a film with a muddled point of view, at best. At least Jack Webb picked up a yeoman’s salary and an idea that would be the first line of his obituary.