This nifty, fast-paced B mystery, based on a radio play (as were many superior second features of the time) is a nice surprise from Republic Studios. It features original situations and plenty of fancy patter, some of it slightly risqué for the time (obviously, the production code mavens were more diligent in scrutinizing the A product than these minor programmers). Lightweight leading man Don "Red" Barry, with the wavy hair and tenor voice, gives as good as he takes (he also sports one of the most outrageous wide ties in memory), and B movie icon Ann Savage has a sizable role as a slinky cabaret singer who may know more than she lets on. Connoisseurs will appreciate the parade of offbeat character turns by vets like Irving Bacon, Sheldon Leonard, and especially Tom Dugan in a little deadpan bit as a sarcastic souvenir salesman. The photography is suitably shadowy, the carnival background sleazy, and there are some clever editing tricks. Obscure director Phil Ford, who was John Ford's nephew (and Francis Ford's son), certainly takes advantage of his studio's affinity for serials, emphasising reckless car chases and a wild ride aboard a roller-coaster. (By the way, reliable historian Tom Weaver claims that Phil was often more interesting than both John and Francis!) If you like this one, try the similar No Hands on the Clock from Paramount's splendid B-movie mill.
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goblinhairedguy10 March 2004
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bmacv17 February 2003During a police chase, three bank robbers perish when their getaway car plunges over a cliff. The 300-large they grabbed, however, can't be found. The bank's underwriters hire cocky private eye Donald Barry to find it, promising a 10-percent reward if he's successful. The trail leads him to an oceanside amusement park, where the `death car' has been purchased as an exhibit in the side show; a couple of thugs show interest in it, too, as well they might, since the missing cash has been soldered into the running board.
His quest also leads Barry to a nearby nightclub where shantoozie Ann Savage warbles in sequins. (It's a good career choice for Savage, whose bold features suggest two other famed singers of the time: LaVerne Andrews, of the sister act, and Astrid Varnay, the Wagnerian soprano). He enlists her help, despite the fact that corpses drop into seats on the roller-coaster (which, oddly, turns into a tunnel of love) and big black sedans keep trying to run them down. The body count continues to rise....
The movie comes from the El Cheapo unit at Republic Pictures, and was directed by Philip Ford. Like Ford's The Mysterious Mr. Valentine (and most other crime programmers of the 1940s), it tries to cram an overcomplicated plot into not much more than an hour, patching up the holes with explanatory dialogue whizzing by. But, also like Mr. Valentine, it has an evocative look especially of the amusement park at night and it has Ann Savage. All in all, that's not a bad deal. -
AAdaSC26 January 2012Donaid Barry (Tom) plays a private detective who sets out to discover where the hidden loot from the recent Jarvis gang robbery is hidden. He's after a percentage of the reward for finding it and gets the OK from police to help in the search. This takes him to a fairground where the original car that was used in the Jarvis robbery is being used as a showpiece. However, it is also attracting interest from other parties.
This film has a good cast and starts well. It hooks you in with the Jarvis gang robbery and we follow the getaway car as it is chased through the country until disaster strikes. The criminal gang are all very convincing. But they don't last long! The rest of the cast are all good - I personally like gangster Sheldon Leonard ('Wires' MacGuire) and I felt sorry for bimbo-babe Adele Mara (Bonnie) who is always left standing alone somewhere while Barry shoots off on another task. She provides the comedy factor along with some of the dialogue. It's snappy and funny throughout. Donald Barry comes across as a James Cagney type character and he is just on the right side of annoying - he's likable and carries the film but its a fine line that he is treading.
There is a lot of action in this short film and the pace and the dialogue make it an entertaining experience. You may guess where the money is hidden but there is a twist in the story that you may not expect. -
blanche-230 March 2021A bank robbery of $300,000 is a success, but all three robbers are killed in a car crash. And no one can find the money.
Private eye Tom Dwyer (Donald Barry, Republic's answer to Jimmy Cagney) inserts himself into the investigation mainly because the reward is 10% of the money.
The first order of business is to find the car, which is now an exhibit at an amusement park. Dwyer learns there has been some interest in purchasing the car. It seems evident that they think the money is somewhere, maybe not in the car, but as part of the car.
Eventually he meets a nightclub singer, played by Ann Savage. He asks for her help. Meanwhile, bodies keep showing up.
There were some interesting camera shots in this film, and the roller coaster scene was amazing, even though it's an obvious process shot. The dialogue is fast and somewhat suggestive in parts. There is some nice editing as well.
Barry's acting is very pleasant; I understand he was impossible to work with. It's too bad. Besides Savage, look for Sheldon Leonard, Irving Bacon, and Tom Dugan in smaller roles. Adele Mara is good as the woman constantly being stood up by Dwyer. Savage uplifts the entire film - great presence. -
madsagittarian30 September 2002Ann Savage will forever be known as the vulturous woman in Ulmer's masterpiece DETOUR. Alas, many other films in her career have not had comparable longevity. This little programmer is one of the many forgotten little baubles that used to dot TV land back in the days before all those rotten Infomercials took over late night viewing. Despite the superb cast of B movie stalwarts, this generic little programmer is nonetheless noteworthy for trying to cram a lot of plot in the confines of an hour, so much so that it appears incoherent. It tries to do everything and ends up not doing much of anything. It's diverting enough because of the haywire plot; you never know where this is going. But see it for Ann Savage.
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AlsExGal13 November 2021...It has more plot holes than a piece of Swiss cheese.
The film opens on a bank robbery and a shoot out between the robbers and bank guards. The gang took three hundred thousand dollars whose serial numbers were not listed, so there is no way to trace the stolen money.
The gang has thought of everything - they switch cars, hide the loot in an unusual place on the new car, and take off. But the bank president mentions something unusual about one of the robbers - he has polished well manicured nails - and this gets them caught in the road block, causes them to shoot it out with the police, and the car crashes down a ravine killing all inside. So the entire Jarvis gang is dead, and where the money is dies with them. Enter detective Tom Dwyer (Don Red Barry) who offers to find the loot for the 10% reward.
Now Barry makes an interesting crime picture protagonist. He looks somewhat like a cross between Chester Morris and Don Rickles, if you can conceive of such a thing, doing his best James Cagney while smiling like the Joker. He comes across a carnival museum making a show out of the Jarvis getaway car, there are always two hoods hanging around, a dead man shows up in a rollercoaster who wasn't there when the ride started, and then there is Detour's Ann Savage who belts a few tunes at the local club.
There are people being shadowed, an attempt to gun down Barry on the streets, and two attempts to run over Ann Savage with a car, and this is the first time I've ever seen a private investigator with a welding certificate before. Maybe he learned it during the war?
Not to spoil anything for you, but the entire heist and who winds up being responsible for various crimes and the twists and turns in the plot that are revealed are convoluted and at worst just incoherent. But it keeps moving, has great dialogue and atmosphere, and it keeps you guessing because who would ever determine the crazy actual denouement?
This rare crime film from 1940s Republic Pictures is worth your time. Just don't think too hard. -
This Bit of Fluff from "Republic Studios" has a Sharp Noirish Appeal at Times but the Darkness is Overshadowed by a Lighter-Than-Air Tone.
Peppered with Comedy-Relief in the Form of a Running-Joke the Annoying Don Barry "Standing-Up: the Pretty Adele Mara.
The Grim and Scary Ann Savage who Left an Indelible Mark on Film-Noir in "Detour" (1945), Plays a "Songbird" and Another Love Interest for the Cocky, Belligerent Barry.
Although She Doesn't Quite Pull it Off as a Nightclub Singer because of Her Hard Look and Demeanor, Savage Does Make an Impression.
The Overall Tone is too Wishy-Washy for a True Noir.
But its a Good Time-Passer and Republic Studios was Humming Along as One of the Best "B-Studios" in Hollywood.
Those Looking for Film-Noir Need Go Elsewhere, but Still it's...
Worth a Watch. -
sibleybridges3 November 2021After a bank robbery, $300k goes missing when the robbers are caught. A wise cracking PI inserts himself in the hunt for the money and, along the way, he finds dames, carnies, and conspiracies.
This was oddly a more light hearted noir since the PI and all other men in this movie are constantly spitting flirty one liners at every woman within reach. It hit all the tropes, but wasn't much more than a light entertainment of a B noir. My favorite scene was the projection screen roller coaster that looked pretty good for a very low budget special effect 🎢.
Watched on YouTube. -
kalbimassey15 November 2021ABSURDITY: The getaway car used in a robbery, in which all three occupants died, vital evidence in an ongoing police investigation publicly on show at a fairground. Surely not!
MEDIOCRITY: The two motorcycle cops involved in the chase are shown, in spots clearly astride stationary machines, whilst the high speed scenery takes all the risks. The wonky, wobbly, wooden handrail at the roller coaster ride was presumably kept in storage, prior to being sold to the makers of Crossroads in the 1960's. Crooks, 'Wires' MacGuire (Sheldon Leonard) and his lame-brained sidekick hardly generate the 'oooh...I'm scared' factor, when they appear. Ann Savage is by far the movie's greatest asset, yet her character is a pale shadow of the volatile, destructive, savage by name, savage by nature femme fatale, who turned hapless Tom Neal's life upside down, inside out and back to front in the previous year's classic, 'Detour.' And as for her song.....that's one minute and 42 seconds of my life I'll never have back!
LIABILITY: Tom Dwyer (Don Barry's) sub-Cagney, fast talking, wise-cracking, whip-smart private dick comes across as forced and irritating, rather than sharp and amusing. To add insult to injury, most directors found the bloke very difficult to work with.
Occasionally, the rushed, slap-dash approach can produce a masterpiece. (Check out Neil Young's Tonight's the Night). This is not one of those occasions. Had this been a school report, phrases like 'could have done better' and 'too easily satisfied' would spring to mind.
Remarkably, this hotch-potch of half baked ideas and one dimensional characters, despite its legion of shortcomings, turns out to be passingly watchable, mildly entertaining and arcanely memorable. Frequently and against all the odds, 'Crooked Mile' manages to punch above its weight. It remains a pretty rough around the edges production from Poverty Row, Republic Pictures. Indeed, there is nothing polished about this misfiring oddity apart from John Dehner's finger nails. -
boblipton23 November 2021A gang steals $300,000 from a bank, but all die in the robbery and pursuit. The money has disappeared. The insurance company offers a 10% reward for the total, and in waltzes cocky PI Don Barry in a grey outfit and hand-painted tie, leaving girl friend Adele Mara dancing by herself while he pursues night club singer Ann Savage and the money.
Republic was interested in expanding Barry beyond his fans from the Red Ryder movies, and he slips easily into this movie, which has some nice film noir touches -- notice the shadows thrown off by a set of Venetian blinds early on. Despite these visuals, and a sequence set in a fun fair at night, it's not in the least noirish. Barry is too cavalier, and there's a hint of 1930s screwball in Miss Mara's role. All in all, an entertaining little film, with a couple of nice twists, and Sheldon Leonard as a hood called 'Wires' McGuire. -
This moderately interesting crime drama focuses on a bank robbery where the cliché of crime doesn't pay takes a twist on a country road where the ribbers head off a cliff with the stolen money nowhere in sight. A detective (Don "Red" Barry) becomes involved in the case, utilizing an old girlfriend (Adele Mara) and a glamorous nightclub singer (Ann Savage) in his quest to find the AWOL loot.
Some good character performances from Sheldon Leonard, Nestor Paiva and John Dehner help take away from the light comic atmosphere involving Barry's involvement with the two ladies who are surprisingly very un- femme fatale like in their suspicions about the other. Savage sings several verses of "The Man I Love Belongs to Somebody Else", while Mara shares a scary roller-coaster ride with Barry absolutely frightened out of his mind.
It's all moderately entertaining, with Savage showing fear on a dark shadowy street being obviously followed. But for fans of "Detour" wanting to see her as another deadly dame, they will be sorely disappointed. Barry's detective is played in a mildly comic manner, which eliminates the noir aspect I was so hoping to find. The twist at the end might be a nice pay off for some, but for me, it just didn't ring true, not convinced that just because it's written in the script then it must be believable. -
clanciai18 November 2021It starts off brilliantly with a successful bank robbery, where one of the gangsters is left dead outside, while the other three are chased to death by the police, the car getting wrecked and sold to an amusement park for attracting tourists, but there are other attractions as well at that fairground, one of them being a rollercoaster, in which a dead body is discovered, dumped there by someone who strangled it. And that is only the beginning.
The action is fast, it's difficult to hang along, but the dialog is brilliant with many enjoyable repartees. Ann Savage is the lady here courted by the detective Donald Berry, nicer but not better than James Cagney, while there are any number of crooks around. Hang on to the end, for someone will surprise you. -
tony-70-66792020 November 2021I came across this film by accident, in a good print on YouTube. I'd never heard of the film, its director or its leading man, but I'm glad I watched it. YouTube seems to classify any crime film as a film noir, but this isn't a noir. The hero, played by Don Barry, isn't obsessed or doomed: he's always confident, irritatingly so at times, and you know he'll come out on top rather than die in a gutter.
The film starts with the Jarvis Gang stealing $300,000 from a bank. They crash their getaway car, which means we lose John Dehner and Anthony Caruso early on, but there's no sign of the loot. A brash young private eye (Barry) offers to track it down and recover it, for a 10% finder's fee. He's helped by Ann Savage as a classy chanteuse: she (or probably someone for her) sings a very pleasant Gus Kahn song, and appears very different from the toxic tramp she played in "Detour", surely the greatest Poverty Row movie ever. He's hindered by two thugs, played by Sheldon Leonard and Bert Welden, who are members of the Jarvis gang. Adele Mara provides comic relief (I told you it wasn't a real noir) as a pretty girl Barry keeps standing up as he pursues new leads, and there are some good character actors: Nestor Paiva as the carnival showman who's restored the crashed getaway car, Harry Shannon as the leading cop and Tom Powers as the bank's manager. Ford directs at a lively pace, the script has some sharp dialogue and nice twists, and all in all this was a good way to spend 67 minutes. They didn't mess around in those days, and audiences were treated to good Bs like this one as well as the A film. Sometimes the B was the best part.
BTW, Philip Ford was brought up in Portland, Maine, like his father Francis (a prolific director of silents) and his uncle John. Portland has a large statue of John, probably the greatest of all American directors (Orson Welles said the three best American directors were "John Ford, John Ford and John Ford.") No-one's going to put up a statue to Philip, but this film shows he was a very competent craftsman. It's a pity he and Ann Savage never rose above B movies. -
NewtonFigg17 May 2023In the early 40s, Lloyd Nolan made a series of serio-comic, low budget crime thrillers as private detective Michael Shayne. Two of them were later remade as grander movies, The Brasher Doubloon and Narrow Margin.
But since, by 1946, Nolan had moved on to bigger and better things, and there was still a perceived need for inexpensive Michael Shayne-type movies, Red Barry was engaged to do an imitation. He keeps the Irish background, wise guy attitude, and even casually drops glamorous girl friends as the original did. Oh, and he even casually solves crimes.
Other reviewers have described the plot, so there is no real need to repeat that. It seems, however, that the makers of the French Connection borrowed a plot device from this film. -
planktonrules12 November 2021Don 'Red' Barry was a popular B-western star in the 1940s. While he made a few non-westerns like "The Last Crooked Mile", he never made much of a splash in these sorts of films and by the 1950s his career was in a serious decline. This is because apparently he was a VERY difficult actor and directors hated him. It's all a real shame, as in this film, Barry is quite good and shows he could do more than just cheap B-westerns....and I would have enjoyed seeing more like it.
When the story being, the Jarvis gang holds up a bank and they make off with $300,000! Soon, however, they are spotted and while trying to make their getaway, the crooks' car goes off a cliff and they are killed. Oddly, however, the money isn't found in the wreckage and the film about search for this money.
The police and insurance folks are definitely stumped when Tom Dwyer (Red Barry) comes into their office and introduces himself. He's a private investigator and he thinks perhaps he can find the money and earn a finder's fee. Soon, dames and thugs start falling out of the woodwork...and you wonder if Dwyer can survive to collect!
Apart from some unnecessary songs (which weren't unusual in such films), this is a pretty good film and looks better than a typical Republic film. At 67 minutes, it's technically a B-movie, but looks better...plus it also has a very nice cast of familiar faces. In particular, Barry is very good as the cocky playboy investigator.
By the way, this story is mostly set at a town called Ocean City. There is an Ocean City, Maryland as well as one in New Jersey, though despite the movie saying the town is in California, there's no town by that name there. -
GManfred18 January 2012'Shorty' being pint-sized "Red" Barry, erstwhile cowboy hero of the 40's and 50's. Brash and cocky but without the menacing air of James Cagney, Barry lights up the screen with his portrayal of a Private Eye in this noir entry from Republic pictures. Here he is paired with 'B' picture cult figure and femme fatale Ann "Bad News" Savage, who does, indeed, have the menacing air of Cagney.
"The Last Crooked Mile", in my estimation, is one of the best films ever to come out of a Poverty Row studio. It offers a crackling script full of snappy dialogue and a first-class plot. Barry is investigating a bank robbery for the reward money of $30,000, a pretty good payday in those days. The robbers were killed when their getaway car crashes but the stolen money is missing. Barry's investigation brings him to a nightclub at an amusement park, where much of the movie takes place. Savage is a singer at the club, and her rendition of " The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else" is not to be missed, even if it was dubbed. Adele Mara is his girlfriend, in a one-dimensional part with little to do. Also in the cast are seasoned bad guys Sheldon Leonard, Ben Welden and John Dehner as well as good guys Harry Shannon and Tom Power.
The big surprise is Barry, who holds the picture together with a magnetic on-screen presence. Throw in Ann Savage, a good story and you have a movie that's worth an 8, in my book. There are a couple of plot holes and contrivances but they're easy to go with. The hard part is trying to find this picture in any format.