Crossfire

Summary

“Mitch won’t say nothing. Mitch was stinko.”

I have enjoyed Warner Archive’s commitment over the years to releasing classic film noir on Blu-ray. Each year, they dive into their archives and release at least a few classic film noirs that deserve the royal treatment. Crossfire features an amazing cast of actors including Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, and Gloria Grahame. It is a great example of the types of films that were released in the years after the war that examined important moral issues of their day. The original novel by Richard Brooks examined a hate crime against a homosexual, but for the purposes of fitting within the Hollywood code the hate crime was changed to a murder of a Jewish man. The film was the second notable film in the post war years to examine anti-semitism (the other being The Gentleman’s Agreement.) I watched the film a couple nights ago.

The film begins with a scuffle in a hotel room that leaves a man dead and two men limping out. The next day, pipe smoking Detective Finlay (Robert Young) asks Miss Lewis about the dead Mr. Samuel’s actions the night before. She explains that Samuel had been drinking and talking with some soldiers. A soldier named Montgomery (Robert Ryan) arrives to ask about Samuels. Detective Finlay shows Montgomery that there was a wallet left at the scene of the crime that belonged to a Corporal Mitchell. Finlay asks where Mitchell is, and Montgomery explains that he doesn’t know where Mitchell is currently. He explains that he hadn’t seen Mitchell since the prior night, and also lets Finlay know where Mitchell is stationed. At the bunkhouse, Sergeant Keeley (Robert Mitchum,) a roommate of Mitchell is brought in for questioning. Keeley had not been present when Mitchell had gone out drinking, and he has not seen Mitchell since. When questioned by Finlay about the prior night, Montgomery tells his story. He had gone out with the artistic Mitchell (George Cooper) who was homesick and drunk, the slow thinking Southerner Leroy (William Phipps,) and the gregarious Floyd. At the bar they had met a Jewish man named Samuels (Sam Levine) and his girlfriend Miss Lewis (Marlo Dwyer.) As he discusses his night with Samuels, his antisemitism comes through. The story makes it sound as if Samuels was alive when Montgomery had left the apartment, and he hangs the wrap on Mitchell. Finlay tells this story to Keeley, and Keeley knows immediately that Mitchell is being framed. When Mitchell stumbles back towards the bunk house, his bunk mates intercept him. He explains the story of what he remembered from the night before. He remembers that he met a girl named Ginny (Gloria Graham) after leaving the apartment of Samuels. The true story of how Samuels died is revealed as Finlay continues his investigation.

Crossfire is an enjoyable crime film with a strong moral compass. The film is not a film noir that reaches the dramatic heights of Out of the Past or The Set-up, but is instead closer to some of the crime dramas of today. The film had a purpose which was to speak out against hate, and it succeeds in its goal. It is a good precursor to crime dramas like In the Heat of the Night that were able to examine a crime while also addressing racial tensions. 

The film has a dream cast of notable actors. You would be hard pressed to find a better gallery of actors. Robert Mitchum is great as the skeptical and clever Keeley. Robert Young is a welcome addition to any cast and turns in a good performance as Detective Finlay. Robert Ryan is one of my favorite actors and he is reliably good when he plays the role of a brute. As the antisemitic Montgomery, he sells the disdain for Jews and non-combatants with ease. It’s an impressive performance given how kind hearted Ryan was in reality. Gloria Graham received an Oscar nomination for her tough girl performance as Ginny. George Cooper is really good in the role of the forlorn and accused Mitchell. Cooper is able to make the role of Mitchell feel all too real with his hazy performance.

The direction by Edward Dmytryk is solid. The film’s black and white cinematography by J. Roy Hunt draws on noir style lighting which helps the film. The film has some clever stylistic touches that I enjoyed, especially the sequence where Mitchell tries to recall his drunken evening. The script by John Paxton is tightly written and does a good job of balancing the moral quandaries of the script and the crime drama aspects.

Overall – Crossfire is a well written, directed, and acted film. The film feels a little conventional by today’s standards, but at the time it was brave for making a stance against hate. It still stands as a good postwar crime drama.

Video

Warner Bros. did a fantastic job on the transfer of the film using an MPEG-4 AVC codec of a new 4K restoration in black and white. Like other Warner Archive releases, this presentation is absolutely crystal clear. Fine detail is exceptional. Warner have proven time and again why they are some of the best stewards of black and white films. This is another perfect visual presentation from Warner.

Audio

Warner Bros. have provided a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that sounds good. Clarity is solid. I did not detect any dropouts or overbearing hiss. This track has the limited range that you would expect from a mono track. Fans should be pleased.

Supplements:

• Audio Commentary – film historians Alain Silver and James Ursini discuss the film and occasionally play snippets of archival interviews with Edward Dmytryk.
• Hate is Like a Gun – a short but informative piece on the film.

Overall Scores:

Video – 5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 2.5/5

Overall – 4/5

Crossfire is a tightly scripted crime drama with a strong sense of morality and justice. The film has an unbeatable cast (Robert Ryan, Robert Mitchum, and Robert Young) and strong direction from Edward Dmytryk. The movie feels a little conventional now, but at the time it was brave for speaking out against hatred and antisemitism. The Warner Archive release features a short featurette and a commentary track. The technical presentation of the film is fantastic. Warner is exceptional at preserving black and white films as their work here shows. Fans of the film will surely want to upgrade their 2005 DVD. Recommended.