Directed by:
Edward DmytrykScreenplay:
John PaxtonCinematography:
J. Roy HuntComposer:
Roy WebbCast:
Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, Gloria Grahame, Paul Kelly, Sam Levene, Jacqueline White, Steve Brodie, George Cooper, Richard Benedict, Tom Keene (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
A weary Washington detective (Robert Young) must get to the bottom of a seemingly motive-lacking murder, with the prime suspect a boozy soldier who can only vaguely recall the events of the night. The story really digs its heels into lots of postwar issues--how soldiers need a place to put all their violence once the war is over and the other problems of readjusting to civilian life. Robert Mitchum stars as a friend of the accused soldier who helps the detective solve the case. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
Crossfire shows all the signs of when it was made. America in 1947 was shocked by the footage captured by film cameras depicting prisoners in concentration camps and newspaper articles about gas chambers in Auschwitz. It was also filled with a guilty conscience because the Jews during World War II did not receive the necessary help. Evaluated by today's standards, the anti-racist message of the film is very simplistic and straightforward, but at the time, it had its justification. It was an educational film and even earned a few Oscars. At the same time, the Ku Klux Klan was "civilizing" African Americans in America, and no one thought about making critical films about it... As a detective story, Crossfire is too simple, and not very functional for lovers of the genre. It is simply a typical film in the noir style, characteristic of the time, but with a good cast. Overall impression: 55%.
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Gallery (21)
Photo © RKO Radio Pictures
