I post reviews (here) of Film Noir movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age of Noir, the 1940s and 1950s. I write as an amateur film noir enthusiast, but not an authority as such.

Maybe, like me, you are looking to enjoy films that are different, or of a different era. Films you may not have seen, ones encompassing cynical detectives, seductive femme fatales, flawed sidekicks all tossed together into intricate plots. Not forgetting the snappy dialogue too.

Backstory: Film Noir has its roots in German expressionist cinematography and American crime fiction. During the 1930s Hollywood became a perfect storm of film artists fleeing the threat of Nazi Germany, emigrating to America, and specifically to the Film studios of Hollywood. This included great directors such as Fritz Lang, Jaques Tourneur, Michael Curtiz and Robert Siodmak.

This new dramatic visual style combined with American hardboiled crime stories (noir fiction), emerged during the Great Depression and produced many classic noirs. Some of these writers include: Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Dashiell Hammett, Patricia Highsmith, Jim Thompson and Mickey Spillane.

I hope to showcase some of these memorable noir movies here for you. And advance apologies for a mixture of British and  US English occasionally. I have applied the link below, to the Amazon.com DVD of today’s featured film. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases).

Inspired by hardboiled detective stories and film noir, I have written the Sterling Private Investigator Series, set in present-day London. I have also posted a link to my books at the bottom of the page.

Today’s film is:

The Narrow Margin

USA link DVD: https://amzn.to/3BRhXNe  

UK link DVD: https://amzn.to/3DDqXGe

“You have her. We want her. How much?”

Film Studio: RKO Pictures 1952/B&W

Director: Richard Fleischer

Original Music: Gene Rose, Leith Stevens, Dave Torbett, Roy Webb

Cinematography: George E. Diskant

Film Editor: Robert Swink

Written by: Earl Felton (screenplay), Martin Goldsmith (story), Jack Leonard (story)

Produced by: Stanley Rubin

Main Actors: Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor, Jacqueline White

Budget: $230,000

Run time: 71 minutes

Preview

Thank you to Wikipedia for providing the following information for my preview.

This is what was known as a “B movie”. That is to say, a low budget commercial motion picture. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, films such as The Narrow Margin, amongst other B movies, would be shown as the lesser-known and second half of a double feature. Many B movies were great films (like this one), and many up and coming directors learnt their craft there, but they did not have the lavish budgets of the main picture.

The movie was based on an unpublished story by Martin Goldsmith and Jack Leonard, titled Target. The rights to the story were acquired by RKO in 1950. Earl Felton wrote the screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award. The film, incredibly, was shot in just thirteen days with extensive use (one of the first times), of a handheld camera. Scenes aboard the train were shot on a soundstage at RKO Studios using back projection for background landscapes.

The release of the film was held up for two years; RKO owner, Howard Hughes was so enamoured with the film, he considered recasting and releasing it as an “A” film featuring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. Though, of course, that never happened. The Narrow Margin was remade in 1990 with Anne Archer and Gene Hackman. The story is barely recognisable, in truth, and considered by some, to be an inferior version.

Synopsis

The film begins when a train arrives to Chicago from Los Angeles. Two men step off, onto the platform, one is, Det. Sgt. Walter Brown (a tough cop played by Charles McGraw), and the other, is his older police partner, Det. Sgt. Gus Forbes (played by Don Beddoe). Both are from the LAPD.

From their early exchanges, we learn that Brown has an hour before returning to catch the train back. In the taxi heading over to, “Water Street, South”, they share some details of their assignment. Brown is going to act as chaperone to the ex-wife of a recently slain mobster boss. She is scheduled to give testimony to the Grand Jury in Los Angeles which will incriminate the mafia. Hence, why the protection is needed from their hitman. Though, Brown has one advantage: no one knows what she looks like. Looks aside, Brown has some pre-conceived notions of the type of woman he’s going to be escorting, however.

Heading upstairs to her apartment (or safehouse?), they excuse the protection officer in situ, and meet Mrs Neall. Forbes opens a newspaper as the witness finishes off packing a case. The headline: “Police hunt mobster Frankie Neall’s pay-off list”. He says, “Word get’s around. The nervous Mrs Neall replies, “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

By the way she blows smoke into detective Brown’s face a moment later, we already know she’s a heel and a worthy femme fatale. And the way Brown shortly tells her to shut up, suggests they are going to be a pretty even match.

Just as they exit, Mrs Neall adjusts her necklace which breaks; some of the the beads roll downstairs, and to the feet of an unsighted (and her would-be), mob assassin. A man called Densel. As Forbes leads the two of them down the stairs, a resident exits his apartment, bumping into the waiting intruder. All chaos is let loose as Densel fatally shoots Forbes. The killer runs off, and the only description given is: “He had a coat with a fur collar” (a clue for later). The assignment is almost sunk before it has begun. One man is dead, and Detective Brown has been seen by the mobster, his cover is blown. And in turn, hers.

Brown has someone call the police and cracks on with his “delivery” of the star witness, taking a cab back to the railway station. The ex-mobster’s wife with him, is cold and has little sympathy for the recently-murdered cop, or his family. Approaching the station, they split up as no-one has seen the woman – but they have seen Brown. He jumps out early and plans to meet her onboard. But unfortunately, Brown is quickly identified and followed onto the train.

A gangster called Joseph Kemp comes to their cabin (along with the conductor), under the pretence of a lost briefcase. Brown watches on, knowing they are deadly adversaries. Kemp tries the locked door to the adjoining room (where Neall is hiding), but frustrated he leaves. Brown knows he will return to check the room, so he hides Neall in the restroom and heads to the dining car. Once spotted and as predicted, Kemp heads to the room, only to find it empty. Afterwards Brown and Neall scurry back to their compartment.

A new character is introduced, who on first impression, seems peripheral, but later, becomes salient. When Brown navigates along the train, his progress is halted by a huge hefty man, by the name of, Jennings. As mentioned, we’re not quite sure how he fits in to the story, but we can see he barely fits through the corridor, taking up nearly the width of the carriage. Jennings with dry humour, says: “Sorry, this train wasn’t meant for my tonnage, heh. Nobody loves a fat man except for his grocer and his tailor!”

At some point, Brown shares a table with a blonde woman called, Ann Sinclair (played by Jacqueline White), in the Buffet car. They become, what you might call, friendly acquaintances. And another time, he pushes into a random cabin (to stay hidden), and he encounters an exasperating (ok, slightly annoying) young boy, and his nanny in their bunks, sleeping. This turns out to be Ann Sinclair’s son.

Later, Kemp’s sidekick approaches Brown with an offer of $30,000 to turn the other way and let them steal away the prosecution’s witness. Even suggesting he gives the money to Forbes’ widow and children. Brown refuses and has him arrested on bribery charges and assault. He calls the conductor, shows him his badge and suddenly, Sam Jennings appears, introducing himself as a railway cop (now we know!). He takes Kemp away to place in secure custody.

Brown being seen with Sinclair tips off the mobsters who now presume she is the real Mrs Neall… Brown warns her of the imminent danger, but this is when the plot thickens… and all is not as it first seems.

Things to like

The acerbic Neall (Windsor) and the hard-headed Brown (McGraw), exchange verbal blows which whack back and forth much like a tennis ball over a net. There’s no scorekeeping but that tennis ball would surely be shot; punctured and bald before long… They really go at it. While he’s growling insults at her, she throws verbal hand grenades in return. He’s lost his partner, but she’s worried for her life. There’s no give and no middle ground. Their performances and their characters make the film.

Vincent Yost (Peter Brocco) and Joseph Kemp (David Clarke) are terrific in their mobster roles and complement each other so well. Yost plays the smoother one of the two, never getting his hands dirty, a white collar criminal. Witness when he goes to Brown with a “business proposition”. Brown frisks him up and down, and Yost says: “Never carry one. Got no stomach for it.” Yost offers Brown $30,000 to walk away, saying (while cutting to the chase), “You have her. We want her. How much?”

Joseph Kemp, in contrast likes to get his hands dirty. Watch the fight scene with Brown. They trade blows, in turn, break up the compartment and Kemp has his head repeatedly smashed against the faucet waste pipe. And still, he comes back for more.

Sam Jennings (Paul Maxey), the railway agent is the entertaining sort of character you might see in a Hitchcock movie, adding an element of humour but with a little twist. Nicely played.

The train: interior and exterior. Filming a cat and mouse thriller onboard a train on the Union Pacific Railroad has to be one of the most effective, and atmospheric locations. I know much of this film is interior-shot but the (stock) railway footage, nevertheless, is amazing. On trains, characters are confined to tight quarters, resulting in all sorts of incidents, mistaken identities, good guys fleeing bad (and vice versa), and of course, murder. The occasional station stops, mean villains can get on (or off), and protagonists — while new passengers are alighting — can send a wire (back in the day), and notify the authorities for extra help!

Quotes

Det. Sgt. Gus Forbes: “What about this dame, Mr crystal ball?”

Det. Sgt. Brown (who has never seen the woman): “A dish.”

Forbes: “What kind of dish?”

Brown: “A sixty cent special. Cheap, flashy, Strictly poison under the gravy.”

Forbes: “Amazing. How do you know all that?”

Brown: “Well, she’s married to a hoodlum’ isn’t she?”

***

Mrs Neall: “I wouldn’t want any of that nobility to rub off on me.”

***

Mrs Neall: “This is fun. Some protection they send me, an old man who walks right into it, and a weeper.”

***

Mrs Neall: “This train’s heading straight for the cemetery; there’s another one coming along, the gravy train. Let’s get on it.”

Brown: “Mrs Neall, I’d like to give you the same answer I gave that hood but It would mean stepping on your face.”

***

Brown: “You make me sick to my stomach.”

Neall: “Well, use your own sink.”

Must see scene

The lighting in this early scene is dark and moody, full of stark light and shadows. The chiaroscuro effect. We are handily reminded (in the first five minutes), of how a film noir should look.

The two detectives exit the apartment with Neall, the protected witness, in tow. They pause on the landing; Brown helping Neall with her coat and Neall adjusting her necklace. The necklace breaks and the beads cascade to the floor (the only sound we hear). A solitary pearl drops down to a lower level and to the foot of an assassin standing in those shadows. Another bead follows, literally bouncing off the intruder’s shiny black shoe. The camera pans up but the assassin’s face is in silhouette.

The camera returns to Forbes who is slowly making his way down the stairs, cigar in mouth. He glances over his shoulder as Brown and Neall are still picking up the last of the pearls. Forbes, now waiting on the staircase, takes the opportunity to reignite his cigar. As he strikes a match, in the background, we see the others finally coming down too. The camera goes back to the assassin who is ready with his gun drawn, then back to shuffling footsteps (and a glimpse of the target’s case), coming down the stairs and towards danger.

The suspense (due to the delay) is nicely created and ramped up here. We know an assassination attempt is about to take place but we are not sure exactly how it will play out. A great scene to kick off the story.

Summary

The Narrow Margin has larger than life characters with crackling dialogue all played out in the cramped constraints of a passenger train. Questions of moral corruption abound. This may be a B movie but what it lacks in production (finance), it makes up for it, with a great script, uniformly good acting and the result is, hardboiled entertainment all down the line.

USA Link: Film Noirs and Doused Cigars (paperback): https://amzn.to/3D91T9Y (eBook): https://amzn.to/3D68vG1

UK Link: Film Noirs and Doused Cigars (paperback): https://amzn.to/4gy6MYW  (eBook): https://amzn.to/4gsLyvs