On D List of Movie Reviews
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Desperate (1947)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
1/25
1/25:
Desperate is an above-average picture produced by RKO before Howard Hughes took over the studio.
It's 50% film noir, and that only happens when Raymond Burr shows up. There's a nice touch of the
swinging light during one scene. Otherwise, it's a sappy love story of a couple on the run, and not much happens.
So many times Steve Randall has been shot, but none of the bullets hits him, not even at close
range. The same is said for him for failing to look unrecognizable such as shaving his head or growing a beard
to escape detection. At least, the film is only 73 minutes long to not let the contrivances bother me overwhemingly.
I've never heard of Steve Brodie before. Looking like an adult version of Keith Coogan, he has done an
okay job of playing the doomed man. Audrey Long is typical, having stopped acting not long after to become the longtime wife of
Leslie Charteris, the author of The Saint books. When I saw Jason
Robards' name in the opening credits, I thought that was the two-time Oscar winner, but it turns out to be
his father. Raymond Burr is excellent as usual, and film noir is his strongest suit which has allowed
him to appear as a heavy baddie, but this is the first time ever to play one.
Hey, Ray, here's a free piece of advice: next time...just kill the guy pronto and move on.
All in all, if not for Raymond Burr, Desperate would've gone from B film noir to straight F turkey.