On M List of Movie Reviews

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Mister 880 (1950)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 9/24

Mis880
8/24: Mister 880 is To Live and Die in L.A. of its time minus the violence.

I picked up the movie for two reasons: Burt Lancaster and it had good reviews. The story is terrific in a cat-and-mouse manner, and great direction is evident in the final thirty minutes when the French interpreter, played by Dorothy McGuire, suddenly realizes what's going on. That's when the drama starts to deepen and Mister 880 enters film noir territory.

Once again, Burt Lancaster shines and is never stiff for a moment like he was in All My Sons. But really, it's Edmund Gwenn, famous for playing Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street, who steals the show. That's why he was Oscar-nominated.

Well, how do I feel about punishing his character? Crime is crime, and what happened at the end as given out is justified and is not syrupy in an Hollywood way as I feared. By the way, the old man's case could've been thrown out because Steve Buchanan illegally entered and searched his apartment. He would need a warrant to do that.

All in all, Mister 880 is a must-see for a lot of reasons.