The Narrow Margin

[3.5
stars] [IMDb Link]

[Amazon Link]
(paid link)

A pretty good oldie, especially if you can enjoy hard-boiled dialog: "Oh, wake up, Brown. This train's headed straight for the cemetery. But there's another one coming along, a gravy train. Let's get on it." (Sounds like it could be a math problem: "The gravy train leaves Albuquerque at 8am at 80mph…")

That line is uttered by Marie Windsor, playing a mob widow. The train to which she refers is on its way from Chicago to L. A., where she's ostensibly due to testify in front of a grand jury. The mob wants to rub her out, and has sent a team onboard to accomplish that. Opposing them is the guy to which the line is offered, Detective Brown, played by Charles McGraw. Making things difficult for the mobsters: they don't know what the dame looks like.

The suspense level is high throughout, with unexpected humorous flashes. There's a big old plot twist, but it also opens up some big old plot holes. But you're not supposed to think too much about it. It was remade in 1990 with Gene Hackman.

I loved this bit from the IMDB trivia page:

Filmed in 1950, not released until 1952. According to director Richard Fleischer, when the film was finished RKO Pictures owner Howard Hughes heard good things about it and ordered that a copy of it be delivered to him so he could screen it in his private projection room. The film stayed in the projection room for more than a year, apparently because the eccentric Hughes forgot about it.
They don't make 'em like that any more. Either movies, or billionaires.

Last Modified 2024-01-30 1:17 PM EDT