Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

XoWizIama Excellent adaptation.

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

secondtake He Ran All the Way (1951)This is a terrific film, and film noir, at its best. The first half hour is filled with ordinary scenes in post-war New York: a pool, a warehouse, and the streets, at day and night. Quite compelling stuff. John Garfield is sympathetic, if a bit over his head in this role, and Shelly Winters is superb as the girl trapped by a killer and by her sudden affection for a man that seems to have no outlet.But the film is not always at its best. The main portion is contained and static, even if there is an attempt at psychological intensity, for sure. I can't give too much away here, but want to provide a sense of the overall excitement at first that leads to a more interior film, where it flounders a bit.There a plot elements that you have to go along with, and Garfield might be partly trapped by the script, having to play an deeply conflicted and impulsive type in ways that might not make sense. So just keep going, and realize that eventually the main point is to get the protective nature of parents for their innocent child, and get the child's yearning for a real reason to love someone.And to get Garfield's dimwittedness and accept it. Maybe some people really are that foolish. The final scene with Garfield slowly realizing what matters most of all might be true is moving if you buy into all that led to it. The strongest element of all here is the photography by James Wong Howe. There are closeups and astonishing harsh lighting and a foreground/background sensibility that take noir to its heights. See it for that if nothing else.

MARIO GAUCI This is John Garfield's last film, made by the star's own company, which means he bowed out with a dignified vehicle which finds him in his most congenial element. Unfortunately, he would die of a heart attack on the eve of his HUAC hearing the next year at the young age of 39; ironically, the premise of a hounded petty criminal (hiding out in an apartment block) actually seems to be a tragically prescient parable for his current personal plight! Anyway, here the star is ably supported by the likes of Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford and Norman Lloyd.Though essentially routine (not to mention overly familiar), the film is undeniably well-made, reasonably slick for an independent production – though, of course, not quite in the same league as the star's earlier BODY AND SOUL (1947) and FORCE OF EVIL (1949) – and, at a mere 77 minutes, thankfully it does not overstay its welcome. Suspense is nicely sustained throughout (from the opening payroll robbery which snowballs into murder, to a scene where an argument escalates into hysteria and results in a hand injury to the heroine's mother, and the effective – if contrived – downbeat ending). A memorably hard-boiled moment constitutes perhaps the most hilarious order ever given at gunpoint – Garfield to Ford: "Carve the turkey!" Among the notable credits are scriptwriters Hugo Butler and Dalton Trumbo (both boasting associations to my favorite auteur Luis Bunuel!), cinematographer James Wong Howe (making the most of the enclosed setting), production designer Harry Horner (ditto), editor Francis D. Lyon and dialogue director Arnold Laven – interestingly, the last 3 all eventually graduated to the director's chair (while both Trumbo and Howe would try their hand at it just once). Also worth mentioning is the fact that, apart from Garfield, director Berry and the afore-mentioned scriptwriters (with Guy Endore 'fronting' for Trumbo) were similarly targeted by the so-called "Red Scare".

wes-connors After a heist goes wrong, cop killer John Garfield (as Nick Robey) is on the run. Taking cover in a public swimming pool, Mr. Garfield meets plain Shelley Winters (as Peg Dobbs). Flattery gets him everywhere; and, Garfield uses Ms. Winters for getaway cover. Starved for the manly affection, Winters mistakes his advances for interest. Soon, Winters has Garfield in her apartment, to meet the family. When he feels the police closing in, Garfield holds up in Winters' apartment, holding the family hostage. Desperate hours ensue… It's difficult to understand Winters' continued naivety; and, the "family held hostage" plot doesn't ring quite true. Still, Garfield's paranoia, and Winters' character development make it well worth watching. Sadly, this was Garfield's final film; he died within a year, at age 39. Director John Berry and photographer James Wong Howe make it look great. "He Ran All the Way" boasts a fine supporting cast, led by Wallace Ford. And, the ending grows with an exciting, thought-provoking intensity. ******** He Ran All the Way (6/19/51) John Berry ~ John Garfield, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, Selena Royle

Michael_Elliott He Ran All the Way (1951) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Disappointing thriller about a thug (John Garfield) who kills a cop and then takes a family hostage until he can figure out what to do. Sadly, this film was Garland's last and this here is really the one thing that makes the film interesting. He delivers a good performance but it's no where near the best of his career or even near the top. Shelley Winters plays the girl who Garland meets and eventually takes hostage while Wallace Ford plays her father. The supporting performances are good but the screenplay doesn't allow any of the actors to do very much. We get countless speeches on why Garfield should do the right thing but we've heard this in countless movies so it comes off old and tired here.