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Dead Reckoning main poster

Dead Reckoning

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6.7/10 • 139

1946-12-311h 40m

CrimeMystery

He Doesn't Trust Anyone... Especially Women!

War heroes Rip Murdock and Johnny Drake are sent to Washington, D.C, to receive top honors for their service. Johnny, seemingly terrified by the publicity that awaits him, jumps off the train and later turns up dead. Suspecting foul play, Rip begins digging into his pal's past. He encounters cover-ups, threats to his own life and deadly femme fatale Coral Chandler.

Directors
John Cromwell
Editors
Gene Havlick

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Humphrey Bogart

    Humphrey Bogart

    Capt. 'Rip' Murdock

  2. Lizabeth Scott

    Lizabeth Scott

    'Dusty' Chandler

  3. Morris Carnovsky

    Morris Carnovsky

    Martinelli

  4. Charles Cane

    Charles Cane

    Lt. Kincaid

  5. William Prince

    William Prince

    Sgt. Johnny Drake, aka John Joseph Preston

  6. Marvin Miller

    Marvin Miller

    Krause

  7. Wallace Ford

    Wallace Ford

    McGee

  8. James Bell

    James Bell

    Father Logan

  9. George Chandler

    George Chandler

    Louis Ord

Reviews2

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John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Jan 22, 2020

8/10

Middle rank film, top Bogart. When Rip's (Humphrey Bogart) army pal Johnny does a runner from the train taking them to Washington, it's the start of a shadowy street search that Rip undertakes to find out why his friend would do that. It soon becomes evident that Johnny was not who he said was, something that makes Rip's journey one that will involve murder, deception and one hell of a dame. Dead Reckoning has a mixed relationship with critics and Bogart/noir fans alike. Some are harsh on Lizabeth Scott who plays femme fatale Coral Chandler, while others have issues with the plot, calling it rambling and incoherent to the dialogue on offer. I disagree with both those things. Scott is just fine for what is a wonderfully well written character, her facial characteristics are indeed expressionless at times, but this to my mind adds an icy veneer to her character arc. She also has a knack of looking vulnerable, something that is very crucial to the film and her character in particular. The plot doesn't ramble to me, it's bonkers, yes it is, but that adds to the mystery of it all. Told in flashback as Rip confesses to a priest, all threads are however neatly pulled together to finally reveal a delightfully complete, yet surprising noirish whole. Yeah it's a jumble of conundrums, and twists and turns come and go, that's kind of the selling point really. To me at least anyway. Whilst some of the dialogue on show is as cheeky as Bogie got to deliver in the 40s. I was laughing whilst duly expecting something bad to be at the end of it. There's an air of genre familiarity with the piece, no question about that. And if implausibility factors are an issue, you best stay away. But it has a nice line in atmosphere, brutality is never far away one feels, and it's a nice shoot with Leo Tover's cinematography understated and at ease with the tone of the film. Bogart is just great, this is what we want from the great man, spouting put downs and pearls of wisdom in a grim crime movie. However bonkers it may be. 8/10

Media

  • Dead Reckoning poster
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  • Dead Reckoning poster
  • Dead Reckoning poster
  • Dead Reckoning poster
  • Dead Reckoning poster
  • Dead Reckoning poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
dual identitywar veteranhand grenadefemme fatalefilm noirtold in flashbackmedal of honorparatrooper