I Walk Alone

Unrated

1/16/19481h 37m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ Once I trusted a dame... now I Walk Alone ~

Overview:

Bootleggers on the lam Frankie and Noll split up to evade capture by the police. Frankie is caught and jailed, but Noll manages to escape and open a posh New York City nightclub. 14 years later, Frankie is released from the clink and visits Noll with the intention of collecting his half of the nightclub's profits. But Noll, who has no intention of being so equitable, uses his ex-girlfriend Kay to divert Frankie from his intended goal.

Director:

Byron Haskin

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

bootlegger
new york city
release from prison
based on play or musical
film noir
black and white
double cross
former best friend
retribution
nightclub owner
handshake
nightclub singer
moral reformation
former partner
accounting fraud
greedy man
payback
former gangster
corrupt businessman
betrayed by a friend
man out of time
verbal agreement
signed confession

Cast

Burt Lancaster

~ as ~

Frankie Madison

Lizabeth Scott

~ as ~

Kay Lawrence

Kirk Douglas

~ as ~

Noll "Dink" Turner

Wendell Corey

~ as ~

Dave

Kristine Miller

~ as ~

Alexis Richardson

George Rigaud

~ as ~

Maurice

Marc Lawrence

~ as ~

Nick Palestro

Mike Mazurki

~ as ~

Dan

Mickey Knox

~ as ~

Skinner

Roger Neury

~ as ~

Felix

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

John Chard
Written 5 year(s) ago
7
For a buck, you'd double-cross your own mother.

I Walk Alone is directed by Byron Haskin and adapted to screenplay by Charles Schnee, Robert Smith and John Bright from the play written by Theodore Reeves. It stars Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Lizabeth Scott and Wendell Corey. Music is by Victor Young and cinematography by Leo Tover.

Frankie Madison (Lancaster) returns to New York after 14 years in prison. Noll Turner (Douglas), Frankie's former partner in bootlegging, is now a wealthy nightclub manager, and Frankie is expecting him to honor a verbal '50:50' agreement they made when he was caught and Noll got away...

This is perfect noir foil for the three main stars, Lancaster is all macho mismanagement and edgy, Douglas is suave, cunning and intense, while Scott smoulders and portrays her conflicted character with believable confusion and an earnest yearning for worth.

The story intrigues mainly through Frankie being a man out of his time, after serving 14 years in prison, he comes out to find the underworld he once knew has changed considerably. Yet he wants what is his and will put himself through the mangler in the old day way to get what he thinks he rightly deserves. Kay Lawrence (Scott) isn't a femme fatale, she just borders the type by default until the truth will out and the story arc folds inwards (love the way Tover lights her scenes).

Douglas revels in being a villain, and the Noll Turner character gives him the chance to smarm, charm and trample on anyone who could affect his monetary gains. And so it is left to Corey as Dave to round out the key affecting perfs. He's the man closest to Frankie, but as a milquetoast type of lawyer, he has, while Frankie was in prison, helped legally cover the financial angles for Noll Turner. All characters are entering noirville and it makes for a satisfying experience for fans of such. 7/10