Robert Mitchum reunites with his Out of the Past co-star, Jane Greer, as the two chase thief Patric Knowles through Mexico. While Mitchum's busy chasing Knowles, William Bendix is chasing Mitchum. Often cited as a film noir, I can't really see that at all. Sometimes it seems as though every movie involving crime from the early '40s through the mid '50s is labeled as film noir. Personally I don't go along with that. Film noir to me is a very specific genre with a certain kind of style. The Big Steal is too light and upbeat to be noir. In fact, it's much more of a romantic comedy than a noir crime drama. Whatever you want to call it, I'm sure you will enjoy it. The cast is great, the script is fun, the pace is smooth. The short runtime helps, too. Apparently Lizabeth Scott was originally supposed to play Jane Greer's role. I'm very happy that didn't happen as Scott is one of my least favorite actresses.
Review of The Big Steal
The Big Steal
(1949)
"I hate the thought of spending the night with an empty revolver."
10 July 2014