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Dangerous Crossing (Fox Film Noir) by Joseph M. Newman
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DVD Cover InformationActor: Carl Betz, Jeanne Crain, Mary Anderson, Max Showalter, Michael Rennie Director: Joseph M. Newman Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT Cinematographer: Joseph LaShelle Editor: William Reynolds Producer: Robert Bassler Writer: John Dickson Carr Writer: Leo Townsend DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled) Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled Picture Format: 1.33:1 Running Time: 75 minutes DVD Release Date: 2008-03-11 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of Dangerous Crossing (Fox Film Noir)Movie Review: better be careful--husbands can get lost, you know... Summary: 5 StarsDangerous Crossing is one of the best thriller/mysteries I've seen to date. It was actually filmed in a mere nineteen days although you'd never guess it! Jeanne Crain was highly intelligent and put everyone to the task of keeping up with her; and the result was wonderful. Yes, the ship's foghorn sounds too much during the early half of this film; but it's all atmospheric and despite just a little bit of camp there's really no fat to be found here! The cinematography is excellent and the choreography for action scenes is extremely well done. The film was shot in black and white to highlight the darkness of this mystery thriller.
When the action starts, we meet newlyweds John and Ruth Stanton Bowman (Carl Betz and Jeanne Crain, respectively) who board an ocean liner for a transatlantic crossing on their honeymoon. As the ship pulls out of port in New York City, John mentions to Ruth that he needs to go to the purser to deposit some cash for safekeeping. Trouble is, that's when the mystery begins. Ruth quickly finds out that her husband never keeps his appointment to meet her in the ship's lounge bar--and there's not even a record of him boarding the ship! The cabin stewardess who saw them both as she prepared the cabin politely but strongly denies that she ever saw John; and his passport and clothing are missing from their cabin!
Ruth panics, understandably, and when she is reassigned to another room the captain of the ship starts to suspect that Ruth is crazy and deluded. He wants to confine Ruth to her cabin for the crossing but the much kinder ship's doctor Paul Manning (Michael Rennie) wants to investigate Ruth's story just on the chance that she might not be hallucinating after all.
Nevertheless, Ruth continues to panic and this only makes the captain as well as the other passengers rather uncomfortable. After Ruth makes a big scene in the ship's ballroom even Dr. Manning agrees to let the captain forcibly confine Ruth to her cabin for the remainder of the voyage.
So, now, how will this all be resolved? Ruth does get one very brief phone call from her husband John who warns her that they are being watched--is it true? Where is John--on the ship or on land? Is Ruth waving goodbye to anyone in particular as the ship pulls out of port in New York City? Watch the movie and find out--I'm certainly not about to give out spoilers!
The DVD comes with an interview with Jeanne Crain's granddaughter and that's grand. There are a few other extras but this interview is really the best of them in my opinion.
Dangerous Crossing is a fine mystery thriller that looks quite professional despite the fact that is was produced on a rather low budget and filmed in just nineteen days. I highly recommend this film for persons who like mysteries; and fans of Michael Rennie and the others in the cast will not be disappointed.
Summary of Dangerous Crossing (Fox Film Noir)Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 03/11/2008 Run time: 75 minutes Rating: Nr A relaxing cruise turns into a terrifying journey in Joseph M. Newman's Dangerous Crossing. Part of the Fox Film Noir series, Newman's classy B-movie plays more like a psychological thriller with some particularly atmospheric visuals (heavy on the studio-generated fog). As her honeymoon begins, newlywed Ruth Bowman (Jeanne Craine, Pinky) explores the ship while husband John (Carl Betz, The Donna Reed Show) runs an errand. On deck, a friendly divorc?e warns Ruth, "You mustn't let him out of your sight--husbands can get lost so easily." (The familiar-looking sets were recycled from 1953's Titanic and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.) Hours later, John hasn't returned, and no one has seen him. Ruth's inquiries uncover an empty room, a missing passport, and her spouse's absence from the passenger list. All signs point to delusion. Ruth's plight brings her to the attention of Dr. Paul Manning (the elegant Michael Rennie, The Day the Earth Stood Still), who offers to help in any way he can. Though Ruth confesses to a brief bout with depression, there's nothing else in her background to indicate instability, but that disclosure leads Manning to the real cause of her distress. Based on John Dickson Carr's 1943 radio play Cabin B-13 and shot in 19 days, Newman (This Island Earth) conjures up as much intrigue as Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes. The excellent extras include comprehensive commentary from Fox historian Aubrey Solomon, a short featurette (Peril at Sea: Charting a Dangerous Crossing), several stills galleries, and the original theatrical trailer. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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