Escape from Crime

This is not a film noir. It has a dark side and many of the components of film noir. But it's a standard crime story, exceptionally well executed. (Oh, no pun intended, as it involves prisons!) Apart from Jackie Gleason in a relatively minor role, the only recognizable player is Julie Bishop. She's very appealing as the devoted wife of a man we see being paroled as the picture begins.

He doesn't have things easy. Old friends he'd prefer to have left behind keep turning up. A cop is keeping a partially benevolent but steady eye on him.

This stars and is generally populated with minor Warner brothers performers. There is no really big name, though handsome Richard Travis was possibly being groomed as one. Or observed to see if he could become one.

He didn't make it but the movie hangs together very well. It's short and tightly written, filmed, and edited.

Richard Travis is an ex-con who gets a job as a newspaper photographer, and rises to the top of his profession until his past comes back to put him in a predicament that could endanger his parole. Director D. Ross Lederman turns out another one of his patented fast-paced actioners, with vicious gangsters, tough cops, hard dialogue, sassy gun molls, blasting guns, car chases and everything else that made these Warners "B"s so great. Travis, who was groomed to be a star, had the looks and the talent to do it but never managed to break out of the "B" niche. The rest of the cast is populated with the great faces and voices of some of the Warners "stock company"--Frank Wilcox, Wade Boteler, John Hamilton, John Harmon, Paul Fix and Jackie Gleason early in his career in a small role. The terrific Julie Bishop plays Travis' devoted wife. The film is a remake of James Cagney's 1933 "Picture Snatcher" and uses some footage from it, but while this picture may be low-budget, it's definitely not low-quality. It moves like lightning and is an enjoyable example of the kinds of films that "they just don't make anymore".

Fast-paced crime drama loosely based upon James Cagney's `Picture Snatcher (1933).' Richard Travis plays a photographer ex-con trying to go straight. He lucks out by being at the scene of a bank robbery, takes photos of the shooting of a cop, and is rewarded by a job in the professional paparazzi. When offered a raise, a $1,000 bonus, and a writing assignment (vice getting fired) to take pictures of his old gangster friend's execution, our hero talks his parole officer into getting him into prison where he takes the picture. On the way out, he is discovered and has to struggle to get the film to his editor. En-route back to prison for violating parole, our hero rescues his captor who has become embroiled in a shoot-out with another gangster from Travis' old days.

OK, this plot is somewhat convoluted, let alone trying to do it all in 51 minutes on what is obviously a very low budget. Not much time for character development and the cast comes and goes with great speed. Continuity is provided by the interactions of Travis and Wade Boteler who plays Police Lieutenant Riff Malone (a.k.a. `Irish' and `Lucky'). The policeman alternates between hounding the ex-con and supporting his escape from crime. Boteler had nearly 400 films to his credit – typical of a number of the cast members. The `Great One' Jackie Gleason has a small part as a con in the beginning of the movie but is never seen again.

Themes include: crime does not pay; the inability to get a job after being released from prison (Travis was not guilty of the first crime); overcoming adversity to do the right thing (the hero must and does get rewarded for his efforts); and loyalty to friends vs. duties to family. Not too bad to try to do all this in 51 minutes. Perhaps a little longer might have been better.

One good scene uses shadows to depict strapping a man into the electric chair.

The film is worth seeing if only to witness 12 shots fired into what obviously is a bulletproof trash can – not harming our hero hiding behind. They don't make them like this anymore.

Half way through this movie, we kept thinking about a similarity with another one we had seen recently. Later on, checking upon it, we realized this was a remake of "Picture Snatcher", a James Cagney vehicle. Further checking revealed both films are based on Danny Ahern's story.

"Escape from Crime" doesn't work as well as the previous movie, but for a 51 minutes feature, it gets to the basics right away. As directed by D Ron Ledermann, this B movie packs a lot in such a small format.

Best of all was the cast. Richard Travis, Julie Bishop, Jackie Gleason, Frank Wilcox, Charles Wilson, Anne Corcoran and Ruth Ford, as the molls of the gang members.

Poor Jackie Gleason who thought I'm sure he was getting a break in Escape From Crime. But all we see of the Great One is a few minutes at the beginning of the film before Richard Travis gets his parole.

Travis gets a parole with the usual restrictions. When he gets out he discovers he's a father.. Travis, Julie Bishop, and their kid plan to settle down once he can get a job as a photographer a trade he learned in stir.

He does get one with Frank Wilcox's paper, but he runs into his old hoodlum pals who keep turning up.

The film moves at blinding speed to cover up all that was lost in the editing. Warner Brothers used a meat cleaver approach.

Sub par product from the brother's B picture unit.