Todeszelle Nr. 5

This rediscovered little dilly wouldn't walk away with any awards, but it's the sort of grade-B fare that makes film noir aficionados jump for joy! As is remarkably common in such flicks, the fog of confusion comes in on little cat feet--this time in the presence of two fighting felines on a fence. The protagonist flings his shoes at them, and fate suddenly starts tromping roughshod over him and his hapless spouse. The plot is somewhat plodding by modern standards, but its patient unfolding allows realization to creep slowly over the viewer, so that the conclusion is all the more credible and satisfying. Fans of crime and mystery films of the forties and fifties should find this offering to be a runaway pleaser!

Tom Quinn (Don Castle) gets his last meal before his execution. He recounts his story to the other prisoners. He and his wife Ann Quinn (Elyse Knox) are struggling dancers. Police detective Clint Judd (Regis Toomey) investigates a murder investigation with a shoe print as evidence. Tom found a wallet full of old money. Both the shoe print and the money point the finger at him. Ann recognizes Clint as "Santa Claus", the man who gave her a big tip for a dance.

This is a film noir B-movie adapted from a pulp novel. It's a simple crime police drama. I do question the shoe print as that impressive of a piece of evidence. I like the opening on death row. I like Clint and his motivation. This is good pulp. This is a very solid and compelling crime drama.

The tap dancer and performer Thomas J. 'Tom' Quinn (Don Castle) is unemployed, and his beloved and beautiful wife Ann Quinn (Elyse Knox) is financially supporting their lives with dancing classes. They live in a simple room in a boardinghouse and one night Ann arrives later then usual. She explains that a costumer called by Santa Claus has tipped her to talk with her. There are cats meowing during the hot night and Tom throws his new pair of shoes through the window to stop the noise. On the next morning, Ann finds the shoes at the front door and brings them to Tom. During the day, he finds a wallet with a large amount of old 20-dollar bills near a scale and he intends to take it to the police, but Ann convinces him to keep the money and see the lost and found section of the newspapers during a week to see whether the owner claims his lost money. Meanwhile, in a building close to Quinn's boardinghouse, a wealthy and stingy man that kept his money at home is murdered and his old and peculiar money is stolen. Inspector Stevens (Charles D. Brown) keeps secret from the press and Police Detective Clint Judd (Regis Toomey) finds Tom's shoe print in the mud of the victim's backyard. When the couple spends part of the money, the police arrest Tom and Ann, and she notes that Detective Judd is the Santa Claus. The public defense attorney is not capable to prove Tom's innocence and he is sentenced to death. Now Ann's only chance is that Detective Judd finds the real criminal.

"I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes" is a gem to be discovered by fans of film-noir genre. Surprisingly, IMDb has only 376 voters and the low rating of 6,5 for this unknown masterpiece. The film has a great structure and is tense, beginning with Tom in the death row and recalling his fate in flashback. Then, when the situation seems to be hopeless to Tom, the viewer sees the desperate attempt of Ann to save her beloved husband. One important element in the story is the change of size of the 20 dollar-bill in 1948. The direction is tight and the performances are great. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Segredo dos Sapatos"

Don Castle (Tom) is an out of work dancer with only 1 pair of shoes. Not only that but he throws them out of the window when some cats bother him. He goes to retrieve them but can't find them. Next morning, his wife Elyse Knox (Ann) brings them to him from outside their apartment. Someone has returned them. How nice. Not really, though. Whoever left them there has murdered someone whilst wearing them and has kindly returned them for framing purposes.

We have a flashback film with Castle on Death Row awaiting his execution. He relates his story to 4 other prisoners and the film intersperses between the prison cells, where prisoner no. 3 is in charge of the tunes, and a separate investigation to discover what actually happened courtesy of Knox.

It's an entertaining film and it has a twist. You'll probably guess but these plots are all about the moment that you realize. Mental illness is definitely on the cards in this offering.

I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes is directed by William Nigh and adapted to screenplay by Steve Fisher from a story by Cornell Woolrich. It stars Don Castle, Elyse Knox, Regis Toomey and Charles D. Brown. Music is by Edward J. Kay and cinematography by Mack Stengler.

Hoofer Tom Quinn (Castle) is convicted of murder on circumstantial evidence. Sentenced to death row, Tom must hope his wife Ann (Knox) can find the proof of his innocence before his date with death.

Pretty routine noir exercise this one, but definitely of interest to film noir lovers looking for something they may not have seen before. In true noir fashion fate and coincidences play a huge part in the narrative drive, as does a bit of obsessive yearnings and questionable moral standing. The look is nifty, very noirish when the prison or the church is involved, or the nighttime shots in general, while there's a quirky edge to proceedings that always keeps the pic interesting. The ending is a disappointment (in true noir terms), and apart from the always reliable Toomey, the acting only just about passes muster, but it's worth a look see, even if it isn't the under seen gem some would have you believe... 6/10