Hunt the Man Down

It amazes me when people dismiss a movie because of its short length. I much more appreciate a compact, well written and directed movie than some drivel that drags on and on and makes me wonder what happened to the editor. I watched this movie with low expectations since i had never heard of the director and most of the actors. Despite the number of central characters, the director did an excellent job of quickly defining them and getting to the point of the movie. Any additional footage would have been superfluous and only bogged down the steady pace of the movie. James Anderson was excellent at avoiding the stereotypical unjustly accused victim, he neither ranted about his predicament nor did he come across as the overly likable guy who just happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, which is what is normally expected of that type of roll. Though it's hard to imagine a public defender putting as much work into the case as this one did, i thought it was a great bit of writing to make his pivotal discovery an accident despite the pd's dogged pursuit of those involved 12 years earlier. I highly recommend this movie to those who appreciate tightly written and economically directed movies.

Really more of a murder mystery than a noir, with a Perry Mason-like final courtroom scene. One of those films where the detective keeps getting information a bit too easily.

It's about a public defender representing a murder suspect apprehended after fleeing a courtroom while on trial 12 years earlier. What gives it more interest than usual is its showing the changes in the suspects' live from 1938 to 1950 caused by the war, their involvement with the murder, and life in general.

Chief virtues: the fast pace without needless explanation, crisp dialog, and minor characters with their own personality, even if only onscreen briefly.

Not a classic but hold yours interest and provides some food for thought. Perhaps a "B" picture but with quality production values you'd expect from RKO.

Gig Young and Harry Shannon make such a likeable team as father & son sleuths it's too bad this absorbing little RKO potboiler didn't lead to a series.

James Anderson learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when his bravery during a holdup reawakens interest in a murder he was accused of a dozen years earlier. The downward mobility most of those present on that fateful night twelve years earlier (one blind, one drunk, one mad) paints a surprisingly downbeat picture of life scraping along the bottom in the good old U. S. of A.

When the story begins, an armed robber breaks into a cafe and the guy tries to shoot a guy who is working there as he steals the money. However, the worker manages to overpower the robber and shoots him in the process. Now you'd think he'd become a big hero. Instead, the police see the newspaper clipping showing a photo of the hero...and he's recognized as a man who vanished 12 years ago after he was convicted of murder but before he could be sentenced.

The public defender (Gig Young) believes the reluctant hero and decides to investigate the case himself*. Soon, he's able to track down a few of the witnesses but then something weird happens....folks try to kill the public defender and his father! And, they also try to kill one of the witnesses. Obviously somebody doesn't want anyone looking into this old case!

While "Hunt the Man Down" is clearly a B-movie due to its short run-time and cast of mostly 2nd and 3rd tier actors, it's a terrific film. Well acted, tense and a nice script more than make up for the cheap production. Well worth seeing.

*I have no idea IF defense attorneys EVER do this. They do it in films and on TV but I also know that they are generally overworked and overwhelmed and assume they literally don't have enough time to investigate anything.

Jam Packed Little Movie with Probably more Characters than the Budget or the Short Running Time can Encompass. There is much Cynicism in the Fate of the Many "Witnesses" to the Murder at Hand. Some like Mental Illness, Alcoholism, and Class Elitism are quite at home in the World of Film-Noir.

The Movie does its best to keep all the Players in Line but it can be somewhat of a Challenge to keep them all Straight. But it makes up for the Complications with some Sharp Cinematography and Deeply Affected Participants. There is the Wrongly Accused Man trying to Unwind the Events that happened Years before, and Gig Young is the Public Defender trying Desperately to Help.

The Film is so Full of Interesting Stuff that it Manages to be Entertaining Despite the Confusion. There is more than one Great Scene and some others that are Lurid B-Movie Delights. In the End it just Needed more Breathing Room to Elaborate on some of the Truly Interesting and Off-Beat Characters. But as it Stands there are some really Intriguing Interludes and doesn't Pull Punches as it Relies on some Stylized Realism for its Portrayal of Pulp Fiction.