I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes

"I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes" is a shockingly good crime film. I say it's shocking because it was made by Monogram Studios...a small-time outfit from which you wouldn't expect such a quality film! While it does have a relatively no-name cast, the script, direction and acting are spot on...and it's a terrific movie...as you might guess from the great title screen!

Through a series of dumb choices, a guy is arrested for murdering his neighbor. But the dumb things really were just dumb things and he didn't kill anyone. However, the jury doesn't believe him and the schnook is sentenced to death. The rest of the film consists of his loving wife trying to prove he's no murderer and she enlists the help of a strange police detective (Regis Toomey) to help her.

This movie is very intelligently written. And, towards the end when I assumed the writers screwed up, it turned out to be okay...it was no mistake and the script was very tight and enjoyable. I'd say more but don't want to divulge any of the twists in the story...suffice to say it's never dull and is a most unusual movie.

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"

A husband and wife dancing team down on their luck finds some money that gets them into a lot of trouble - and the husband on death row for murder. His one pair of shoes condemns him. After an open-and-shut trial and conviction, the wife ends up taking on his case herself as the clock ticks toward his execution. Camera flashes between husband in cell contemplating his life and impending death while his wife and others (with varying levels of interest and investment) work toward a resolution and possible alternative outcome.

Truly wonderful Film Noir murder mystery with intrigue, a twisting plot and surprise ending. Keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way. Highest quality acting, directing and script.

Sadly, there seems to be only one print of this film in the world.

A dancer chucks his tap shoes out the window at a noisy cat and ends up facing a murder charge. I could make a comparison to a certain other film noir (actually a film noir and its remake) but that would be giving away its surprising twist. Given the era, you know the innocent man will get a last minute reprieve, the trick is how we get to that point. When the realization dawned on me -- about 30 seconds before the first real clue -- it was one of those magic "How did I not see this coming?" moments. Certain plot points that at first seemed very contrived clicked into place (although to be totally honest, a lot of it is still kinda contrived... goofy coincidences and twists are something of a trademark for Cornell Woolrich). The film is clearly a shoestring budget production, but even if the performances aren't great, they are at least sincere. The "wrong man" scenario provides the usual (justified) paranoia concerning the authorities charged with protecting us, and the tight running time makes this a worthwhile picture, even if not exactly an undiscovered classic.

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.