La trampa de acero

the steel trap, with joe cotten & teresa wright, that great duo from hitchcock's shadow of a doubt, is a never to be forgotten suspense film. cotten plays a bank officer who becomes obsessed with the notion of absconding with a million dollars and taking refuge in brazil (no extradition treaty). miss wright is perfect as his all too understanding wife who goes along with his preposterous explanations of what he is up to. everything goes wrong on get away day and the riveting climax leaves one sitting on the edge of his/her seat. i wish this film were available on video; i've seen it a few times, in '52 as a teen and once or twice on tv. at any rate, bravo, joe and teresa!!!

Written and directed by the more than capable Andrew L. Stone, this has been described by some as a 'noir' but actually contains none of the components associated with that particular genre. It is essentially a 'heist' movie in which Joseph Cotten's assistant bank manager is the complete antithesis of the criminal mastermind whilst his wife, played by Teresa Wright, is the film's moral compass. As with all films of its type the robbery itself goes pretty well to plan but the getaway proves more than somewhat problematic, to say the least.

Despite the innate implausibilty of the plot, the editing by Otto Ludwig maintains the momentum throughout whilst Dimitri Tiomkin's instantly recognisable chords and orchestration underline the tension.

An earlier reviewer has expressed the view that some might find it awkward watching Cotten and Wright playing husband and wife having previously seen them in 'Shadow of a Doubt' as uncle and niece, to which I would respond: It's called ACTING!

In the Film-Noir Canon this is there because of the Everyman abandoning the safe confines of Conservative Capitalism, that for the little guy is an oh so slow Corporate climb, and the unrelenting tension it embodies, more than the style or unfolding of implicit irony.

It has a rather pale look with mostly unremarkable Camera set-ups, although there are a couple that are noteworthy, and it all takes place in bright lights illuminating the plight of the Anti-Hero's inability to hide from the deed done and the escape route he has set in motion.

It is extremely suspenseful and the screws are forever tightening as one scene to the next lays out never ending barricades and pitfalls. The Movie can be at times quite breathtaking and never fails to pull the Viewer along with unsuspecting twist and turns.

The ending is up for debate, for it can be quite surprising and at the same time some might say a cop out. It does manage to separate this one from quintessential Noir and land it somewhere in the Film-Noir netherworld, just not at the forefront.

Like the previous commentator, it has been many years since viewing this film. In fact, I first saw this film while visiting Denver, Colorado in November of 1971--wow!--that's 35 years ago! I had just arrived in a downtown Denver hotel and was getting ready to take an afternoon nap after the long flight from New Orleans. I decided to turn on the TV and "The Steel Trap" was playing. After watching the action for only a few minutes, I found myself totally engrossed in the plot.

The film made a lasting impression on me, especially the New Orleans setting, as I was living there at the time. The scenes were all familiar places and very nostalgic, bringing to mind the New Orleans I remembered from my childhood of the early 1950's. All of the New Orleans characters and extras spoke in an authentic New Orleanean manner and had the "look" and style of locals.

The dramatic tension in the film was almost unbearable, with Joseph Cotton performing a masterful ex post facto narration. This added to the suspense of the film. It certainly prevented me from taking my planned nap. After the film ended, there was no chance of going to sleep--I was totally awake and mentally back in "the big easy."

I've never been able to locate the film for viewing again, but hope that Netflix or Blockbuster will one day have it available. Apparently, TCM doesn't have it in their portfolio. If you ever get a chance to watch this film, don't miss it--a real noir thriller!

The Steel Trap is a tense nail biter of a movie. A simple story and a great cast make you hope the good man gone wrong gets away with his crime. But this is film noir and nothing goes the way it should. Just saw this gem at the AFI/Silver during the DC Noir festival. The Film Noir Foundation showed the only known copy of this lost film - a homemade DVD. This film deserves finding and/or restoring. The locations are great, a large old bank, various airports, a constellation aircraft, and vintage New Orleans. The cast, Joseph Cotten and Theresa Wright bring to life what could have been dull takes. The home scenes drop down a bit but some of the best shots are in the bank vault. Like most crimes - what seems like a sure thing is anything but. Taking the cash is the easy part. What you do next is the hard part. By the end of this film you will be clenching your hands and trying to remember to breathe. A simple story, a great cast, and a film noir lost gem. I hope the Film Noir Foundation can find a print or gets enough donations to restore the homemade DVD. This is worth the effort.