Meurtre à bord

Wow! What a great little noir. Apparently made utilising sets from 'Titanic' and 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', films made the same year, this is a great example of fast (three weeks shooting) low budget film making. Not a wasted frame, this spooky, thrilling mystery, looks good all the time and many shots are exceptional. Lots of shadowy, foggy or against the light close-ups and a sensational sequence in the ballroom. All menace and subterfuge as we begin to feel that Jeanne Crain's character is surely going to break down despite the restrained and reassuring Michael Rennie, who doesn't even get a kiss. The film races along and has your attention all the time. Set on an ocean liner we do not get the dark streets and lamplight shadows but Newman certainly makes the most of what he's got; the drone of the foghorn, the swirling fog itself and a slew of fellow travellers Crain is not too sure about. And nor are we! Splendid.

This taut atmospheric mystery-at-sea gets great performances by Jeanne Crain, Michael Rennie, Max Showalter, and Carl Betz. The pacing is fast, and the characterizations are well-crafted. I have seen this movie six times, and I never tire of it. Everything is handled so professionally. I highly recommend it.

Well I understand by reading the reviews this film is not everyone's cup of tea. I however enjoyed it very much.

The lovely, vivacious Jeanne Crain plays, Ruth Stanton, now Ruth Bowman after a whirlwind courtship with Carl Betz set off for Europe on a luxury passenger liner for their honeymoon.

I love these old gem's which are not too long, full of thrills and mystery but at the same time, not too taxing on the brain.

Quick synopsis, Mr Bowman vanishes shortly after the ship sets sail and seemingly nobody is aware of his existence. Ruth, spends most of the film helped considerably by the ship's doctor, played admirably by Michael Rennie, searching for clues to his whereabouts.

Anyway without giving anything away the film reaches a very satisfactory conclusion.

Great way to spend a leisurely hour or so.

Have always loved films with mystery and suspense, so 'Dangerous Crossing' immediately had me sold. Was also very encouraged seeing a lot of favourable reviews for 'Dangerous Crossing', as well as some that weren't so much. The setting sounded very atmospheric and a great location for this type of story. The cast was also a selling point, Michael Rennie is always dependable and Jeanne Crain impressed me hugely in 'Pinky', enough to make me want to see more of her work.

While 'Dangerous Crossing' didn't strike me as a great film and could have been better than it was, especially considering that its potential was hardly small in the first place, a lot works in its favour and far outweighs the not so good. And if asked as to whether to recommend 'Dangerous Crossing', my answer would be a solid if not quite enthusiastic yes. There are a lot better films of this type and there are also worse, if this is the sort of film that appeals to you there should be plenty to like even if it doesn't reach masterpiece level.

'Dangerous Crossing' has its flaws. The melodrama does get a little much in the latter stages and Crain's character as others have said is pretty one-dimensional and could have done with more subtlety in the writing.

Also found the ending somewhat abrupt, although to me it actually wasn't a predictable one. Although the use of the foghorn is creepy and leaves one feeling unsettled, it could have been used less and not emphasised as much as it was.

On the other hand, 'Dangerous Crossing' looks great. Very beautifully and atmospherically photographed with effective use of fog and the setting has class and creepiness. Although there are reservations with its overuse, the foghorn does give one the creeps. The dialogue on the most part is thoughtful and tightly structured until getting overwrought towards the end. The direction keeps the film moving at a crisp clip.

The story is intriguing and suspenseful generally, the mystery not routine or implausible. Rennie is admirably restrained and sympathetic and Crain does more than credibly and is fully committed in a difficult role of this nature to pull off. The rest of the cast are solid.

Concluding, good if not great. 7/10

Ruth (Jeanne Crain) and John (Carl Betz) board a ship for their honeymoon. However, within 15 minutes of sailing, John has disappeared. Not only has he disappeared but there has never been any trace of him and there are no witnesses that have seen the couple together. The room that they originally booked into is now empty and only Ruth's suitcases seem to be located on board - in a different room! So begins the mystery. The film follows Ruth's attempts to locate her husband while we are introduced to a suspicious cast of characters. No-one believes her story and even the confidante that she finds in Dr Paul Manning (Michael Rennie) has his doubts. She receives a phone call in her cabin from John saying that they are both in danger.......

The film gets you involved from the beginning and you know that something sinister is occurring. The various characters are introduced to us - eg, stewardess Anna (Mary Anderson), single traveller Kay (Marjorie Hoshelle), steward Jim (Casey Adams) and a foreign passenger with a walking stick (Karl Ludwig Lindt) - and we are never quite sure what is in the back of their minds. Even Dr manning is not above suspicion. The fog horn that continually sounds adds to the tension in the night scenes and it is a well acted film by all.