Take One False Step

In order to finance his new college, Professor Andrew Gentling (William Powell) and a pair of colleagues travel to Los Angeles to secure funding from curmudgeonly tycoon (Paul Harvey). Things go awry after Powell runs into his now married, former girlfriend (Shelly Winters) at his hotel bar. Powell, now happily married himself, reluctantly accepts an offer to go with Winters to a small get-together that evening to meet another old friend (Marsha Hunt). After dropping Winters off in front of her house later that night, Powell learns from a newspaper article the next morning that Winters has been reported missing and that foul play is suspected. Rather than reporting what he knows about the incident to the police, Powell, fearing losing financing for his new university from stuff-shirt benefactor Harvey, (who as a plot convenience hates any hint of scandal), decides to play detective and solve the disappearance himself.

'False Step' is part Hitchcock suspense thriller, part old school detective, a smattering of Powell's witty 'Thin Man' and topped off with a few dashes of 1930's screwball comedy. The casting and characters are also an unusual lot from Shelly Winters as the dapper Powell's floozy ex-girlfriend to James Gleason and Sheldon Leonard as a couple of wise cracking Runyonesque type cops. The results, like the styles, are mixed. The movie never really gets into a flow. Like a screwdriver in the bicycle spokes, what could have worked as a suspense mystery is thrown off the tracks by invasive injections of unneeded comedic relief. The script itself, in addition to lacking a cohesive direction, is just generally confusing as to the suspects' relationships and motivations. As such the urbane Powell is largely wasted as he steps through the disjointed scenes in a workman-like manner.

'Take One False Step' does have it's moments mainly due to Powell and cast mates who manage to pull it across the finish line. All-in-all it's a competent but forgettable film.

Professor Andrew Gentling (William Powell) comes to Los Angeles to work on the formation of a new college. In the bar of his hotel, he runs into his old girlfriend Catherine (Shelley Winters) who throws herself at him. They apparently had a wartime fling.

However, both are married now. Catherine is miserable. Andrew is very happy and, in fact, has invited his wife to LA to join him there.

Catherine calls Andrew and tells her that their friend Martha (Marsha Hunt) is having a party and would love to see him. When he gets there, he finds a drunk Catherine and a very sober Martha.

Catherine finagles a drive with him, during which he stops short and she hits her head. Andrew gives her his scarf. He takes her home, but she refuses to leave the car. He leaves instead. When he returns, he sees Catherine on her way home.

The next day while at a meeting, Andrew sees the lurid headline that Catherine is missing. The police have her bloody scarf. He meets Martha, who tells him that Catherine had a diary, and that, along with the scarf, means they are going to have to act quickly to keep him out of trouble. He wants to go to the police, but she won't hear of it.

One problem - when Martha sends Andrew to Catherine's house to look for her diary, she somehow neglects to mention a really vicious dog. You'd think she would have told him. It turns out to be a huge problem. The dog was rabid and bit him.

The scene with Dr. Markham where he goes into the symptoms of rabies with Andrew, who thinks he has it, is hilarious.

Powell brings his usual elegance to the role. At 58. he was perhaps a little old for all the physical activity - being chased by a dog, car crashes, and fights. Winters is slim and lovely, this being her starlet days, but she has a spark that hints she will be up for better, more character-type roles.

As of this writing, one actor in this 70-year-old film is still alive - Marsha Hunt. She's very good, as she always is.

Other than everyone acting as if Los Angeles and San Francisco were a couple of miles apart, the film was okay. Hardly the horror people described, but not great.

William Powell doesn't just take one false step in this thriller, he takes several. But the point of the story is that it only takes one step in the wrong direction for you to tumble completely down the hill and crash. As is often the case in Hollywood oldies, the false step comes in the form of a morally loose woman. There's nothing worse than a floozie who likes booze and men, in the eyes of the Hays Code.

Bill is happily married to Dorothy Hart, and has a good job as a college professor. Temptation comes in the form of Shelley Winters, an old girlfriend who wants to have another fling. She's sizzling in this movie and gets to wear some gorgeous gowns that leave nothing to the imagination. However, if Bill is happy and has moved on, why does he agree to go to her apartment for drinks? One false step leads to another, and the next thing he knows, he's being accused of Shelley's murder. . .

The oddest part of this movie is that when Bill gets into trouble, he doesn't turn to his wife. He turns to his gal pal Marsha Hunt, and the two of them seem to have a better relationship than he and his wife. The script could have made Marsha his wife and cut out the friend's character altogether. You'll also see James Gleason, Sheldon Leonard, and Felix Bressart in the supporting cast. It's a bit sad to see Felix in his last movie, because he was very thin and very sick. He's often filmed from behind or at a distance, and I wonder if a double was used. Still, if you're a Shelley Winters fan, you might want to check this one out to see her looking so pretty.

William Powell is in town raising money for a new college. He runs into Shelley Winters, one of his girlfriends during the War. She invites him to a party, but finds it pretty sparse. Winters comes on to him, hinting at an unhappy marriage. Powell rejects her, since his marriage is happy. The next morning, Miss Winters is reported as missing. Powell goes to her house to recover a scarf he left. He is bitten by a dog. Evidence points at Miss Winters being in San Francisco. Powell goes, soon to be pursued by cops James Gleason and Sheldon Leonard. Also, the dog is reported as rabid.

This movie plays like a mash-up of THE 39 STEPS and D.O.A., with director Chester Erskine larding on the dark atmosphere increasingly as the movie progresses. Unfortunately, there is no humor in the script, nor any clear reason why Powell would not go to the police at any point. The result is a slow movie that does no one's career any good.

William Powell is always worth watching. The rest of TAKE ONE FALSE STEP is rather harder to appreciate, because logic is not its strongest suit. Freddie, the top villain, never shows his mug - makes no difference to the story, anyway.

Shelley Winters is clearly wasted in her role as potential femme fatale who seems ready to go with any man, Powell most of all, and turns out to be more suicidal than fatal. Other than her apparently nymphomaniacal tendencies, I still have no idea what crime she may have committed.

Direction and cinematography are OK, script has more holes than the proverbial Swiss cheese. Generally immediately forgettable - and yet, TAKE ONE FALSE STEP has its moments, especially when Prof Gentling (Powell) learns that he has been bitten by a possibly rabid dog.

I could not grasp why Prof Gentling kept deflecting comely, ready for action Winters' advances... his wife is played by the stunningly beautiful Dorothy Hart!