Doppio gioco

This flick is a keeper. If you see one film noir from the Forties this should be it. Starring a very young Burt Lancaster, Dan Duryea and the great Yvonne DeCarlo, this dark and shadowy movie shakes the genre to its core. The movie is set in a post-W.W.II Los Angeles when the city was about to burst free and become a Metropolis. Virtually everything we see is gone: trolleys, single-family homes on hills and probably the worst armored car security put on film. (A driver is called away from a run by a suspicious phone call and no supervisor is notified!) The roster of character actors include Alan Napier, Alfred on "Batman," the ever present Percy Helton, and Stephen McNally. Another actor I've seen before has a habit of exclaiming "That's the ticket!" Could this be where Jon Lovitz got his lucrative catch phrase? But the true standout in the film is the exotic and sinfully talented Yvonne DeCarlo. Hollywood never utilized this this lady right. She was always dumped into B-Westerns or costume pics. However, whenever she was given something juicy such as an adult comedy or A-Drama, like this film, she excelled. And if you want to see her belt out a few tunes just check out the pilot episode of "Bonanza" or the ultra cool episode of the "Munsters," where she performs a bluesy number on the harp, you know, the one with the rock band The Standells.

1940's seedier side of Los Angeles makes a fitting noir background for this highly well made film noir starring BURT LANCASTER as the lovelorn hero foolish enough to go back to his ex-wife (extremely well played by YVONNE DE CARLO) who has taken up with a bunch of hoodlums headed by the sinister DAN DURYEA. True love never does run smooth, especially in this kind of fatalistic melodrama in which we have a hint from the very beginning of a dark conclusion.

The fact that Lancaster works for an armored car service is worked into the plot and makes for the movie's most suspenseful and action-filled moments. Some nice support from Stephen McNally as Lancaster's wise friend and Richard Long as his brother. Percy Felton does a standout job as an inquisitive bartender.

Robert Siodmak squeezes every bit of suspense as the story builds to a gripping climax. The hospital scene is extremely effective as Lancaster becomes aware of the dangerous situation he's in.

Lancaster displays some vulnerability and sensitivity despite his rugged good looks and has one of his best early roles here, even more impressive than he was in THE KILLERS. Miklos Rozsa's superb background score gives a jagged edge to the suspense.

Any lover of B&W film noir is guaranteed to find pleasure in this one.

Trivia: If you watch real closely, you'll spot the young Tony Curtis as de Carlo's dance partner in the crowded nightclub scene.

Like many viewers I was initially disappointed by Criss Cross. Some have claimed it to be a poor imitation of Lancaster's debut in "The Killers" but after repeated screenings I find that my appreciation increases with each viewing. The rather direct flashback plotting, the excellent supporting work of Dan Duryea and the whole stable of Universal bit players contribute to a delightful film noir experience. It does lack the irony and richness of story of "The Killers" and can't compare to "Out Of The Past" but the dynamic between Lancaster and DeCarlo ranks as some of the best interplay in the genre, even if a bit one dimensional.

If you are new to the genre, Criss Cross is not a first choice. But as you work your way through the cycle this film represents one of the high points of the studio systems addressing this film-making trend with non of the drawbacks often associated with "B" films.

.....typical entry for the genre. Dumb hero guy gets tangled up w/ the wrong gal for the wrong reasons, mobsters are hanging around, and there is a heist that winds up blowing everything apart in their lives.

I liked how Lancaster played against type and was a 'sap' pretty much. Clearly DeCarlo was the one calling the shots in that pairing. Duryea plays his usual nasty Willem Dafoe/Peter Strauss type villain, and for my money was the most effective actor in the movie. The finale w/ him showing up at their door, well.....it's quite something, very striking.

I also was surprised at the violence of the heist itself-gas going off, killings, etc left and right. Considering the laughable lack of security, personnel and etc that these keystone Brinks guys are showing, it's amazing how close the baddies came to not getting a cent for their efforts.

Pretty decent cast too-there's Percy Helton as the barkeep, there's Alan Napier, there's Tony Curtis in a cameo, there's you other typical baddies of the day. Nice turn by Steve MacNalley too.

Fine movie, bit lax on the plotting I think--but the tone, camera work, and of course DeCarlo-make this a worthy view.

*** outta ****

It was only fitting that Robert Siodmak directed Criss Cross, as he had also directed the film's star, Burt Lancaster, in his first film three years earlier, and this one is Burt's farewell to noir and city suits, as he was about to begin his swashbuckling phase, and after that would don military uniforms and cowboy gear.

Criss Cross is basically a "big heist" movie, full of people double crossing one another with alarming frequency, and to such a degree that the story is often hard to follow. Yvonne De Carlo is the love interest, and Dan Duryea is an exceptionally nasty bad guy even for noir. The setting is L.A., and there is much excellent location photography that makes the movie a treat for people who want to see what the city looked like before half of it was bulldozed to make way for the highways.

There's nothing startling or especially new about this movie. It has a fine and somewhat eclectic supporting cast which includes Alan Napier and Richard Long, Steve McNally and Percy Helton. As in The Killers, there's a strong air of fatalism in the movie, more oppressive here, with a darker tone, and a more Germanic, almost Langian feeling of hopelessness.