Trem da Morte

For a short film, I thought this was endless. First of all, the whole premise. The business of all these felons lounging around in a train car, heading for Alcatraz. The principle figure sitting around moping, going from his smug self to being frightened to death. The whole security issue is beyond comprehension. Then there's that old guy whose son was killed, riding in a car, trying to keep up with the train. There is taunting and wordplay going on. Then there is this boring guy who won't shut up, talking through his hat. I suppose he is comic relief, but he's not a bit funny, even in this time period. The young woman who is enamored with the murderer is hanging around but what point is there to her being on the scene? There are those dark close ups and camera shots, which, I suppose, were sort of experimental for the time. When it gets down to it, there's no real story.

I was pleasantly surprised by Prison Train (1938) in which director Gordon Wiles, of all people, makes such an ingenious use of his real locations, stock footage and second-string cast that the result is quite a thrilling film noir which can be favorably compared with The Narrow Margin, despite its muscle budget. Dorothy Comingore comes across well as the pleasing heroine, while Peter Potter does okay as the obliging hero, but the movie's stand-out performance is delivered by Clarence Muse who makes the most of his best role ever as one of the villain's heavies on the train. Photographer Marcel Le Picard who worked on nearly 200 movies (despite a four year break in the middle of his career, 1934-1937) also does some mightily impressive noirish work here, and the film editing of Edward Schroeder likewise rates as a stand-out. Train buffs, of course, will need no encouragement to watch this movie and they too will be thrilled far more than their modest expectations.

Considering its lowly production origins (Equity Pictures), this is a surprisingly tight, absorbing action picture with some good comic asides. Director Wiles, who also helmed several other fine B-pics (like The Gangster) keeps the film moving at a rapid pace without sacrificing character nuances and unexpected camera angles. The ending is a little abrupt, but still nifty. As always, Clarence Muse does an excellent turn with the little material provided in his pivotal part, and the comic relief gets off some good lines. Would make a fine double bill with The Narrow Margin or The Tall Target.

"Prison Train" from 1938 was made on a small budget using largely "B" feature actors. And it was meant to be a second feature too. But this film rises above its often desultory although occasionally amusing pre-war genre counterparts. The acting is, overall, good and the plot original.

Fred Keating is mobster boss Frankie Terris whose relationship with his kid sister, Louise, is very close. He's certainly overly protective. Louise is played with fine effect by Dorothy Comingore (under the name Linda Winters). She's aware of big brother's criminal activities but she also adores and trusts him.

Finding a prosecutor's heat too uncomfortable, Frankie resolves to give away his numbers racket to a rival. Meeting with the fellow, Frankie brings his sister who is asked out by the instantly smitten rival's lawyer son. After a dancing date that guy returns Louise to the apartment she shares with her sibling and the censorious brother sees Louise rebuff an effort to kiss her. Angry, he follows the would-be suitor down an alley and in a fight kills him with a pipe.

Frankie is sentenced to a long prison term at Alcatraz (the killing took place on post office property so it's a federal rap and federal time) and he and other convicts are put on a train for the long trip to the West Coast. The father of the slain Lothario vows that Frankie will never make it to Alcatraz and he follows the train with a gang, some on board and others keeping pace by car and Ford Tri-Motor.

Frankie's sister manages to get on the train where she's befriended by an undercover officer who is there to insure her brother's safe delivery to prison. Frankie himself learns of the plot to kill him. He is not happy. In fact he's increasingly, would you believe, scared.

In "Prison Train," unlike so many "B" films, tension actually builds up and the ending isn't clear at all - until the end.

Very unusual for a pre-war movie, a black actor has a serious role, not a Steppin Fetchit-class harmless display of buffoonery to insure no bigot will be discomfited. Clarence Muse, a veteran actor eventually inducted into the Black Film-makers Hall of Fame, is a sinister dining car steward in league with the vengeful father. His role is important to the murder plot and he's not subordinated to the other criminals. Muse, who isn't too well known to most moviegoers, made very many films almost up to his 1979 death and he was a staunch advocate for equal opportunity for blacks.

Comingore/Winters had real albeit modest talent that was silenced by the Cold War Hollywood witch hunt, another victim of a mad time.

Train buffs will enjoy some nice footage of prewar rolling stock.

Very worth seeing.

Thanks, Alpha Video. (And I paid $4.99 for this DVD.)

7/10

Convicted of murdering a competitor's son, a gangster is sent away on a prison train. Meanwhile, his sister tries to warn him of a plot aboard the train to kill him.

For the gangster obsessed 1930's, the story is suspenseful but basically routine. Nevertheless, this low-budget production does have several notable features. For one, there's the movie's visual flair. Director Wiles was an art director before climbing into the big chair, so his often exotic camera angles and lurid lighting are unusual for a low budget production. At the same time, his artistic ambitions are on more elaborate display in 1947's The Gangster with Barry Sullivan. Too bad that he died so young and that IMDb doesn't have more info on this interesting moviemaker.

Also, the movie's notable for Dorothy Comingore's presence. I wouldn't be surprised if Orson Welles caught her in this programmer before casting her in his classic Citizen Kane (1941). Here she projects a unique loveliness and sweet vulnerability that's almost touching and quite a distance from her near shrewish role in Kane. Then too, there's Clarence Muse as a waiter and a long way from the buffoonish roles generally assigned black performers in those days. Plus, he even turns out to be a treacherous bad guy. Note too, that lead actor Fred Keating's name doesn't appear on the movie's poster. Granted, he's pretty obscure among the Hollywood crowd, but he does a good job here as head gangster Frankie Terris.

I guess my only complaint is Nestor Paiva who does go way over the top, even for this exotic flick, as the needling Morose. All in all, the story may be unexceptional, but there remain unusual aspects that make the production worth catching up with.