Run a Crooked Mile

Excellent thriller,with a twist.Louis Jordan is excellent as the lead character and Mary Tyler Moore shows acting capabilities,rarely seen or associated with her.This film needs to be released on DVD or VHS.It is truly,a classic!

I really loved this film when I saw it on TV back in 1983, and always hoped I could see it again one day - but it never seemed to get repeated on UK tv after that for some reason.

So I was delighted to see it was on YouTube, and it was so good to see it once more.

It's quite a Hitchcockian story, with the main character witnessing a murder at an elite meeting at a semi-derelict mansion near the start - and how then he is silenced by the elite group to keep the murder hushed-up in a most unusual and extraordinary way.

I don't want to give too much of the story away for anyone who's never seen it, so that's all I'll say - you'll have to see for yourself!

I loved all the locations too, some not far from where I live, including the long-gone Wooburn Green village train station.

Louis Jourdan is solid as the lead, and Mary Tyler-Moore perfect as the co-star, as well as a whole host of famous faces in supporting roles.

It's an intriguing story full of twists and turns, and a very entertaining and unusual film.

This really should be re-made today ! Its got a brilliant twist and keeps the audience guessing throughout. Louis Jordan is an excellent hero. Mary Tyler Moore is his , initially sceptic, companion. The polo match injury in hospital scene is one of those "OH yeah!" cinematic moments. I would love to see this movie released and will pay good money to get a copy. If anyone ever hears about how to get hold of a copy please contact me!!! Or simply put a review comment down here so that we can all get a copy ! I actually emailed the BBC to get this re-scheduled on TV and they said they would. Nowadays, Brad Pitt would play Louis Jordan's role and Julia Roberts could be the Mary Tyler Moor role. 10/10 Fantastic !

In 1969's TV film Run a Crooked Mile, Louis Jourdan plays Richard Stuart, a math teacher in a British school who witnesses a murder when he follows a car that sideswiped his. The police, in the person of one bicycle-riding constable, becomes involved, but when Stuart brings him to the site, there is no one there, no sign anyone has been there, and no dead body. Stuart does find an unusual-looking key, which he pockets.

Next thing he knows, Stuart is struck on the head and comes to in a Geneva Switzerland hospital. His name is suddenly Tony Sutton, he had an accident at a polo match, and now has a wife (Mary Tyler Moore). Then he finds out it's two years later. With the second accident, his memory of the murder has come back and he remembers the past.

Convinced the whole thing is a ruse set up by the killers to get him out of England and keep him from talking about what he saw, he sets out to find out what happened to him, and also, if his wife is part of the charade.

The fine cast includes Alexander Knox, Wilfred Hyde-White, Stanley Holloway, and Ronald Howard.

The movie reminded me a little bit of the Alain Delon film Diaboliquement Vôtre ("Diabolically Yours") which has a similar premise - a man involved in an accident who has amnesia and wakes up to a wife, a new name, and different surroundings.

Run a Crooked Mile has some neat twists and is very enjoyable. It's also an opportunity to see Mary Tyler Moore in a different kind of role for her. And the European scenery is magnificent.

When I saw some of the comments the other week about the film not being released on VHS or DVD, I got out my copy of the film on VHS. I taped it back in the late 1980s and have watched it at least once a year! It hasn't been played for ages here in Australia and as I have a new DVD HDD recorder AND a VHS recorder still hooked up, I have copied it on to the disc drive, edited it and included a scene selection and can burn copies any time on to DVD. The quality from the near 20 year old tape is still pretty good and very watchable. I have edited out the old ad breaks but you will see the station logo at the beginning of scenes coming back from the break but there are no watermarks during scenes. There is a little bit of a voice-over on the end credits but it only goes for about 10 seconds. If any one wants a copy, I would be happy to oblige.