Traqué

Unless the initial impact of a movie, which opens with a full-on action packed sequence is maintained, it soon begins to sag like an old, discarded mattress left out in the rain. This is especially pertinent when, as on this occasion, the plot is fairly simplistic.

Following an ultra close range shoot out, U. S. Army deserter, robber and supreme opportunist, Dane Clark escapes from a police van and puts his gotta-get-to-Belgium.... PRONTO!, plan into action, staying one step ahead of the cops, with the help of ex-lover, Simone Signoret and man of many faces, Michel Andre.

For much of the next hour, the movie is hamstrung by some stiff, stilted acting and workmanlike dialogue, punctuated by the not for the squeamish, removal of a bullet from Clark's shoulder, who insists on a record from the jukebox to drown his agonized whelps 'n' yelps. This was 1950. Decades later, Blood Sweat and Tears or Bullet Lavolta would have provided a fitting backdrop to his painful ordeal.

Set in Paris, it looks French and radiates the vibe of European cinema. With director, Frank (This Gun for Hire) Tuttle on board as 'Gunman' gathers momentum and spews out some sharper lines, it increasingly takes on the complexion of American noir. Simone Signoret is a dazzling temptress, leaving the rather anonymous Clark choking on her exhaust fumes, in the on-screen charisma stakes. The film's dual personality is further underlined by the existence of 'Le Traque', an alternative language version, directed by Borys Lewin, released the same year.

It's certainly an intriguing and unusual find. A lost gem? Not quite. 'Gunman' never really comes together into a cohesive, fully realized work, remaining a curious objet d'art, an oddity, a strangely off kilter artefact from the vintage noir era.

This gripping 'lost' gangster movie (finally being released on DVD, having never been theatrically released in the U.S.) was filmed in Paris by acclaimed noir director Frank Tuttle (THIS GUN FOR HIRE, THE GLASS KEY). It stars Dane Clark as U.S. army deserter-turned-gangster Eddy Roback who is sprung from a police van by his criminal cohorts whilst being transported to the courthouse. Wounded in the gun battle, Eddy looks up former flame Denise Vernon (Simone Signoret), in the hope that she will obtain the necessary cash for a flight across the border. However, with the dogged police and Denise's new beau, a crime reporter named Frank Clinton, on his trail, time is running out for Eddy as he attempts to rely on his former criminal network and moll to secure his passage to freedom. Shot on authentic locations by noted cinematographer Eugen Schufftan (EYES WITHOUT A FACE, THE HUSTLER), this is a gripping man-on-the-run crime movie, and rattles along at a fair clip, aided in no small part by the performances; especially Signoret as the tragic moll and Clark as the pitiless hard-boiled criminal. The Gallic setting lends an effective air of authenticity and doomed romanticism to an oft-told tale, and this previously rarely-seen genre movie is well-worth seeking out.

American expatriates actor Dane Clark and director Frank Tuttle shot this gripping noir film which does not for one split second let up in the tension department. From the second American criminal Clark escapes police custody and becomes a fugitive you're held to your seats be it the theater or your living room couch.

Unlike films where the man on the run is romanticized, not so in Gunman In The Streets. Clark is one dangerous man, at one point when he's trapped in a department store in Paris, he grabs up a small boy and uses him to shield his identity, the gendarmes not thinking that their quarry would have a child. The tension is pretty rough there as you wonder if someone will recognize Clark and bullets start flying.

Simone Signoret plays the gangster's moll as tough in France as they are in America. She's moved on to another American, newspaper reporter Robert Duke. Duke loves Simone, but loves a story more as he agrees to help Clark escape. In the end Simone can't stay away from Clark.

Two more roles of note, Fernand Gravey plays the determined police inspector pulling out all the stops to get Clark and Michel Andre who plays a part Peter Lorre would have had here on this side of the pond, the man looking to sell out all.

Gunman In The Streets is a gripping noir thriller and the climax very much similar to White Heat.

In post-war America, audiences were eager to see crime in a whole new light--both literally and figuratively. Instead of the old gangster films of the 1930s with their rather conventional characters, the film noir films of the post-war era featured darker characters, heightened realism, unusual and dark camera work as well as a certain fatalism that set them apart from previous gangster films. Not surprisingly, these noir sensibilities soon made their way abroad. The French, in particular, made some dandy noir pictures....and "Gunman in the Streets" is a sort of hybrid. It's a film with an American star and and international cast...set in France.

While Dane Clark was never a top-tier star in the States, he was excellent at playing cold-hearted characters...and here he's about as cold and vicious as they come. While his character is awaiting trial for other crimes, he makes a daring but failed attack on an armored car with his gang....and he alone escapes. The film is about this thug's attempt to escape with the aid of his girlfriend (Simon Signoret) and some unexpected help from a dumb sap who is also in love with the girl!

The bottom line is that although the camera-work is not classic noir, the nastiness of the leading character certainly is...as is the very downbeat ending. Remember...noir films are NOT intended to follow formulae nor are they intended to leave the audience happy...and this film succeeds on both accounts! Well worth seeing...particularly just to watch Clark do what he does best...play nasty and vicious thugs.

Dane Clark (Roback) escapes from a police escort van in France and needs to get across the Belgian border to secure his freedom. He enlists the help of ex-girlfriend Simone Signoret (Denise). Can he make it?

Ok. So, what was this film all about! The main springboard for the whole film is the relationship between our escaped prisoner Dane Clark (Roback) and his ex-girlfriend Simone Signoret (Denise). But this makes no sense at all. They are no longer an item. Signoret has even started to date a new boyfriend Robert Duke (Frank) who she is happy with. I'm not sure why as he looks like Andrew Marr, an annoying political journalist who currently haunts Sunday morning TV in the UK. This relationship also makes no sense but we can swallow it if we have to - she could really do much better. He is wealthy, though. What is difficult to believe is why she would want to go so out of her way to help Clark, an ex-lover that she has finished with. And why was she ever with him as he is a horrible person and he is never kind to her. In fact, quite the opposite despite the help that she offers. So, the whole film is just unbelievable. Nothing rings true. We certainly can't sympathize with Clark as the main character as he is an asshole. I found no-one to relate to. It is one of those rare films where I want the bad guy caught and found myself rooting for the police.

Simone Signoret single-handedly pulls this film into the "ok" category. Nothing more, I'm afraid.