Hunt the Man Down

Jam Packed Little Movie with Probably more Characters than the Budget or the Short Running Time can Encompass. There is much Cynicism in the Fate of the Many "Witnesses" to the Murder at Hand. Some like Mental Illness, Alcoholism, and Class Elitism are quite at home in the World of Film-Noir.

The Movie does its best to keep all the Players in Line but it can be somewhat of a Challenge to keep them all Straight. But it makes up for the Complications with some Sharp Cinematography and Deeply Affected Participants. There is the Wrongly Accused Man trying to Unwind the Events that happened Years before, and Gig Young is the Public Defender trying Desperately to Help.

The Film is so Full of Interesting Stuff that it Manages to be Entertaining Despite the Confusion. There is more than one Great Scene and some others that are Lurid B-Movie Delights. In the End it just Needed more Breathing Room to Elaborate on some of the Truly Interesting and Off-Beat Characters. But as it Stands there are some really Intriguing Interludes and doesn't Pull Punches as it Relies on some Stylized Realism for its Portrayal of Pulp Fiction.

The main shortcoming of Hunt The Man Down is that it's too short. It tells the attempt to exonerate a man of a crime committed a dozen years earlier, half a dozen eye-witnesses to which have long since scattered. That's a lot a backstory to cram into a scant 68 minutes – programmer length – when the plot to unfurl is almost as complicated as The Killing or Out of the Past. Despite some nicely observed detail, ranging from Los Angeles' Skid Row to Beverly Hills estates where maids stand by swimming pools with towels on their arm, the many characters don't get their due – Hunt The Man Down becomes less complex than confusing.

James Anderson, working as a dishwasher in a bar that's held up after hours, shoots and kills the intruder; in the resultant publicity, he's spotted as the man who went on the lam before being sentenced for murder some years before. It falls to the public defender (Gig Young) to prove his innocence. With the help of his father, a one-armed retired cop (Harry Shannon), he tries to locate the guests at the impromptu drinking party in 1938 which (as such shindigs so often do) ended in the violent death of one of the merry-makers. He finds the original witnesses elusive, dissembling, deranged or dead. He also finds that, once a habit for homicide takes hold, it's hard to break....

Though Young looks, well, young, he was 37 at the time, with close to two dozen movies behind him. He's still far and away the best-known member of the cast, with the exception of Iris Adrian (as a streel) and Cleo Moore (who shows up for the concluding courtroom scene in a knock-‘em-dead black number, topped off by the sort of hat worn only by floozies in witness boxes). The movie could have used more of her, and of Adrian. For that matter, it could have used more of just about everything.

This unusual RKO supporting feature was ambitious to say the least. Its director was a prolific French born veteran of numerous American features, George Archainbaud. Some of his work has been recognised for its artistic merits (13 Women '32 - The Lost Squadron '32) Archainbaud turned to TV later in his career. The involved and imaginative story was penned by generally undistinguished writer De Vallon Scott - both the direction and story were worthy of being treated to main feature status. An interesting, above average cast bring this rather complicated tale to life with dedicated conviction. Gig Young (why he chose to lump himself with that peculiar name is beyond understanding) plays a dedicated public defender working to uncover the truth behind a re-opened murder case that spans a pre and post WW11 timeline. To save on investigative expenses he asks for assistance from his retired ex-cop father (the always interesting Harry Shannon who played the father of 'Citizen Kane' in '41) together, they make a formidable team.

The time distance between the original crime can make keeping track of this intriguing plot a little difficult - as the audience is expected to remember who the players are - and with most not being particularly well known, this demands some concentration - especially as the war years have brought various changes to their circumstances and appearances. It also looks as if RKO may have shortened the production schedule or made post production cuts at some stage (?) There's no boring padding within this story, it starts and holds fast to the main threads till the end - while it could have done with a tad more character development to assist us to more readily identify them. The casting makes good use of James Anderson (To Kill A Mockingbird '62) and a bevy of wonderful looking - hard working B feature women, including Mary Anderson (Lifeboat '44), Carla Balenda (Sealed Cargo '51).

Especially interesting is the Grace Kellyish; Christy Palmer, who plays the eventual wife to the Gerald Mohr character. Christy Palmer, who in real life married actor Alan Baxter, doesn't seem to have stared in any other film (our loss!) she is another plus for this little movie. Good use is also made of a variety of character actors all given snappy lines to bolster interest as it speedily rolls along. Visually, it's perfectly captured on film by the marvellous Nicholas Musuraca. Above average and under recognised.

Note: The old C&C TV print currently being run on local Aust TV is in need of replacing and either they are running it at a faster speed or they have clipped it - as it only clocks in at 65m while being listed at 69mins. Those four mins just might have helped with further character recognition.

Gig Young and Harry Shannon make such a likeable team as father & son sleuths it's too bad this absorbing little RKO potboiler didn't lead to a series.

James Anderson learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when his bravery during a holdup reawakens interest in a murder he was accused of a dozen years earlier. The downward mobility most of those present on that fateful night twelve years earlier (one blind, one drunk, one mad) paints a surprisingly downbeat picture of life scraping along the bottom in the good old U. S. of A.

When the story begins, an armed robber breaks into a cafe and the guy tries to shoot a guy who is working there as he steals the money. However, the worker manages to overpower the robber and shoots him in the process. Now you'd think he'd become a big hero. Instead, the police see the newspaper clipping showing a photo of the hero...and he's recognized as a man who vanished 12 years ago after he was convicted of murder but before he could be sentenced.

The public defender (Gig Young) believes the reluctant hero and decides to investigate the case himself*. Soon, he's able to track down a few of the witnesses but then something weird happens....folks try to kill the public defender and his father! And, they also try to kill one of the witnesses. Obviously somebody doesn't want anyone looking into this old case!

While "Hunt the Man Down" is clearly a B-movie due to its short run-time and cast of mostly 2nd and 3rd tier actors, it's a terrific film. Well acted, tense and a nice script more than make up for the cheap production. Well worth seeing.

*I have no idea IF defense attorneys EVER do this. They do it in films and on TV but I also know that they are generally overworked and overwhelmed and assume they literally don't have enough time to investigate anything.