Product Description

A gritty drama of one cops crusade to avenge the death of a fellow officer. Studio: Kino International Release Date: 01/18/2000 Starring: John Ireland High Beaumont Run time: 74 minutes Director: Anthony Mann

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #91081 in DVD
• Brand: Kino Video
• Released on: 2000-01-18
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 74 minutes

Amazon.com
The first great period of Anthony Mann's career was the string of blackly brilliant late-'40s thrillers and crimebusting movies--T-Men, Raw Deal, Border Incident, et al.--that marked the full flowering of film noir. We won't kid you: Railroaded was made just before Mann hit his spectacular stride--and just before the low-rent Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) evolved into the somewhat more prestigious Eagle-Lion. The rather plodding story line has to do with a young deliveryman's framing for a robbery and the incidental murder of a cop, and the slightly-at-cross-purposes efforts of his sister (Sheila Ryan) and a police detective (Hugh Beaumont, better-known as "Ward Cleaver") to clear him. Much more worthy of contemplation is the saturnine John Ireland as the principal evildoer, a small-time crook whose readiness to whack any number of people, innocent and guilty alike, gets creepier with each passing reel.

Mann hadn't yet teamed with cinematographer John Alton, and the lighting is generic--blah for the daylight scenes, merely murky for the night stuff. Still, it's gratifying to see that Mann on his own was already reaching for the occasional deep-focus composition, outré set piece (a shootout among upended stools in a darkened saloon), and surprising texture--like the close-up of a bullet hole in an alligator purse that announces a life lost, with chilling matter-of-factness, off screen and between scenes. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews

Tight, sharp, taut--classic film noir
The short (73 minutes) of this film is not a problem at all; Anthony Mann's direction is so strong that there's no wasted moment. While some films noir suffer from being overly stiff (cf. The Big Combo), this one's fluidity is definitely in evidence. John Ireland is the standout here, but the two female leads--Sheila Ryan and Jane Randolph--are almost as good. A real plus, plotwise, is the 'good girl' falling (at least temporarily) for the bad guy.

Similarly, the 'bad girl' ultimately turns good. These reversals, coupled with the bad guy's peculiar behavior (the infamous perfuming of his bullets) and an unusual shoot-out in a long-after-closing bar full of upside-down barstools make for an interesting film.

Hugh Beaumont's good guy cop is a well-matched foil to John Ireland's Duke Martin, whose occasionally drunk girlfriend meets with Beaumont, near the end, to rat out what she thinks is her two-timing boyfriend.

Definitely one of the better films noir on DVD.

ONE FOR THE CONNOISEUR
The great Anthony Mann usually had a better than-budget cast for his film noirs, usually including Dennis O'keefe and Raymond Burr. In Railroaded however one has to put up with Sheila Ryan and Hugh Beaumont, but at least the excellent John Ireland is there to lend some credibilty to the acting. What I'm trying to say is that apart from Mann's amazing direction there aren't that many other reasons for seeing this film.

If however you are a connoiseur of the dirtectors art you will get alot out of this movie. As Manny Farber correctly identified this is one of the best examples of the "Germanic Rigour" that Mann brings to his films regardless of the non-existent budget. There are several amazing compositions and camera angles that Mann pulls off in this tour-de-force, and all create an amazing rythym like a well oiled machine. This isn't one for the casual viewer, but it is worth watching to see one of the greatest of all American directors working his magic. One for the purists out there.

A GREAT MOVIE
John Ireland is sensational in this movie, as always. He is one of the best actors ever, and it is sad he is not remembered that way. RAILROADED and RAW DEAL are both wonderful showcases for his talent. I reccommend any movie with John Ireland in it.