Backfire (1950)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Bob Corey (Gordon MacRae), recovering from a series of operations in a veterans' hospital, learns that his friend, Steve Connelly (Edmond O'Brien), with whom he intended to buy a ranch, has disappeared under circumstance that indicate he may have been involved in a murder. Accompanied by his nurse, Julie Benson (Virginia Mayo), with whom he has fallen in love, Bob follows a series of clues and incidents, including three more murders, that leads to a gambler, masquerading as an undertaker to avoid taxes on his illegal income, and has a whole lot to do with his friend's predicament.
- Actors:
- Viveca Lindfors, Dane Clark, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Gordon MacRae, Ed Begley, Frances Robinson, Richard Rober, Sheila MacRae, David Hoffman, Ernest Anderson, John Arnold, Edward Biby, Monte Blue, Paul Bradley, Russ Conway, John Daheim, John Dehner, Joe Gilbert, James Gonzalez
- Directors:
- Vincent Sherman
- Producers:
- Anthony Veiller
- Writers:
- Lawrence B. Marcus, Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts
- Aka:
- Into the Night / Somewhere in the City
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Romance, Thrillers
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Reviews (1) of Backfire
Fifties Noir - Backfire review by Steve
Minor but engaging noir thriller which brings together a cast of emerging Warner Brothers' contract players. Most surprising is Broadway musical star Gordon MacRae as a WWII veteran who leaves hospital following a serious spinal injury. Though, looking at the positives, he is dating his nurse and she's Virginia Mayo!
His army buddy (Edmond O'Brien) has gone missing, accused of murder. Dane Clark is another from the old platoon, who might not be all he seems. MacRae is the lead and he's fine (and doesn't sing) but a further new name Viveca Lindfors- the latest next Garbo- makes more of an impact as the mysterious femme fatale.
And she does sing a sultry number in a nightclub. It feels like Mayo's role has been pointlessly inflated because she had a breakout hit with White Heat the previous year. Except this was made earlier and the studio sat on it until after that success. There's nothing new here and the final twist won't rock anyone's world.
But it's still a fine diversion for fan of the genre. Vincent Sherman is remembered for directing melodramas for Warners' big female stars, yet he handles the noir atmospherics well and creates suspense out of the familiar scenarios. And makes perfect sense out of the seven flashbacks!