The Chase

As a director Arthur Ripley only made six feature films but nothing in that short career quite prepares you for the gem that was "The Chase", which he made in 1946 and which Philip Yordan adapted from a Cornell Woolrich story. It's certainly bizarre, as down-on-his-luck Robert Cummings, (why Robert Cummings I keep asking myself), finds a wallet belonging to gangster Steve Cochran who, when he returns it, hires him as a chauffeur and that's when his troubles really begin, particularly when Cochran's frightened wife, Michele Morgan, asks him to help her get away from her husband.

Everything about this film is surprising and I just don't mean the plot. Cochran's a thug but he lives in a kitsch mansion filled with marble statues and he likes to listen to classical music while Cumming's a veteran who is also a dab hand on the piano. Perhaps the biggest surprise is just how good both these actors are. Being a gangster Cochran naturally has to have a henchman and as always Peter Lorre is superb in the part. About midway through you might start to get an idea in which direction this very strange movie is going and you may even be right...but on the other hand. Needless to say, "The Chase" has all but disappeared but if any film deserves cult status this is it. Unmissable.

Great cinematography. Excellent acting. Taut direction. But the plot is bizarre. Everything rolls along nicely until suddenly -- without any warning -- the plot morphs into something else. Same characters and location but completely different storyline. Weird and confusing as people who were killed in the previous section show up alive again...

Nevertheless, the movie contains some terrific villains. Steve Cochran delivers a mesmerizing performance as a sadistic mobster and Peter Lorre is in top form as his cold-blooded, sinister sidekick. Michele Morgan is an edgy femme fatale and Bob Cummings delivers a convincing performance as the troubled hero.

The cinematography is classic noir with beautifully composed shots in dark settings full of intrigue and menace. A particularly memorable scene is where the cops burst into a room in search of Cummings only to find a woman sobbing uncontrollably at a table. There is some sharp dialog and lush romantic music although the sound track is scratchy. The movie is flawed by the fractured plot but worth adding to your collection.

The first time I saw this film, I was mesmerised by the moody cinematography, the perfect casting of all the players and the unexpected twists and turns of the plot. Similar to the Noir classics, DOUBLE INDEMNITY and OUT OF THE PAST, the hero (Robert Cummings) is drawn into a web of intrigue by a beautiful woman (Michele Morgan), but in this case she turns out to be a legitimate "dream walking." The film was even better the second time around, as I could savour the various clues sprinkled throughout. Even by today's standards, Steve Cochran, Peter Lorre and their canine friend have to rank high among the screen's most vicious heavies. Vastly underrated, THE CHASE will set your heart a thumping! (According to the 2001 Maltin MOVIE & VIDEO GUIDE, it is now available on video)

This is an exciting film noir with good performances & a tough script by Woolrich (anytime you see his name associated with a movie, it's a sign of quality, even for low budget series like Robert Dix's "The Whistler"). Robert Cummings gives one of the best performances of his life, because he avoids all those "Love That Bob" clichés he used to do so well (but sometimes, so inappropriately). Steve Cochran is very menacing & very sick as a sadistic mobster who wants to control everyone & everything around him (wait til you see his car, it's really neat!). Peter Lorre is prime Lorre, in a menacing role as Cochran's henchman. Michele Morgan is suitable as Cochran's sultry wife. The plot is not new, we've seen it before (& after), about an unhappily married wife who uses a friend to escape her husband. But the story's done in an interesting way, with some unusual aspects to it. There's plenty of shadows & lots of the movie takes place at night. The Chase moves at fast pace for the first 50 minutes or so, then slows down to catch it's breath, & then speeds up again near the end. I rate it 8/10.

This is one of the most off-beat noirs you will ever see.It ranges from tension to turmoil in short bursts because it is, ah, different.You may have to run parts of it back to see if you missed something - but chances are you didn't. It's that kind of film.

The heavies are the best part of the cast. Steve Cochran may have done his best work here, and Peter Lorre does what he does best.Michele Morgan is lovely, and Bob Cummings seems as confused as the rest of us. I enjoy plot twists to a point, but the whole picture is a plot twist.

You may have to struggle with the continuity and the sound track, as the film was assembled piecemeal and the restoration is not as good as could be hoped. Against my better judgment I gave this a 7, although on balance it's not that good; it's just so - how should we say - bizarre.