No Escape

Look... what did you expect? It's a "B" movie, even if Lou Ayers is in it. As a Native San Franciscan, this movie warmed the cockles of my heart. There is no feeling that can match the scenery of San Francisco back in the day! It is absolutely magical to see the Golden Gate Bridge with NO CARS ON IT, and the City looking so pristine! This is a MUST SEE for any person with an interest in what the " good old days" looked like in San Francisco. The plot was decent, acting wasn't bad.....very few movies are close to documentaries of what San Francisco looked like back in the day. This is worth a look for the nostalgic value and scenery alone. For that I give it a 7...

John Tracy, former hit maker and now a looser, is accused having murdered a man who escorted a lady at home. Of course we know he's innocent but the thrill of this movie is to see how he looks for a way to escape from the trap. The city is closed up by the police. To that point, note the remarkable directing by Charles Bennett showing us all the ways out of this place. Moreover the sightseeing of the town is oppressive : the illuminated streets are surrounded by the cops' sirens, which make the spectator thrill as if he were at John Tracy's place. Watch this great one to discover it. I've seen this film on german TV and I was surprised to discover that it was forbidden to minor under 16. I still wonder why.

Lew Ayres, a decent actor, tries to save this turkey from execution, but not even a decent looking and acting Marjorie Steele can help him do that. That is because the story, dialogue and editing are so bad, that no one could have saved this film. Sonny Tufts was as wooden as Pinnochio in this film. There was absolutely no chemistry or believability about his supposed relationship with Steele. I kept thinking this role would have been perfect for Jack Lemmon (whom with little imagination, you can imagine that Ayres is acting just like). But the character is so corny (as is the leaden dialogue), that not even Jack Lemmon could have saved the film.

Formerly successful songwriter John Tracey (Lew Ayres), now a down and out entertainer in a San Francisco dive bar, finds himself on the lam when he becomes the chief suspect in a murder investigation after one of the bar patrons, who had earlier humiliated Tracey in front of the girl he was trying to impress, is found dead in his apartment. As misfortune would have it, Tracey becomes enmeshed in a triangle of treachery and deceit with a police detective and his girlfriend (Sonny Tufts, Marjorie Steele). Deciding that proving his innocence is futile, Tracey attempts an 'escape' to Mexico.

The movie by-in-large is a lackadaisical effort. There isn't any component that elevates the film, beginning with the dubitable casting of Sonny Tufts as Marjorie Steele's love interest. Not sure who thought that to be a good idea.Ayres, a solid actor who wasn't necessarily a poor choice, comes off with a misplaced light comedy style in this otherwise dour crime drama. Even with the police on his tail, Ayres inexplicably sits down at the piano and cranks out a tune for a group of party goers. It continues on in an incongruent style with the direction, script, and cinematography, none of which create much in the way of tension, drama or atmosphere. Even what would normally be welcome San Francisco exterior shots are primarily stock footage. Then there is the voice-over narration. Whenever a film starts off like this viewers should be on high alert. As often as not, it's used not as a plot enhancement but as a device to cover up a multitude of film making sins and a way to cover large chunks of story line on the cheap.

'No Escape' isn't downright awful but the disinterested feel and the mishmash of wandering styles ultimately caters to nobody. The movie is just a series of blandly filmed scenes pieced together that will leave fans of the old crime programmers disappointed. So if it comes down to watching this or another movie, most people would do well choosing the other movie.

Back in the 1930sl, Lew Ayres was on top of the world in Hollywood. After starring in "All Quiet on the Western Front", he had a steady career in Hollywood. And, when he got the lead in MGM's Dr. Kildare series, Ayres continued on his winning ways. However, WWII arrived and Ayres was an avowed pacifist. While he bravely volunteered to be an orderly in the military, his refusal to fight soured him with the public and the studios. As a result, his career, with a few exceptions (such as "Johnny Belinda" in 1948), was mostly flat in the post-war years. He worked but the quality of the films declined. This is why he starred in a low-budget film like "No Escape"...a film that paired him with mostly no-name actors and Sonny Tufts...who, himself, had fallen even further in his career thanks to his off-screen habits (as well as his rather wooden acting). So, it seemed obvious that this film was most likely a second or third-rate affair. But is it worth seeing despite this? Read on....

The story finds John Tracy (Ayres) a down and out lounge singer. This part is pretty funny, as it's clearly NOT Ayres singing and the voice isn't even close to his. Soon, he's accused of a vicious murder and the San Francisco police force is looking for him. Oddly, however, Detective Shayne (Tufts) is mostly interested in getting John to disappear instead of catching him. Could this all have something to do with the lady who BOTH men are interested in...Pat (Marjorie Steele)?

This film has some shortcomings. Not only is the singing bad but a few scenes looked pretty cheap (such as the view from Pat's apartment which was at a VERY strange angle). Despite this, however, the film is still entertaining and worth seeing. A great mystery/suspense movie? Nah...but interesting and better than I had first hoped!