No Escape

This very Low-Budget Movie seems to have been Produced by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the San Francisco Police Department.

By 1953 just about every Crime Film had these kinds of sappy, self-important, openings about how the United States, the post WWII Land of Milk and Honey, was "Protected" by the World's best Military and Police Force. The Conservative 1950's, if these "Propagandized" Pictures were to be believed, was Paradise Personified and the "Big Brother" Overseers were dedicated to keep it that way.

Pure Film-Noir suffered during this period and started to morph into Police Procedurals and Governmental Agency Puff Pieces. This is an example of one of those with an Opening and "Authoritarian" Voice Over comforting Audiences that everything was under control and there was "No Escape" for Criminals and Illegal Activity was futile.

This Film is almost inept and amateurish at times with its bad Acting, weak scripting, and horrendous editing. Add to that the bland and brightly lit interiors and flat and uninspired travelogue shots of the City, it ultimately is a failure on most levels.

Lew Ayres is miscast as a down on His luck Singer-Songwriter, Sonny Tufts is a cartoonish, buffoonish, brutish, behemoth of an Actor who might have had a more successful career as a Pro Wrestler where His Acting Chops and huge physical presence could be put to better use.

Marjorie Steele is a pretty, full-lipped natural blonde that is easy on the eyes and does nothing to embarrass Herself in one of the only four Films She appeared. Marrying a Multi-Millionaire at Age 19, set Her on a course to abandon Stage and Screen.

Overall, the Movie is a huge disappointment, especially for Film-Noir Fans and Crime and Mystery Film Buffs. The on location San Fran Street Photography can't save the thing and it remains for B-Movie and Bad Movie Completists only.

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.

Lew Ayres, drinking? An out-of-work drunk? Well, here he is. And he's good. The whole cast is excellent. I have heard of Sonny Tufts but this is the first time I can think of that I've ever seen him. I think this is not his native terrain. But he's just right as a tanned, slightly disreputable police officer.

Gertrude Michael plays the girl Ayres has been seeing, though she is not the female lead. I don't recognize that woman at all, though she looks like Lizbeth Scott. Michael was a bit of a scandal in "Murder at the Vanities." That movie was released almost 20 years before this one but she looks great here. She has the right feel for a noir actress, too. She's a bit under-the-weather, pretty but a little tarnished, and goodhearted.

The San Francisco locations are good. The music isn't my cup of tea. But it in no way sinks the movie. It's a real find. Watch for it.

"No Escape" is a B movie starring Lew Ayres, Sonny Tufts, and Marjorie Steele, set in San Francisco.

The best thing about this film is the look of the city, and all the '50s furnishings and men wearing hats. I know those features are in many films, but for some reason, I noticed them more in this.

Lew Ayres plays alcoholic pianist/singer/songwriter John Howard Tracy who works in a club now that his career as a successful songwriter has ended. One night, a man named James Griffith gives him some money, which he doesn't realize until Griffith has left. He goes to his apartment to return the money and finds the man dead. There's also a sketch of a woman named Pat (Marjorie Steele), who was in the club earlier that evening.

Tracy believes Pat to be the killer. Her boyfriend (Tufts) is a police officer who wants to frame Tracy for it and clear her. It goes from there, with Pat, unable to allow Tracy to be arrested for a crime he didn't commit, helps him while he's on the run.

This film was made just ten years after "So Proudly We Hail" so what the hay happened to Sonny Tufts? He looks like a madman and a good 20 years older here. I admit I was never crazy about him, and I found his performance one note.

Lew Ayres is very good, but the singing voice used seemed strange coming from him. Marjorie Steele only made a few films. She was an excellent stage actress and married - hello - Huntington Hartford, who got her into movies. But she retired to raise her family. She married twice more and today has commissions as a sculptor. A long way from "No Escape."

An ordinary noir with great shots of San Francisco.

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...