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Whistle Stop

  • 1946
  • Approved
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
5.5/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
Ava Gardner and George Raft in Whistle Stop (1946)
Film NoirCrimeDrama

After beautiful Mary returns home to her "whistle stop" home town, long-standing feelings of animosity between two of her old boyfriends leads to robbery and murder.After beautiful Mary returns home to her "whistle stop" home town, long-standing feelings of animosity between two of her old boyfriends leads to robbery and murder.After beautiful Mary returns home to her "whistle stop" home town, long-standing feelings of animosity between two of her old boyfriends leads to robbery and murder.

  • Director
    • Léonide Moguy
  • Writers
    • Maritta M. Wolff
    • Philip Yordan
  • Stars
    • George Raft
    • Ava Gardner
    • Victor McLaglen
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.5/10
    1.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Léonide Moguy
    • Writers
      • Maritta M. Wolff
      • Philip Yordan
    • Stars
      • George Raft
      • Ava Gardner
      • Victor McLaglen
    • 46User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos76

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    Top cast19

    Edit
    George Raft
    George Raft
    • Kenny Veech
    Ava Gardner
    Ava Gardner
    • Mary
    Victor McLaglen
    Victor McLaglen
    • Gitlo
    Tom Conway
    Tom Conway
    • Lew Lentz
    Jorja Curtright
    Jorja Curtright
    • Fran
    Jane Nigh
    Jane Nigh
    • Josie Veech
    Florence Bates
    Florence Bates
    • Molly Veech
    Charles Drake
    Charles Drake
    • Ernie
    Charles Judels
    Charles Judels
    • Sam Veech
    Carmel Myers
    Carmel Myers
    • Estelle
    Jimmy Conlin
    Jimmy Conlin
    • Al - the Barber
    Jimmy Ames
    Jimmy Ames
    • Mr. Barker
    Mack Gray
    Mack Gray
    • Bartender
    Ewing Miles Brown
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Jack George
    • Joe - Barber Shop Customer
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Homans
    Robert Homans
    • Sheriff
    • (uncredited)
    Broderick O'Farrell
    Broderick O'Farrell
    • Barfly
    • (uncredited)
    Jeffrey Sayre
    Jeffrey Sayre
    • Fran's Dance Partner
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Léonide Moguy
    • Writers
      • Maritta M. Wolff
      • Philip Yordan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews46

    5.51.4K
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    Featured reviews

    6Hitchcoc

    Pretty Ordinary Tale

    Other than Ava Gardner's beauty, there isn't a lot here. We have the usually restless George Raft character, hanging around a small town. Apparently he has some earlier dealings with Gardner and when she crosses into his life, there's some pain involved. She is angry with him for his lack of motivation. Nevertheless, there is a bit of sexual tension. Personally, if she is the package, he should change and change quickly. She also has some baggage. How much we don't know, but it's obvious that she has sold out a few times herself. It all gets down to Victor McGlaglen getting his revenge on a guy he owes, who also is a sort of sugar daddy to Gardner. Things get pretty heavy handed and are resolved in rather an odd way. It is somewhat satisfying, not terrible, but both actors have done better work.
    6Sylviastel

    Ava Shines in Her Early Work!

    There was a time when the studio system had the actors and actresses like Ava Gardner and Victor McLaglen making about 5 films a year. Actors and actresses in the studio system worked hard and some films never became brilliant but did entertain audiences. This film was on my compact disc with three other fair films with other actresses like Jane Wyman, Marilyn Monroe in a small role but still, and Joan Crawford in "Rain." One cannot stop looking at Ava Gardner playing Mary, a girl who returns to her small town life from the big city of Chicago which she left in a mystery. She returns to her boyfriend who is unmotivated gambler and meets a rich businessman who takes a liking to her. Ava steals this film hands down. It's not a great film but it's more about characters and story lines than anything else.
    3normknott-554-382078

    Whistle Stop It Already!

    Ava Gardner looks delectable and the character actors are wonderful in this preposterous soaper with noirish tendencies. No hint is ever given why Ava should fall for such a schmuck as portrayed by Raft. Why she should dally with the sort of weasel as portrayed by Tom Conway is a head scratcher as well. Perhaps they're the best that this one track town can offer in the way of available men. One would think that Chicago, the town Ava leaves to return to this burg, would present a more palatable platter of gents. But, thought doesn't play much of a part in this story. It is improbable, turgid and despite the fact that a train rolls through town, goes nowhere. There is some interesting camera work and nice lighting. The secondary actors are the only reasons to keep watching this bore. Well, that and the various shots of dreamy-looking Ava attired in her robe, nightgown and clinging dresses. Ultimately, though, this flick can be tersely summed up as being about a mope and a dope.
    5bmacv

    Victor McLaghlin steals film from Gardner, Raft

    Returning from Chicago swathed in fur, small-town gal Ava Gardner precipitates a crisis for ne'er-do-well George Raft, who stayed behind to moulder. Gardner hadn't yet reached the apex of her insolent sexuality (she looks close to plain in some scenes), and Raft plays, what else, George Raft. Whistle Stop is no masterpiece, but it intermittently sparks into life, generally when Victor McLaghlin shows up, trying to lure Raft into a murderous scheme or taking revenge on his sneering boss. The Madacy video of this movie is recorded at cheap EP speed taken from a scratchy print (standard practice for the firm). But then this movie isn't worth more than the three or four bucks it takes to pick up a copy.
    Ace_Moonshot

    Victor McLaghlin steals the show

    George Raft and Ava Gardner seem like a surefire hit but somehow it just doesn't turn out that way. The relationship between the two seems contrived. I think there may have been screen writing problems or something. Taking a decent plot and a good idea for a story and weighing it down and forcing it. It always seemed like there was something missing. But have no fear, Victor McLaghlin saves the show. His character is not only the only one that is interesting enough to care about but McLaghlin gives a really wonderful performance and one well worth watching. I wish the entire movie had been about him with Raft and Gardner as the peripheral characters.

    Without Victor McLaghlin I give the film 3 or maybe 4 out of 10 but his screen time brings it up to a fairly solid 6 out of 10.

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    Related interests

    Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946)
    Film Noir
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Mack Gray, who plays the replacement bartender, was an old friend of George Raft and his film career consisted mostly of cameos in Raft films.
    • Quotes

      Josie Veech: Oh, sure, the best time to start looking for a job is 8 o'clock at night, and if you do a good job of looking, you won't get home 'til morning, and the best place for looking is every beer joint and pool hall on Main Street.

    • Connections
      Edited into Mobster Theater: Whistle Stop (2022)
    • Soundtracks
      Once Again
      (uncredited)

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    FAQ14

    • How long is Whistle Stop?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 25, 1946 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Streaming on "Artflix - Movie Classics" YouTube Channel (colorized)O
      • Streaming on "Broken Trout" YouTube Channel
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Voz za srecu
    • Filming locations
      • San Fernando, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Nero Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 25m(85 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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