Drive a Crooked Road *** (1954, Mickey Rooney, Dianne Foster, Kevin McCarthy, Jack Kelly) – Classic Movie Review 8914

Director Richard Quine’s gritty 1954 black and white film noir crime drama thriller Drive a Crooked Road offers the 33-year-old Mickey Rooney a useful star role and he grabs it to give a fine performance as an ordinary American Joe with driving ambitions.

But then Rooney’s sports car mechanic character Eddie Shannon falls for gangster’s girlfriend Barbara Mathews (Dianne Foster) and is manipulated by her into being the getaway driver for hoodlums Steve Norris (Kevin McCarthy) and Harold Baker (Jack Kelly) in their planned bank robbery.

[Spoiler alert] Unfortunately, after the robbery goes ahead, Eddie then learns Barbara is of course using him and Norris and Baker are planning to kill him.

Despite the routine, over-familiar, clichéd tale by Quine and Blake Edwards (based on a story by James Benson Nablo) and a lowly B-movie production by Columbia Pictures, there is considerable interest in this movie. It is well made by Quine, with a tough noir tone and good sleazy atmosphere, and nicely acted all round. But, best of all, Rooney’s performance is much better than the film deserves.

Also in the cast are Harry Landers, Jerry Paris, Paul Picerni, Dick Crockett, Mort Mills, Peggy Maley, John Close, Richard H Cutting, John Damler, Linda Danson, Mike Mahoney, Patrick Miller and Jeffrey Stone.

Drive a Crooked Road is directed by Richard Quine, runs 83 minutes, is made by Columbia Pictures, is written by Blake Edwards (screenplay) and Richard Quine (adaptation), based on a story by James Benson Nablo, is shot in black and white by Charles Lawton Jr, is produced by Jonie Taps, is scored by Ross DiMaggio (musical director) and Will Beitel (composer of stock music), and is designed by Walter Holscher. Blake Edwards was second unit director (uncredited).

Shooting began in mid-October 1953 and it was released in the US on 10 March 1954.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8914

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