The Runaround *** (1946, Rod Cameron, Broderick Crawford, Ella Raines, Frank McHugh, Samuel S Hinds, Joan Shawlee, George Cleveland) – Classic Movie Review 12,966

The successful 1946 comedy mystery film The Runaround stars Rod Cameron, Broderick Crawford, Ella Raines and Frank McHugh, and is an unofficial reboot of the 1934 classic It Happened One Night.

‘A vicious battle – from coast to coast!!!’.

Director Charles Lamont’s 1946 American black and white comedy mystery film The Runaround [Deadly Enemies] stars Rod Cameron, Broderick Crawford, Ella Raines, Frank McHugh, Samuel S Hinds, Joan Shawlee, and George Cleveland. Though based on a story by Arthur T Horman and Walter Wise, this is an unofficial reboot of the 1934 classic It Happened One Night, and a very successful one too.

A duo of maverick private eyes, Eddie Kildane (Rod Cameron) and Wally Quayle (Frank McHugh), start their own agency and tail millionaire Norman Hampton (Samuel S Hinds)’s eloping heiress daughter Penelope Hampton (Ella Raines) to her romantic assignations, in competition with their ex-boss Louis Prentiss (Broderick Crawford).

Thanks to an effectively quirky script by Arthur T Horman and Sam Hellman, based on a story by Arthur T Horman and Walter Wise, this is an enjoyable, surprisingly tart, offbeat comedy, with many Frank Capra-esque touches (after all it is a kind of remake of his 1934 classic It Happened One Night), which constantly nudges the funny bone.

Cameron and McHugh as the detectives are enjoyably uneasy being forced into each other’s company, the always excellent Crawford and the appealing Raines hit the target, and it is a super ensemble cast, though with some bigger star names in it, this could have been an even bigger hit for Universal Pictures.

It is produced and distributed by Universal Pictures and shot in their studio.

It is also known as Deadly Enemies.

Release date: 4 June 1946 (US).

Running time: 86 minutes.

The cast are Rod Cameron as Eddie Kildane, Ella Raines as Penelope ‘Annabelle’ Hampton  Broderick Crawford as Louis Prentice, Frank McHugh as Wally Quayle, Samuel S Hinds as Norman Hampton, George Cleveland as Feenan the cabbie, Joan Shawlee [Joan Fulton] as Mamie ‘Baby’ Willis, Dave Willock as Hubert ‘Billy’ Willis, Joe Sawyer as Hutchins, Nana Bryant as Mrs Hampton, Charles Coleman as butler, Jack Overman as Cusack, Dorothy Granger, Jack Rice, Jane Adams, Eddie Dunn, Jimmie Dodd, Ray Teal, Harold Goodwin, Fred Toones, Emmett Vogan, and Ralph Montgomery.

The Runaround is directed by Charles Lamont, runs 86 minutes, is made and released by Universal Pictures, is written by Arthur T Horman and Sam Hellman, based on a story by Arthur T Horman and Walter Wise, is shot in black and white by George Robinson, is produced by Joseph Gershenson, is scored by Frank Skinner, and designed by Robert Clatworthy.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,966

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