A brief description of <i>Cry of the Hunted</i>, made in 1953, might lead you to expect a film along the lines of <i>The Fugitive</i>, with an obsessed cop hunting down a desperate escaped convict. In fact this movie is nothing like that. It’s more of a journey into a personal heart of darkness for the pursuer, Lt Tunner, a journey in which he confronts repressed fears and doubts. The convict on the run is several times described by prison guards and cops as an animal, but Tunner, although he appears to be a tough gut early in the film, is incapable of regarding any man as a mere animal. On one occasion he is appalled when a southern sheriff tries to shoot the escapee down, and he tells him he has no right to shoot a man just because he runs. The movie has a lot to say about confronting fears, and about human dignity and finding things that allow us to keep living.
Joseph H. Lewis has become one of my favourite directors. He was incapable of making a dull film. <i>Cry of the Hunted</i> is always entertaining and visually interesting, and there’s plenty of tension. Lewis seemed to love directing movies that moved to a climax in a swamp or a wilderness and he used those locations extremely effectively. This is an excellent little film!
Cry of the Hunted (1953)
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moira finnie
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Thanks for the tip about this obscure (to me), 1953 noir, which featured Barry Sullivan, Vittorio Gassman and William Conrad. I've found that Joseph H. Lewis' films and tv shows almost always deserve a closer look, since they often reveal so much about the characters through wonderfully played out action scenes. He was a talented and underrated director.
Unfortunately, doom, me lad, this MGM production doesn't seem to be readily available here in the states on vhs/dvd. I guess the boys at MGM figured that since Italian star Gassman's bid for American movie glory didn't pan out, no one would be interested in any of his movies. And I haven't seen any Barry Sullivan homages of late, either. Hmmm, maybe if they played up that potential William Conrad angle when marketing the flick...
Unfortunately, doom, me lad, this MGM production doesn't seem to be readily available here in the states on vhs/dvd. I guess the boys at MGM figured that since Italian star Gassman's bid for American movie glory didn't pan out, no one would be interested in any of his movies. And I haven't seen any Barry Sullivan homages of late, either. Hmmm, maybe if they played up that potential William Conrad angle when marketing the flick...