Beware if a man in a film noir complains about his humdrum life, as Dick Powell does in Pitfall (1948). He’s destined to have his life stimulated by violence and, possibly, the kiss of a woman who’s not his wife. The said woman is played by Lizabeth Scott, whose boyfriend is in the clink. A nerdy aggressor (Raymond Burr) wishes to take advantage of this imprisonment by running away with lovely Scott, but Powell, the would-be adulterer, remains in the way. . . Whatever Jay Dratler’s novel is like, presumably it was good material for a movie, for a very involving story—solidly directed by Andre de Toth—gets underway. The casting alone is very involving.
Pitfall (1948 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Powell and Scott aren’t perfect—indeed, they’re superficial (for more nuance, there’s Jane Wyatt)—but they still fit noir material like a glove. I only wish Pitfall was on DVD: I had to watch it on YouTube.
