Raw Deal (1948 film)

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Raw Deal

Directed by	Anthony Mann
Produced by	Edward Small
Written by	Arnold B. Armstrong (story) Audrey Ashley (story) Leopold Atlas John C. Higgins
Starring	Dennis O'Keefe Claire Trevor Marsha Hunt John Ireland
Music by	Paul Sawtell
Cinematography	John Alton
Editing by	Alfred DeGaetano
Distributed by	Eagle-Lion Films
Release date(s)	May 26, 1948
Running time	79 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
IMDb profile

Raw Deal is a 1948 film noir directed by Anthony Mann and with cinematography by John Alton.

[edit] Plot

Prisoner Joe Sullivan (Dennis O'Keefe), who has "taken the fall" for an unspecified crime, breaks jail with the help of his girl, Pat (Claire Trevor). Neither Joe nor Pat is aware that the escape has been facilitated as a set-up by mobster Rick Coyle (Raymond Burr), a sadistic pyromaniac, who has arranged for Joe to be killed during the break-out in order to avoid confronting him and paying Joe his agree-upon share of $50,000 for the crime. When the break-out scheme succeeds, contrary to Rick's expectations, Rick decides that he must have Joe done in some other way, by somebody else.

In the course of their run, Pat and Joe kidnap a social worker, Ann (Marsha Hunt) who has been visiting Joe in prison, trying to reform him. This begins a doomed film noir love triangle. A fight with a vicious thug ends when Ann shoots Joe's attacker in the back. After this act of murder, Ann realizes she is in love with Joe. Relenting, he sends her away and prepares to flee the country with Pat. In their hotel room, Pat receives a phone call from Rick's associate warning them that Ann has been seized by Rick, and will be harmed if Joe and Pat do not come out from hiding. Pat does not disclose the nature of the phone call, but instead tells Joe that it was a call from the hotel desk clerk about their check-out time, since she is anxious to avoid telling him anything about Ann that would lead him to hesitate to begin a new life with Pat. Before heading to the ship to effect an escape from the country, Joe goes to kill Rick. Surprised by Joe’s sudden intrusion, Rick shoots him and inadvertently starts a fire. Trapped, Rick crashes through the upper-story window to his death. Ann nestles the dying Joe in her arms as Pat looks on.