A Dangerous Profession
Encyclopedia
A Dangerous Profession is a 1949 American film noir
directed by Ted Tetzlaff
and written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin. The drama features George Raft, Ella Raines, Pat O'Brien, among others.
. One such men is Vince Kane, a former cop. When one of his customers, Brackett, is murdered, Kane decides to investigate. He has two reasons for investigating: the curiosity of a former cop and it seems he has fallen in love with Brackett's widow Lucy, a woman he used to date.
gave the film a mixed review, and wrote, "Laconic and familiarly tough are the words for Raft's performance as the torch-bearing bail bonds-man. Ella Raines is decorative if little else as the object of his affections; Pat O'Brien contributes a standard portrayal as his hard business partner; James Backus is professional as a tenacious detective lieutenant and Bill Williams is adequate in the brief role of the embezzler. A Dangerous Profession, in short, proves that the bail-bond business can be dangerous and that it also can be the basis for an exceedingly ordinary adventure."
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
directed by Ted Tetzlaff
Ted Tetzlaff
Dale H. "Ted" Tetzlaff was a noted Academy Award-nominated Hollywood cinematographer active in the 1930s and 1940s. He was particularly favored by actress Carole Lombard...
and written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin. The drama features George Raft, Ella Raines, Pat O'Brien, among others.
Plot
The story begins as Police Lt. Nick Ferrone explains what bail bonds-men do and tells the viewers the setting is Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. One such men is Vince Kane, a former cop. When one of his customers, Brackett, is murdered, Kane decides to investigate. He has two reasons for investigating: the curiosity of a former cop and it seems he has fallen in love with Brackett's widow Lucy, a woman he used to date.
Cast
- George RaftGeorge RaftGeorge Raft was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s...
as Vince Kane - Ella RainesElla RainesElla Wallace Raines was an American film and television actress.-Life and career:Born Ella Wallace Raubes near Snoqualmie Falls, Washington, Raines studied drama at the University of Washington and was appearing in a play there when she was seen by Howard Hawks...
as Lucy Brackett - Pat O'BrienPat O'Brien (actor)Pat O’Brien was an American film actor with more than one hundred screen credits.-Early life:O’Brien was born William Joseph Patrick O’Brien to an Irish-American Catholic family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served as an altar boy at Gesu Church while growing up near 13th and Clybourn streets...
as Joe Farley - Bill WilliamsBill Williams (actor)Bill Williams was an American television and film actor. He is best known for his starring role in the early 1950 television show The Adventures of Kit Carson.-Career:...
as Claude Brackett - Jim BackusJim BackusJames Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
as Police Lt. Nick Ferrone - Roland WintersRoland WintersRoland Winters was an American actor who portrayed Charlie Chan in six films.-Biography:Born Roland Winternitz in Boston, Massachusetts on 22 December 1904, Winters was the son of Felix Winternitz, a violinist and composer who was teaching at New England Conservatory of Music...
as Jerry McKay - Betty Underwood as Elaine Storm
- Robert GistRobert GistRobert Gist was an American actor and film director. He was married to actress Agnes Moorehead from 1954 to 1958, although they separated in 1955. They met during the filming of The Stratton Story .- Biography :...
as Roy Collins, aka Max Gibney - David WolfeDavid Wolfe (actor)David Wolfe, aka Dave Wolfe of New York City was an American film actor from 1949 to 1954. After his acting career, he was the lover of American Broadway showman Tommy Tune.-Filmography:...
as Matthew Dawson
Critical reception
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
gave the film a mixed review, and wrote, "Laconic and familiarly tough are the words for Raft's performance as the torch-bearing bail bonds-man. Ella Raines is decorative if little else as the object of his affections; Pat O'Brien contributes a standard portrayal as his hard business partner; James Backus is professional as a tenacious detective lieutenant and Bill Williams is adequate in the brief role of the embezzler. A Dangerous Profession, in short, proves that the bail-bond business can be dangerous and that it also can be the basis for an exceedingly ordinary adventure."