Cast:
Ray Milland (Allan Fields), Martin Gabel (Mr. Bleek), Harry Bronson (Harris), Rita Vale (Miss Philips), Rex O'Malley (Beal), and Rita Gam (the Girl) Directed by Russell Rouse (#549 - The Oscar)
Review:
I'm sure you haven't heard of this film before, unless of course you admire old films or happen to admire bad puns when writing opening sentences for reviews. That is because this is a film where, well, no dialogue is spoken the whole way through, complete with the smallest possible use of verbal communication possible: seeing a telegram message (there is sound of course). It is basically a test to see how much one can get out of an actor, and a former Academy Award winner in Milland seems apt here. The film was written by Clarence Greene and Russell Rouse, who had written a handful of films together since The Town Went Wild (1944). Most notably, they co-wrote D.O.A. (1950) and the story for Pillow Talk (1959), with the latter resulting in an Academy Award. Rouse had rose up all the way from props (and a background related in film from his father and great uncle), and The Thief would be the second of ten features he directed from 1951 (The Well was first, which he co-directed with Leo C. Popkin to considerable notice) to 1967; Greene either co-wrote or produced all of Rouse's films. Rouse continued to write until a few years before his death in 1987 at the age of 73.
Really this is the kind of movie where using your imagination might help with a film as strangely involving as this one is. Dwelling in the shadows of fear where a man is alone is interesting when you don't know the motives behind such things for a strange 86 minutes. I suppose it is important to make a movie that show the methods of work as one that isn't so much about action or wordplay but instead wordless grind that can and will turn one inside out. Imagine a movie where one can see some legs in a film that really does go to show that actions speak louder than words. In that sense, Milland is up to the challenge, one filled with weary dread for the business that he has signed himself. The guilt for where his responsibilities now lie is a palpable one that especially leads one to imagine where we would be in his shoes. It isn't exactly a blank slate, but I think you can see where films like Silent Night (2023) found interesting inspiration to try and mold something with weary (silent) abandon. Gabel simply just has to stare in the manner that arises from men in shadows that have no use for fear or heavies when procedure is enough. This is a film for those that would like to see just what makes a clock tick beyond just sounds. Sure, there are moments that seem to contort to follow the rules it sets for itself, but it doesn't hurt it completely when one thinks about low-budget cheapies that either made up their own rules or went with the flow (or alternatively, improvisation). The ending of the film is probably predictable for the era it was made (take a guess where a guy taking photos for "the enemy" is going to end up beyond either jail or death), but it doesn't detract from the overall achievement of the film in curiosity.
Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
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