Joe Sullivan is itching to get out of prison. He's taken the rap for his accomplice Rick, a sadistic mobster who owes him $50,000 from the job they pulled. Rick sets up an escape for Joe, assuming that Joe will be killed while fleeing. But with the help of his love-struck girl Pat and his sympathetic legal caseworker Ann, Joe gets further than Rick intended...
Cinematography
John Alton's lighting: characters drowning in their own shadows.
Acting
Claire Trevor's final scene—devastating silent close-up, no dialogue needed.
Direction
Mann squeezes more tension into 79 minutes than most manage in 140.
Director
Anthony Mann
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