Woman on the Run (1950)

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Excellent, a Must See

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The best thing Ann Sheridan ever did; and she made a lot of films. Nice dialogue by Ross Hunter and wonderful finale. Reminded me of Ride the Pink Horse and The Third Man. Rest of the cast, particularly the police chief, are very good. Very tight screenplay, and a great twist. It is safe to say they seldom make them as good as this anymore. Don't miss it..

Remember in "The Man Who Knew Too Much" where Doris Day listens to a symphony in agony, knowing that an attempted murder is about to take place? The gripping fear shown by Ann Sheridan while on a roller-coaster ride knowing that her on-the-run husband (Ross Elliott) might suddenly be killed for witnessing a murder is just as tense, and the carnival music and sinister laugh of a fun-house harpie makes that even more nail biting. This isn't your Warner Brothers "Oomph Girl" Ann Sheridan or even the perplexed military officer who finds out she's married to Cary Grant in drag, but a hard-as-nails, world-weary wife who all of a sudden finds her life torn upside down and revelations about what everybody thought was a perfect marriage to be not so perfect.While the killer only saw her husband's shadow, it was enough of a clue to reveal the husband's identity to him, and Sheridan, police chief Robert Keith and reporter Dennis O'Keefe are desperate to find him before its too later. O'Keefe befriends Sheridan with the intent of not only getting the scoop but perhaps getting the girl as well, and this takes them all over San Francisco, one of the great film noir settings (think "Dark Passage" and "Sudden Fear") although unlike Joan Crawford, Sheridan doesn't run up and down the hilly streets in her high heels.A bit convoluted at times, this is still pretty interesting for the twists and turns it makes (although the film never goes near the crooked Lombard Street), and Sheridan is an engaging heroine, both dark and sympathetic, and someone you don't quite know what to make of at first. Actor turned director Norman Foster, best known for helming many of the Charlie Chan features, keeps the suspense high, and as usual, this is a film noir with a surprise ending that won't leave you feeling cheated.

Woman on the Run is directed by Norman Foster who also co-adapts the screenplay with Alan Campbell from a story by Sylvia Tate. It stars Ann Sheridan, Dennis O'Keefe, Robert Keith and Ross Elliott. Music is by Arthur Lange and Emil Newman and cinematography by Hal Mohr.When Frank Johnson (Elliott) witnesses a man being shot and he himself is shot at by the killer, he decides to go on the run rather than trust police protective custody. The police turn to Frank's wife, Eleanor (Sheridan) to help track him down, but she thinks he has other reasons to runaway. Aided by newspaperman Danny Leggett (O'Keefe), who is after the exclusive story, Eleanor follows the trail left by her husband; but nothing is as it first seems...Compact at under 80 minutes, Woman on the Run is something of a little seen film noir offering. Basically a man hunt in essence, picture boasts strong atmosphere around the San Francisco locations and a last 15 minutes of noir excellence. In the narrative is a failing relationship that gets expanded upon as the story moves forward, and of course there's a twist, which thankfully is a genuine surprise. It's also very well performed, especially by the excellent Sheridan. The problem is that for the first hour it is exposition heavy, while the musical score is often too chirpy, a hindrance to the visual atmospherics. However, once we reach the last quarter and the story unfolds at an amusement park (Pacific Ocean Park), the picture hits its stride. Here is where the shadowy photography takes on a sinister edge, the action seemingly in a drug induced state. It's a terrific finale that lifts the film from being ordinary into must see status for the film noir faithful. 7/10

A man witnesses a gang hit and goes on the lam, and it's up to his wife to find him. A bit low-key and Ann Sheridan's motivations in avoiding the police are too cloudy to be an effective plot device. But this movie has a lot going for it. Sheridan gives a terrific, brassy performance and her character transformation is wholly believable. I also really enjoyed Robert Keith as the crusty, frustrated cop. The dialogue is witty as heck, some very amusing banter going on. The tension is sparse, but it all pays off in an amazing, frenzied climax set in an amusement park. Comedy and noir don't often blend together well, but Foster pulls it off nicely.