He Ran All the Way was John Garfield's final film. He died tragically of a heart attack, so when you watch this movie and see him exerting himself running up and down the stairs and waving a gun around in tense situations, it is extremely sad. Had another actor been cast in the film, it would merely be an exciting, very well acted thriller. But John Garfield is the lead, and it adds an extra layer of desperation, knowing that this man is quite literally running for his life. We know that he doesn't win the battle in real life, and we hope that he will on the screen.
After an overture of Franz Waxman's completely unexpected and frantic music, we see a robbery gone wrong. John and his cohort kill a cop, and he immediately goes into hiding. In a smart move, he goes to a public swimming pool, hoping he can blend in without anyone being able to pinpoint exactly when he arrived there. While in the pool, he meets Shelley Winters. He puts the moves on her and goes with her back to her apartment - but then he shows his true colors. . .
I would never be as tactless as to say Julie put his whole heart into the performance, but he put every ounce of his talent into this role. Press pause on any frame of any scene, and you will see an incredible combination of emotions written on his face. This was the best performance of his career, and if it weren't such a contentious year, the Hot Toasty Rag Awards would have been proud to give him the honor of Best Actor. As it was, he was up against A Place in the Sun, Death of a Salesman, Blind Victory, and others.
I'm a Shelley Winters fan, and her brand of insecurity and slight dowdiness works well in this role. Her parents, veteran character actors Wallace Ford and Selena Royle, don't let their supporting characters curtail solid, simmering performances. Everyone is top-notch, which I usually attribute to a good director: John Berry. His pace and framing are intriguing, and again, we would have loved to have honored him at the Rag Awards. But, with on-location filming in Africa, dancing on the ceiling, two war movies, and more, Berry didn't make it on the list. This thriller is excellent, and if you've followed John Garfield's career, you owe it to him to watch his final onscreen piece.
After an overture of Franz Waxman's completely unexpected and frantic music, we see a robbery gone wrong. John and his cohort kill a cop, and he immediately goes into hiding. In a smart move, he goes to a public swimming pool, hoping he can blend in without anyone being able to pinpoint exactly when he arrived there. While in the pool, he meets Shelley Winters. He puts the moves on her and goes with her back to her apartment - but then he shows his true colors. . .
I would never be as tactless as to say Julie put his whole heart into the performance, but he put every ounce of his talent into this role. Press pause on any frame of any scene, and you will see an incredible combination of emotions written on his face. This was the best performance of his career, and if it weren't such a contentious year, the Hot Toasty Rag Awards would have been proud to give him the honor of Best Actor. As it was, he was up against A Place in the Sun, Death of a Salesman, Blind Victory, and others.
I'm a Shelley Winters fan, and her brand of insecurity and slight dowdiness works well in this role. Her parents, veteran character actors Wallace Ford and Selena Royle, don't let their supporting characters curtail solid, simmering performances. Everyone is top-notch, which I usually attribute to a good director: John Berry. His pace and framing are intriguing, and again, we would have loved to have honored him at the Rag Awards. But, with on-location filming in Africa, dancing on the ceiling, two war movies, and more, Berry didn't make it on the list. This thriller is excellent, and if you've followed John Garfield's career, you owe it to him to watch his final onscreen piece.