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Pitfall

Pitfall

Drama · Crime · 1948

An insurance man wishing for a more exciting life becomes wrapped up in the affairs of an imprisoned embezzler, his model girlfriend, and a violent private investigator.

Movie details

Pitfall

“A man can be as strong as steel...but somewhere there's a woman who'll break him!”

1948 Drama · Crime 1h 26m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

An insurance man wishing for a more exciting life becomes wrapped up in the affairs of an imprisoned embezzler, his model girlfriend, and a violent private investigator.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Pitfall?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Plunder Road

Plunder Road

Crime · 1957

A spectacular heist starts to unravel as the crooks take it on the lam.

The Damned Don't Cry

The Damned Don't Cry

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Fed up with her small-town marriage, a woman goes after the big time and gets mixed up with the mob.

The Dark Corner

The Dark Corner

Crime · 1946

Ex-con turned private investigator Bradford Galt suspects someone is following him and maybe even trying to kill him. With the assistance of his spunky secretary, Kathleen Stewart, he dives deep into a mystery in search of answers.

The Set-Up

The Set-Up

Drama · 1949

Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.

I Walk Alone

I Walk Alone

Drama · 1947

Bootleggers on the lam Frankie and Noll split up to evade capture by the police. Frankie is caught and jailed, but Noll manages to escape and open a posh New York City nightclub. 14 years later, Frankie is released from the clink and visits Noll with the intention of collecting his half of the nightclub's profits. But Noll, who has no intention of being so equitable, uses his ex-girlfriend Kay to divert Frankie from his intended goal.

Framed

Framed

Crime · 1947

Truck driver Mike Lambert is a down-and-out mining engineer searching for a job. When his rig breaks down in a small town, he happens upon a venomous seductress. When her boyfriend robs a bank, they intend to frame Lambert.

Johnny O'Clock

Johnny O'Clock

Crime · 1947

When an employee at an illegal gambling den dies suspiciously, her sister, Nancy, looks into the situation and falls for Johnny O'Clock, a suave partner in the underground casino. Selfish and non-committal by nature, Johnny slowly begins to return Nancy's affection and decides to run away with her, but conflict within his business threatens their plans. As Johnny tries to distance himself from the casino, his shady past comes back to haunt him.

The Big Knife

The Big Knife

Crime · 1955

Movie star Charlie Castle draws the ire of Hollywood producer Stanley Hoff when he refuses to sign a new seven-year contract. Castle is sick of the low quality of the studio's films and wants to start a new life. While his estranged wife supports him in the decision, Castle's talent agent urges him to reconsider. When Castle continues to be uncooperative, Hoff resorts to blackmail in order to get his way.

No Man of Her Own

No Man of Her Own

Drama · 1950

A penniless pregnant woman adopts the identity of a rich woman killed in a train crash.

Each Dawn I Die

Each Dawn I Die

Crime · 1939

A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

André de Toth

Written by

Karl Kamb · William Bowers · André de Toth

Dick Powell

Dick Powell

John Forbes

Lizabeth Scott

Lizabeth Scott

Mona Stevens

Jane Wyatt

Jane Wyatt

Sue Forbes

Raymond Burr

Raymond Burr

MacDonald

John Litel

John Litel

District Attorney

Byron Barr

Byron Barr

Bill Smiley

Jimmy Hunt

Jimmy Hunt

Tommy Forbes

Court is in session

Put Pitfall on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.