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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.

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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.

Cry of the City

Cry of the City

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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.

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.

Private Hell 36

Private Hell 36

Crime · 1954

In New York City, a bank robbery of $300,000 goes unsolved for a year, until some of the marked bills are found in a Los Angeles drugstore theft. Police detectives Cal Bruner and Jack Farnham investigate and are led from the drugstore to a nightclub, where singer Lilli is another recipient of a stolen bill. With Lilli's help, the partners track down the remaining money, but both Lilli and Jack are dismayed when Cal decides he wants to keep part of it.

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.

An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls

Crime · 1954

An upper-crust family dinner is interrupted by a police inspector who brings news that a girl known to everyone present has died in suspicious circumstances. It seems that any or all of them could have had a hand in her death. But who is the mysterious Inspector and what can he want of them?

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.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

André de Toth

Written by

Karl Kamb · André de Toth · William Bowers

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.