A Dangerous Profession
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''A Dangerous Profession'' is a 1949 American
film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
directed by
Ted Tetzlaff Ted Dale Tetzlaff (born Dale Herbert Tetzlaff; June 3, 1903 – January 7, 1995) was an American Academy Award-nominated cinematographer active in the 1930s and 1940s. Career Tetzlaff was particularly favored by the actress Carole Lombard, whom ...
, written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin, and starring
George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...
, Ella Raines and Pat O'Brien.Everett Aaker, ''The Films of George Raft'', McFarland & Company, 2013 p 143-144 The film was one of a series of thrillers in which Raft appeared in the late 1940s, with decreasing commercial results.


Plot

Police lieutenant Nick Ferrone explains the work of bail bondsmen. One such man is Vince Kane, a former police detective who worked with Ferrone. When one of his customers, Claude Brackett, is murdered, Kane investigates, not only because of his curiosity as a former cop; he has also fallen in love with Brackett's widow Lucy, an old flame.


Cast

*
George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...
as Vince Kane * Ella Raines as Lucy Brackett * Pat O'Brien as Joe Farley * Bill Williams as Claude Brackett *
Jim Backus James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom ''Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in '' Rebel Without a Cause, ...
as Police Lt. Nick Ferrone * Roland Winters as Jerry McKay * Betty Underwood as Elaine Storm * Robert Gist as Roy Collins, aka Max Gibney * David Bauer as Matthew Dawson (as David Wolfe)


Production

The screenplay was written from a script written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin, and the film's working title was ''The Bail Bond Story''. The project was originally sought by
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...
's company, and later
Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...
optioned it for his company, but he allowed the option to expire. The script was eventually bought by RKO. ''A Dangerous Profession'' is the fourth film that George Raft made for RKO following World War II, following '' Johnny Angel'', ''
Nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' "of the night") was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...
'' and '' Race Street''. Raft was meant to star in '' The Big Steal'' but had been delayed making '' Johnny Allegro'', and he was replaced by
Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...
. With Raft available, RKO assigned him ''A Dangerous Profession'' instead. In February 1949,
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...
announced that
Lewis Milestone Lewis Milestone (born Leib Milstein (Russian: Лейб Мильштейн); September 30, 1895 – September 25, 1980) was an American film director. Milestone directed '' Two Arabian Knights'' (1927) and '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1 ...
would direct the film and that Raft would star alongside O'Brien and
Jane Russell Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell (June 21, 1921 – February 28, 2011) was an American actress, model, and singer. She was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s and starred in more than 20 films throughout her career. R ...
. However, the director position was ultimately assigned to
Ted Tetzlaff Ted Dale Tetzlaff (born Dale Herbert Tetzlaff; June 3, 1903 – January 7, 1995) was an American Academy Award-nominated cinematographer active in the 1930s and 1940s. Career Tetzlaff was particularly favored by the actress Carole Lombard, whom ...
. Production was delayed in order to allow Pat O'Brien to appear in a stage production of ''What Price Glory?'', directed by
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
. Filming began in May 1949. Jean Wallace, who had been hurried back from Paris to play the female lead, was fired after several days, with RKO explaining that she "is not suited to the role." Hughes offered the role to Ella Raines, who had been in England but was rushed to Hollywood. The film's title was changed to ''A Dangerous Profession'' in September.


Reception

In a contemporary review for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', critic A. H. Weiler wrote: " this latest exercise in crime and punishment, Mr. Raft, an ex-cop, now a bail bondsman, explores both sides of the law, and is grimly noble and romantic in circumstances that hardly seem worth the trouble. And the trouble in this case is fairly routine but the motivations for all the fireworks are vague and confusing. 'A Dangerous Profession,' in short, proves that the bail-bond business can be dangerous and that it also can be the basis for an exceedingly ordinary adventure." George Raft's three previous films for RKO were profitable, but ''A Dangerous Profession'' recorded a loss of $280,000.Richard B. Jewell, ''Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures'', Uni of California, 2016


References


External links

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''A Dangerous Profession''
at BFI {{DEFAULTSORT:Dangerous Profession, A 1949 films 1949 crime films American mystery films American black-and-white films Film noir RKO Pictures films Films directed by Ted Tetzlaff Films scored by Friedrich Hollaender 1949 mystery films American crime films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language crime films English-language mystery films