MovieChat Forums > Armored Car Robbery (1950) Discussion > What's the joke in the last line?

What's the joke in the last line?

posted 14 years ago by Local Hero
6 replies | jump to latest

In the last line of the film (spoiler), Ryan reads the report of the collar in the paper, and says something like "Solved by Lt. Jim Cordell, and assisted ... by Dan... ny Ryan." They both then laugh as Ryan tosses the newspaper over his shoulder. Are they just laughing at the rookie getting well deserved credit? Was Ryan's sudden strain to read supposed to be disbelief at seeing his name in print? If the answer to those questions is yes, then that last shot was terribly directed and acted. Or is there some other joke here that eludes me??

[–] MarxBrosFan 13 years ago

I re-watched it four times and I still don't know what's going on there. Very poor ending compared with the rest of the film. Should have stuck with the runway shot of Purvis... I guess the joke is his name is barely legible.

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[–] haynesed 13 years ago

I just watched this last night and my wife wondered about that line too. I think the joke was that they didn't really get very much credit for solving the case at all. His name was printed so far into the binding of the tabloid paper that it was nearly illegible. It was a hard-boiled and sarcastic kind of joke for the detectives.

[–] Local Hero 13 years ago

Thanks to both of you for your answers. You both seem to think that it's about the name being hard to read, implying that they're barely given credit. So they're having a chuckle about the gritty, hard work of the police detective that goes on despite most of society not recognizing its importance, etc.

That seems plausible enough.

Thanks!

[–] Xcalat3 12 years ago

no idea.

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] brokedickdog7 12 years ago

I had to watch it twice. I think I got it and it is actually pretty funny. Lt. Cordell tells Ryan he has quite a write-up in the paper. "How does it feel to be famous?"

Then Ryan who was almost killed chasing a very wanted dangerous criminal sees the story is buried inside on page 37. Ryan's name appears after the article states the case was solved by Lt. Cordel.

At the very bottom of the page it says "He was assisted by (Danny Ryan's name is partially obscured by the bad editing at the end of the page) and with difficulty he reads "Danny Ryan". They share a manly laugh about his fame.

This was an excellent film noir.

In 1950 two of the greatest films in this genre were made- Armored Car Robbery and D.O.A.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042369/

[–] TequilaMockingbird5150 11 years ago

and it seems obvious to me that Danny Ryan was instrumental in solving the case and that he did not get enough credit. Cordell, and Ryan both knew that.

The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. Samuel Beckett