Loved this Movie!

A little different than most "noir" of the time. "Backfire" might well have been categorized as a melodrama and crime story.

First, I loved the cast. Gordon MacRae, Edmond O'Brien, Virginia Mayo, Viveca Lindfors, Dane Clark, Ed Begley, Sheila MacRae, Mack Williams, Leonard Strong, Frances Robinson, and Richard Rober were all headliner "B" film stars. Having them all together one film was a bit of a rarity. Typically one or two of them would star with a supporting cast, but I believe, due to the complexity of the story, the film producers chose to have a large collection of known faces.

The story was a bit different. You have one character trying to put together the circumstances of a murder, in order to clear his pal, with very little to go on. In fact, when the killer is finally revealed, it is a bit of a shock. One of their soldier buddies has two identities and a mental problem besides. In fact, he, Ben Arno (played by Dane Clark), is one of the most likable characters in the film.

All of the women are quite attractive, but very different in looks and personality. Virginia Mayo (as Julie Benson) is the blonde, baby faced nurse, Viveca Lindfors (as Lysa Radoff) is the dark foreign born singer of torch songs, and Sheila MacRae (as Bonnie Willis) is the tough plain speaking beauty who has "been around the block" a few times.

There's a subtext as well. The principal male characters are returning war veterans wanting to restart their lives as civilians. Because they've been through life and death situations they trust each other a great deal. In fact it is this very situation that causes Bob Corey (Gordon MacRae) to insist to the police that his pal, Steve Connelly (Edmond O'Brien), would never commit a murder. It is also the reason Connelly's character gets into so much trouble; he's attempting to make enough money so he and his pal Corey can start a ranch.

Ed Begley's performance of Police Capt. Garcia was enjoyable. He had a number of really good lines and played a credible intense homicide investigator.

Odd characters turn up as well. The manager of the Freemont Hotel (whose name I cannot find in the credits) and Sybil, the hotel maid, (played by Ida Moore), might well have come from a David Lynch film. Both are odd eyed, physically odd looking characters with interesting lines and suspicious activities.

This film takes a lot of attention from the audience. Miss one clue and you'll be lost, and maybe this was the reason it was not a box-office hit. Still, it performed well enough to get the screen writers five year contracts and helped establish the continuing careers of both O'Brien and MacRae.

My only real problem with the film was Lysa Radoff's character (played by Viveca Lindfors). She's the only actor who appeared to be overplaying her part. Too melodramatic, she seemed to be trying to "burn up the screen" in every scene. Indeed, Warner's did not renew her contract after this film. A real shame too because she was likely the most attractive of the very eye-popping female members of the cast.



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