Thu 17 Feb 2011
A Movie Review by David L. Vineyard: THE RUNAROUND (1946).
Posted by Steve under Mystery movies , Reviews[6] Comments
THE RUNAROUND. Universal Pictures, 1946. Ella Raines, Rod Cameron, Broderick Crawford, Frank McHugh, George Cleveland, Joan Fulton, Samuel S. Hinds. Screenplay: Arthur T. Horman & Sam Hillman, based on a story by Arthur T. Horman & Walter Wise. Director: Charles Lamont.
The Runaround is a mild screwball comedy in the vein of It Happened One Night, lifted above itself by the performances of Ella Raines, Rod Cameron, and Broderick Crawford, and solid direction from frequent Abbott and Costello director, Charles Lamont.
The plot might have come right out of the pulps or the slicks of the period. Cameron is Eddie Kildane, a private eye who has started his own agency with partner Wally Quayle (Frank McHugh) after one to many run-ins with Louis Prentice (Broderick Crawford), the unscrupulous manager of the Continental Detective Agency, their former boss.
Kildane quickly gets the upper hand, but Penelope is more than he counted on, and as he races across country with her, outwitting Prentice and dukeing it out with his men, the two unlikely love birds start to fall in love (to the recurring theme of “My Blue Heaven” sung and hummed by Cameron at first to annoy her and later by her to discomfort him, thanks to a canny Frank Skinner score).
The film follows the usual pattern of the runaway heiress theme with some hard-boiled hi-jinks thrown in, and while only mildly screwball, it still falls into the genre. Cameron and Raines seem to relish the chance to play comedy and their scenes together have real snap, so that it is a shame neither of them got more chances to make these kinds of films.
I don’t want to oversell this. It is not in the front rank of screwball comedy, but then it is better than many with better pedigrees (Love on the Run comes to mind). Cameron and Raines make an excellent team and the wisecracking script is both inventive and playful within both the screwball and private eye genres.
On top of that, there is a final twist in the tail that allows for a more realistic happy ending than usual and gives it a touch of the mystery, although no crime is involved, save a few laws Cameron and Crawford break in their double crossing rivalry,
The unusual cast makes the most of a chance to stretch and play outside their comfort zone. Raines is exceptionally attractive and appealing, Cameron charming and completely at ease, and Crawford ideally cast in the familiar role of a likable rat.
If you have missed it, and have a taste for screwball, romantic comedy, and screen private eyes this one will both surprise and delight you. Everyone in the film may get the runaround, but not the audience.
February 18th, 2011 at 9:23 am
This sounds like something that I’d like.
I’ve accepted a seller’s offer– a little hint there to the site name–at one of the best known of the collectors’s sites: THE RUNAROUND Is $8.00 U.S., including shipping.
As always, MysteryFile has provided me with a good lead. 🙂
Thanks for the enticing review, David.
February 18th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
I liked this film. Ella Raines and Rod Cameron are great. Whatever happened to Ella Raines? She was in some of these classic films in the forties and then poof!
February 18th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
From http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003758268_ellaraines22e.html —
“Raines eventually chose love over career.
“On a double date in 1946, she met Robin Olds, a World War II double ace pilot. They married Feb. 6, 1947. Olds was transferred to England, so Raines moved to New York City, where she returned to the stage.
“After the birth of their daughters, Christina and Susan, Ella moved to England, the first of many military assignments for the couple. Robin Olds achieved triple ace status during the Vietnam War.”
Our loss, speaking of the movie-going world.
February 20th, 2011 at 12:07 am
Rick
It took me a couple of days, but I finally have a copy on its way to me. The seller I found who had a copy is one I’d ordered from for the first time earlier this month, and I’ve been waiting to see the quality of his wares. So far so good, and THE RUNAROUND is one of those I included in the second order. I’m looking forward to it. I hadn’t heard of it before.
February 20th, 2011 at 3:00 am
Steve, Rick,
Hope you both enjoy this one and both are good copies. As I said, it is nothing great. but better than some bigger screwball comedies with name casts.
The fast talking private eye stuff is exceptionally well handled, and the twist at the end makes for a really nice ending.
Cameron got his career start as a stunt man and stand in for Buck Jones, then his break in RIDERS OF DEATH VALLEY, the ‘Million Dollar Serial’ with Jones, Dick Foran, Leo Carillo, Charles Bickford, and Lon Chaney Jr.. He was Rex Bennett in two well done serials for Republic (G-MEN VS THE BLACK DRAGON and SECRET SERVICE IN DARKEST AFRICA) and appeared in good parts in several war movies (GUNG HO, BOMBARDIER)before spending most of his film career in westerns (including the infamous SALOME WHERE SHE DANCED), and moving on to television with STATE TROOPER.
In this one he shows an ease and comfort on screen that might even surprise some of his fans, and makes me, at least, regret he didn’t get the opportunity to do more of this kind of part.
August 29th, 2013 at 10:57 am
Enjoyed the relationship established by the characters portrayed by Rod and Ella. She notes how smart the detective is while all the time deceiving him. A film I enjoyed, Ms. Raines retiring so early from films was our loss, although her husband seems not to have appreciated it.