ON DANGEROUS GROUND (1951)

This RKO film, directed by Nicholas Ray and produced by John Houseman with a distinctly Bernard Herrmann opening score, effectively uses of a "hammer against an anvil" (or muted chime) giving one note a definitively sharp, steely ring. Like a migraine headache. A few audio CDs on the market better define Herrmann's score, however. City night scenes set a thick film-noir look with great point-of-view camera positioning. Even a rare-for-its-day hand-held camera for at least one chase scene. It is a slow-burn opening about an eleven-year detective who thinks he is more garbage collector than law officer. Though the final third is in stark contrast (nearly two movies in one) with the gritty dreariness of the city, there is never a moment wasted.

Robert Ryan plays the embittered detective dealing with urban low-life. A guy who has a penchant for beating suspects into a confession. After repeated warnings from the police chief, Ryan is reprimanded and sent to a remote, snow-covered part of the state to solve a young girl's murder. He is paired with the victim's father, Ward Bond, who only wants to shoot the killer himself. He grows impatient with Ryan, wasting time with his methodical “big city” protocols. Their search provides testy interaction with Ryan showing great restraint for not socking Bond in the jaw. Seemingly a pairing of contrasts, they both have something in common.

After trekking through deep snow, the two men eventually come upon a cabin occupied by a nearly blind Ida Lupino, the killer’s sister. At this point, the film shifts to two characters consumed with loneliness: one alone in solitude, and one alone in crowds. It is the start of Ryan’s personal transformation. His past behavior identifies with Bond’s single-minded rage and his subtle transformation is moving. His pride remains intact, but his face indicates we are witnessing a new man. It is a subtle, standout performance by Ryan. In a startling scene, Bond, who thinks Lupino is faking her blindness, attempts to strike her across the face. Ryan grabs his arm in time. He is later remorseful for his own blinding rage. Two men are transformed.

Things do not turn out exactly as hoped after the murderer is located. Lupino resigns herself to be alone despite Ryan's offer to help be her eyes. Reluctantly, he drives back to the city only to return the next day because "garbage detail" does not outweigh his need to be with Lupino. And until the day Lupino spills hot coffee in his lap, one expects a long future for them.

Note: While no masterpiece of filmmaking, it is noteworthy for its direction, cinematography, and Ryan's performance. One may wonder how Ryan and Lupino might survive with little or no income in that secluded, mountain cabin. So the ending is left in limbo. That can be frustrating to any viewer who cannot logically conjure up one.