Protraph Lack of good storyline.

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Charles Herold (cherold) In Cry Danger, a convict freed by five-years-late testimony goes free and starts poking around. A compact movie that wastes little time and has some amusing dialogue, Cry Danger is also rather slight. There aren't a lot of surprises or twists (if you don't know the ending you haven't seen much noir) and characters seem more plot devices than fully-developed people. Good performances by Dick Powell and Jean Porter and decent ones by everyone else.

moonspinner55 Engaging, compact crime meller has Dick Powell in excellent form as Rocky Mulloy, framed for a robbery and out of jail on parole after serving five years; he's being tailed by a Los Angeles police lieutenant, who thinks Rocky knows the whereabouts of the loot never retrieved from the heist. Powell is nearly upstaged by William Conrad as a slick, slimy bookie, the boss behind the job that sent both Rocky and a pal up the river. Supporting cast is pretty solid; only Rhonda Fleming misses the mark as Rocky's former-flame who married his partner (Fleming's general nature is too sweet for this scenario, and she looks too coiffed and glamorous to be living in a seedy neighborhood trailer park). Lots of delicious, overripe tough talk and an exciting finale, though it's a shame Rocky never gets to expose the bookmaker's flunkies, who pull a fast one on him with some hot racehorse dough. **1/2 from ****

dougdoepke Second-rate noir, made curiously memorable by atmospheric LA locations, a sardonic Richard Erdman, and a good look at history's ugliest car--the 1950 Nash 4-door sedan, an inverted bathtub cleverly disguised as a passenger vehicle.At the top of the list are the principal players, led by a usually capable Dick Powell who's supposed to be a hardened ex-con, but whose clean-cut looks and Brooks Brothers suit instead suggest nothing more menacing than an insurance company executive. He's got the tough guy patter down, but somebody should have spoken to wardrobe and make-up. Then there's the well-scrubbed Rhonda Fleming, the femme fatale, who nevertheless dresses and simpers with all the girlish flair and sensuality of Andy Hardy's highschool prom date. Even criminal mastermind William Conrad, with a voice resonant enough to intimidate God, spends his main screen time pancaked on the floor, looking sweatily up at Powell. Together, the three are about as convincing as a politician at election time, leaving a hole in the picture where a heartbeat ought to be.The main reason to catch this otherwise tepid concoction is Richard Erdman. Hollywood has always had its share of raw talents who, because of obvious physical limitations, are left to work the fringes. The diminutive, dough-faced Erdman is one. Here, he not only steals the show with sly expressions and cleverly delivered lines, but wraps it up and takes it home. His well-scripted byplay with chippie girlfriend Jean Porter even manages to breathe some life into the otherwise listless pairing of Powell and Fleming. Here's hoping there is that proverbial place in Hollywood heaven for unsung talents like Erdman and the other anonymous credit crawl names who boost many a film beyond the merely forgettable.Fortunately there are some nice minor touches. A seedy downtown trailer-park atop Bunker Hill furnishes an unusual backdrop and a good view of LA at mid-century. There's also Hy Averback's energized bookie, Joan Banks' mature vamping, Jay Adler's bad ukele playing, and that quietly inspired moment when alcoholic Erdman casts aside nourishing food and milk for yet one more drink and the dipso ward.Nonetheless, the loosening of classic noir standards is evidenced here by an absence of conflict between light and shadow and by a moral universe beginning to harden and stabilize, especially around Powell's unconflicted personality. Stylistically, this is a film about transitions-- the darkly volatile 1940's are giving way to the sunnier, more assured Eisenhower era. So, if you're not expecting much in the way of noir, you might take a chance on this one, despite the key drawbacks.

filmalamosa Have nothing to add except a novice's impression-- the other reviews cover it all.I found Rocky an uninspiring tough guy... his acting is wooden (another reviewer notes this)...and it takes a lot of talent to deliver corny one liners without it appearing ridiculous. The dialogue was actually not bad.Neither is he young nor good looking--mostly just boring reminds one of an insurance agent.The trailer park was fun to watch...1950 seediness.The 2 tonne Nash was fun too (how do the front wheels turn?)--part of the time machine effect.Film noir? Don't know that much about these terms but I was not expecting the ending of this film if that qualifies it.There were no unusual or artistic camera angles (that always adds interest) Still it is a film for adults---how many of those are made now? And it has the twist ending and of course there is the time machine part of it.Give it 6 starts.. A decent watch.