Nonureva Really Surprised!

ShangLuda Admirable film.

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

mcmason-72160 This is a moderately successful noir film that has some snappy dialog and good performances by Dick Powel, Raymond Burr and Jane Wyatt. But Elizabeth Scott is atrocious. She is given one of the most meaty roles of her career and she gives one of the most wooden and passionless performances I have ever seen by a female actor. There were so many female actors of the time who could have been selected for this role and given much better performances. The standout in the film is Raymond Burr. He is brilliant and manages to act rings around Scott when they are in any scenes together. IT is a well made film and well directed. But Scott is not up to the job. It would be nice if it was remade with a better actor in the starring role.

Alex da Silva Insurance Fraud Investigator Dick Powell (John) is fed up with his life. He has a perfect wife in Jane Wyatt (Sue) and a son, a good job and everything is just the same - and it's stale. It's doing his head in. One day he arrives at the office and takes over a case from private investigator Raymond Burr (MacDonald) which involves retrieving goods from Lizabeth Scott (Mona). Her boyfriend Byron Barr (Smiley) bought her gifts with the proceeds of an insurance scam and he is currently serving time in jail for it. Still, Powell must do his job and take back anything bought with the proceeds of the crime. Just one problem, Lizabeth Scott is a babe and he falls in love with her. As does the thuggish Raymond Burr. That's all three male characters in love with the same girl and the boyfriend is due out of prison shortly.It's an ok film that doesn't quite make it into the definite solid good category but it's worth a watch and keeping onto for a future viewing. The cast are good apart from Barr who isn't. He overacts. The film has a message of forgiveness and puts forward the reality that everything in life just doesn't get neatly resolved. It scores a point for that and this gives Wyatt her best moments.What do you do if you are fed up with the way your life is going? Don't do what Powell does. Just stick with that well-paid job and crack on. Then you can dream of a lovely retirement. Err...........on second thoughts.......break free...go for it......! This film hints that things may work out ok even if you screw up.

drjgardner Though many people deem this late 40s film a "film noir" it has only a passing resemblance to the classic noir films. There is a basically good guy (Dick Powell) who is led astray by a woman (Liz Scott) but she's not exactly the femme fatale we expect. There is a bad guy (Raymund Burr) but he is alone and there is not the usual assorted character actors comprising his gang. The star is an insurance agent, but the beat is not the naked city but the bright and shiny suburbs. Even worse, there is no rain, no back streets, very few night shots, and at the end, the hero doesn't get what one comes to expect from a classic film noir. Film noir it ain't, at least not in the classic sense.Director Andre de Toth (1913-2002) is best known for "House of Wax" and his westerns, although he did do a classic film noir ("Crime Wave" in 1954) and many of his films did have noir elements, probably as a result of his European film background. The film does have a film noir cinematographer, Harry J. Wild (1901-61) who shot such classics as "Murder My Sweet" (1944) and "Cornered" (1945), both of which starred Powell.If you're looking for classic film noir, look elsewhere.

rod7973 I think Lizabeth Scott had 90% of the formula to achieve "A" super level stardom. What she missed was the unknown factor, LUCK. The difference between being a star and a superstar is often just luck. What bar, party, you attended(or not attended) or a choice of friends can be that difference. The difference among top actors, is rarely raw talent. Lizabeth had as good a screen presence, and acting ability as any of her contemporaries. She certainly had better looks than most of her contemporaneous female actors. I think Pitfall is a top of the line noir film about the human foibles we bring to marriage. It also shows the uncertainty of forgiveness and redemption. In real life today, 50% of all marriages end in divorce, with another percentage continuing as a living arrangement only. As societies change, so do the mores and taboos for each generation. This movie bares a few of the flaws of the human condition. It leaves it up to the viewer to complete the ending. Does the private detective, shot by Liz, live or die? Will Dick Powell's marriage survive the infidelity? These two crucial points are left for the viewer to surmise. A very thought provoking ending. I also found real life irony in the fact that Lizabeth plays a character who has 90% of what she needed to prosper/excel in life, IE. intellect, beauty, etc., what was missing was the intangible "LUCK". In her acting life she missed superstar status, IE. Betty Davis etc. by the same intangible, "LUCK".