Dark City (1950)

After a group of crooked gamblers (Charlton Heston, Jack Webb, Ed Begley) con a family man (Don DeFore) out of $5,000 in a poker game that wasn't his to begin with, he commits suicide. When one of the gamblers turns up murdered, it's clear that someone is out to get revenge on the men. Based on the short story NO ESCAPE by Larry Marcus and directed by William Dieterle (DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER). It's a solid well done thriller with noir touches and Dieterle keeps everything driving forward at a taut pace and always keeps the viewer tightly in his grip. This was Heston's first big break in the movies and he already seems to have a strong sense of his physical personage so it's interesting to see him evolve from a conscienceless punk into a frightened man desperately trying to stay one step ahead of his killer. Lizabeth Scott, never much of an actress under the best of circumstances is dull as the nice girl carrying a torch for Heston. With Viveca Lindfors in fine form as the suicide's widow, Dean Jagger as the police captain attempting to catch the the avenging killer, Harry Morgan and Mike Mazurki.