Red Light (1949)

In prison for embezzlement, a man (Raymond Burr) pays a convict (Harry Morgan) about to be released to kill the brother (Arthur Franz) of the man (George Raft) who sent him to prison. Raft vows vengeance but first he'll have to find out who killed his brother! The film starts off promisingly but then as it nears the finale, it goes all biblical and religious on us as Dimitri Tiomkin's heavenly choir wails on the soundtrack. The only emotion Raft seems to be able to show is a sort of barking anger and his rat-a-tat-tat monotone delivery tires very quickly and he's not a good enough actor to make something of his one note character. Fortunately, an overweight Burr makes for a splendid oily villain. Virginia Mayo is wasted as ..... what? She's certainly not a romantic interest. Directed by Roy Del Ruth. With Gene Lockhart, William Frawley, Movita and Barton MacLane.