The Crooked Way (1949)

After receiving a head wound in combat, a decorated WWII veteran (John Payne) has a permanent case of amnesia. With no idea of his former life, he moves back to Los Angeles where he lived with the hope that he might find people who can tell him who he is or rather was. Based on the play NO BLADE TOO SHARP by Robert Monroe and directed by Robert Florey (MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE). Just two years previously, there was another ex-soldier returns from the war with amnesia movie, SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT (1947) so this film suffers from deja vu. It also suffers from the contrivance of having Payne return to a large city like Los Angeles and bingo! He's meeting people from his past left and right on the day he arrives! If you can get past that "coincidence", there's a lot to enjoy for noir fans. Notably, the excellent B&W cinematography of John Alton (THE BIG COMBO). Filmed on the streets of L.A. rather than a studio, it adds a touch of realism. With Ellen Drew, Sonny Tufts, Rhys Williams, Percy Helton and John Doucette.