DVD Review: I Walk Alone (1947)

I Walk Alone

Directed by Byron Haskin. Cast: Burt Lancaster, Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey, Kirk Douglas, Kristine Miller, George Rigaud, Marc Lawrence, Mike Mazurki, Mickey Knox.

Released December 31, 1947 Running time 97 minutes. Released to DVD and blu ray by KINO

Cinematographer Byron Haskin went further behind the camera into the director’s chair for this gripping post-war noir featuring Burt Lancaster as a convict who is released from prison after a fourteen year stretch. Kirk Douglas plays his old partner with whom he owned a tavern. During the time of the prison sentence, the bar they once co-owned went out of business and the Douglas character closed it down and started a lucrative nightclub business. Lancaster’s character feels he should get a part of the nightclub, but Douglas feels he is only owed the $3000 he has coming from the bar’s sale.

Stemming from this premise, Charles Schnee’s screenplay, adapted by Roger Smith and John Bright from the play by Theodore Reeves, adds complications, well drawn characters, and a lot of sharp dialog. Lancaster is tense and brilliant as the ex-con who feels frustrated not only by what he believes he’s entitled, but also his inability to trust those who were once loyal to him. The world, his status, and his closest connections have all passed him by during his prison time. Kirk Douglas is anchored and strong he rests loftily within his new status. Even when Lancaster gets some men and tries to force Douglas to give him half of what he owns, the stockholders and other complications do little more than confuse and frustrate him.

Lizabeth Scott, in all of her husky-voiced glory, is the feminine presence whose initial loyalty to Douglas switches to Lancaster when the former decides to marry another woman. Wendell Corey trembles through an uncharacteristic role as a frightened toady whose loyalty between the two men is torn. Mike Mazurki’s towering presence as a henchman, Marc Lawrence as a weasely accomplice, and Mickey Knox as a snarling young up-and-comer all add greater depth to the proceedings.

What is most fascinating about “I Walk Alone” is how it depicts the growth of the screen gangster. Comparing this post-war movie with the gangster characters of pre-war cinema – the type played by the likes of James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson – it is no longer the Depression era struggles with machine guns and hideouts. Now the gangster is in plain sight, owning a major nightclub, and engaging in business practices that are so convoluted, the gangster of old, as played by Lancaster, cries, “you know I can’t swim through all that paperwork!”

In interviews with Joe Adamson, director Haskin recalled having to rewrite the script as they filmed, the screenplay by Charles Schnee was lacking. Even the actors contributed, Douglas himself inspiring the ending. Haskin also recalled for Adamson that both Lancaster and Douglas were powerful and energetic, Lancaster especially being difficult to harness. Haskin’s setups, especially his establishing shots, use mise-en-scene most effectively. Often bathing his images in darkness (one shooting on the street has great visual flair), Haskin tells the story with style and verve, keeping up with the pace of his characters.

KINO’s blu ray of “I Walk Alone” is a brand new HD master from a 4K scan of the 35mm safety dupe negative by Paramount Pictures Archive. The only special feature is a solid and informative audio commentary by film historian Troy Howarth.

I Walk Alone is available here.