Raw Deal (1948)

100% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
71% of users liked it
(1,149 ratings)

Violent and viscerally sexual, Anthony Mann's muscular low-budget noir tells the tale of a framed gangster's quest for vengeance after he busts out of prison. Once freed, gangster Joe Sullivan Dennis O'Keefe) and his girl friend Pat (Claier Trevor) set off to find the mobster who set him up. The… More Violent and viscerally sexual, Anthony Mann's muscular low-budget noir tells the tale of a framed gangster's quest for vengeance after he busts out of prison. Once freed, gangster Joe Sullivan Dennis O'Keefe) and his girl friend Pat (Claier Trevor) set off to find the mobster who set him up. The kidnapping of Ann Martin (Marsha Hunt), the social worker who wrote to Joe in prison, leads the fugitive into a romantic triangle of death, passion and tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Anthony Mann
Written By: Leopold Atlas, John C. Higgins
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: May 26, 1948 Wide
On DVD: May 31, 2005

Critic Reviews

Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
The next time someone asks me to define "film noir," I'm going to say Raw Deal.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Top notch noir flick directed by Anthony Mann with Dennis O'Keefe starring.
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Unusual, dream like crime thriller, with powerful finale.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
The apex of noir style, offering up electric visions of sin, salvation, and sexual mania.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner
Alton's cinematography is a thing of low-budget joy; using the very darkest blacks and the brightest whites smashed together in the same frame.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The photography is electric.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Pierluigi P

Sinister, violent, sensual, all the good ingredients for an unforgettable noir. Anthony Mann's pace and tact for suspense and John Alton's brilliant camera work make this low budget feature look like a crime epic.
Stephen M

<i>"If he gets through this dragnet, he's as slippery as a nail in a barrelful of oil."</i> A gangster (Raymond Burr) springs an associate he has betrayed out of prison, trusting that the wanted man (Dennis O'Keefe) will be gunned down evading… More
<i>"If he gets through this dragnet, he's as slippery as a nail in a barrelful of oil."</i> A gangster (Raymond Burr) springs an associate he has betrayed out of prison, trusting that the wanted man (Dennis O'Keefe) will be gunned down evading recapture before he can come to collect his $50,000. With admirable economy, the script dispenses with time-consuming, nuts-and-bolts detail (How exactly did Burr betray O'Keefe? How does O'Keefe make his escape? etc) and focuses on the fascinating triangle between the fugitive, his fiercely loyal girlfriend (Claire Trevor) and the goody-goody legal messenger (Marsha Hunt) whom the pair take hostage when she threatens to squeal. Hunt's character serves to constantly prick O'Keefe's conscience and remind him of the time before necessity forced him into a life of crime, etc, etc. Though there are a couple of big coincidences and the plotting gets a little wobbly toward the end, the movie is stunningly photographed and very nicely narrated by the ever-excellent Trevor. Some spooky Theremin on the soundtrack does wonders for the atmosphere. A great minor noir.
Stella D

a gorgeous shadowy noir about an escaped convict torn between two women. stunning photography and it's the only noir film i can think of with a female voiceover, for which claire trevor is perfect of course. an underseen but brilliant work of anthony mann and john alton. and… More
a gorgeous shadowy noir about an escaped convict torn between two women. stunning photography and it's the only noir film i can think of with a female voiceover, for which claire trevor is perfect of course. an underseen but brilliant work of anthony mann and john alton. and raymond burr makes a really nasty villain. first class b-movie!
Michael G

A great film noir film you've never heard of.