User reviews

"Husbands can get lost so easily," someone tells Jeanne Crain's character in the 1953 Fox thriller "Dangerous Crossing," and boy, do those words ever prove prophetic! Here, Crain plays Ruth Stanton, a wealthy heiress who departs on a honeymoon cruise after a whirlwind courtship. When her husband (Carl Betz, who most baby boomers will recognize as Dr. Alex Stone from the old "Donna Reed Show") disappears from the ship before they even leave the NYC harbor, Ruth becomes distraught...especially since no one on board, including the ship's doctor (sympathetically played by Michael Rennie), will believe the story that her husband ever existed! What follows is a tale of escalating suspense and paranoia, with no one on the ship seemingly worthy of Ruth's--or our--complete trust. While not precisely a film noir, "Dangerous Crossing" certainly does have its noirish aspects, and the scene in which Ruth searches the boat for her husband at night, in a dense mist, the only background sound being the intermittent blare of the ship's foghorn, is one that all fans of the genre should just love. Jeanne, very much the star of this film and appearing in virtually every scene, looks absolutely gorgeous, of course (the woman had one of the most beautiful faces in screen history, sez me), and her thesping here is top notch. She is given any number of stunning close-ups by veteran cinematographer Joseph Lashelle, who years before had lensed that classiest of film noirs, 1944's "Laura." In one of the DVD's surprisingly copious collection of extras, it is revealed that the picture took only 19 days to produce, at a cost of only $500,000; a remarkably efficient production, resulting in a 75-minute film with no excess flab and a sure-handed way of delivering shudders and suspense. Very much recommended.

Before I even saw the first scene of this very good mystery I was pretty sure that I would like it because it was adapted from a story by John Dickson Carr. In my opinion, he was the dean of mystery writers, specializing in the genre that gives us the stylish murder in the sealed room and similar types of "impossible" crimes.

This time, Ms. Crane is a woman who has been married for only a few hours. Her and her new husband are taking an ocean voyage for their honeymoon. But, the husband goes to see the purser, telling his wife that he will meet her in the ships' dining room. Since this is a Carr story the husband, naturally, disappears and most of the rest of the movie finds Ms. Crane trying to convince the ships' crew that her husband did indeed board the ship with her and has vanished. Of course, everyone claims to have not seen her husband board with her and she is thought of as a mental case. But, as the movie unfolds, the ships' doctor, played by Michael Rennie, begins to think that there may be truth to her story. From the start, it's obvious that at least one crew member is part of a nefarious plot and that Ms. Crane is in grave danger. But, which crew member, or members, are part of the plot? The movie is well paced and comes to a satisfying conclusion.

All in all, I found it to be most enjoyable.

Well I understand by reading the reviews this film is not everyone's cup of tea. I however enjoyed it very much.

The lovely, vivacious Jeanne Crain plays, Ruth Stanton, now Ruth Bowman after a whirlwind courtship with Carl Betz set off for Europe on a luxury passenger liner for their honeymoon.

I love these old gem's which are not too long, full of thrills and mystery but at the same time, not too taxing on the brain.

Quick synopsis, Mr Bowman vanishes shortly after the ship sets sail and seemingly nobody is aware of his existence. Ruth, spends most of the film helped considerably by the ship's doctor, played admirably by Michael Rennie, searching for clues to his whereabouts.

Anyway without giving anything away the film reaches a very satisfactory conclusion.

Great way to spend a leisurely hour or so.

"Dangerous Crossing" is based on a story (actually a radio play) by John Dickson Carr, the master of the locked room mystery. But there's no locked room and the mystery is more in the vein of Cornell Woolrich, arguably the "father" of film noir. As in some of Woolrich's best tales, the story begins with a sudden twist of fate. Moments after Jeanne Crain as a new bride boards a luxury liner on her honeymoon, the groom vanishes. No one has seen him. Their stateroom is listed as unoccupied. Even Michael Rennie as the sympathetic ship's doctor (who's clearly smitten by her) suspects that her missing husband is a figment of her imagination. Still, there are some very odd people skulking the boat's fog-shrouded decks -- and when the answer comes, it's ingenious. Thankfully, the movie was made in the early 1950s so there was no problem bringing it in at a swift 75 minutes. Today, it would be padded out to the requisite two hours and the suspense would escape like air from a punctured tire. Credit Joseph Newman with smart direction (including an opening dockside scene worthy of Michael Curtiz,) making maximum use of the sets Fox built to serve as the Titanic. In short, a thoroughly entertaining grade B thriller.

Ruth (Jeanne Crain) and John (Carl Betz) board a ship for their honeymoon. However, within 15 minutes of sailing, John has disappeared. Not only has he disappeared but there has never been any trace of him and there are no witnesses that have seen the couple together. The room that they originally booked into is now empty and only Ruth's suitcases seem to be located on board - in a different room! So begins the mystery. The film follows Ruth's attempts to locate her husband while we are introduced to a suspicious cast of characters. No-one believes her story and even the confidante that she finds in Dr Paul Manning (Michael Rennie) has his doubts. She receives a phone call in her cabin from John saying that they are both in danger.......

The film gets you involved from the beginning and you know that something sinister is occurring. The various characters are introduced to us - eg, stewardess Anna (Mary Anderson), single traveller Kay (Marjorie Hoshelle), steward Jim (Casey Adams) and a foreign passenger with a walking stick (Karl Ludwig Lindt) - and we are never quite sure what is in the back of their minds. Even Dr manning is not above suspicion. The fog horn that continually sounds adds to the tension in the night scenes and it is a well acted film by all.

Have always loved films with mystery and suspense, so 'Dangerous Crossing' immediately had me sold. Was also very encouraged seeing a lot of favourable reviews for 'Dangerous Crossing', as well as some that weren't so much. The setting sounded very atmospheric and a great location for this type of story. The cast was also a selling point, Michael Rennie is always dependable and Jeanne Crain impressed me hugely in 'Pinky', enough to make me want to see more of her work.

While 'Dangerous Crossing' didn't strike me as a great film and could have been better than it was, especially considering that its potential was hardly small in the first place, a lot works in its favour and far outweighs the not so good. And if asked as to whether to recommend 'Dangerous Crossing', my answer would be a solid if not quite enthusiastic yes. There are a lot better films of this type and there are also worse, if this is the sort of film that appeals to you there should be plenty to like even if it doesn't reach masterpiece level.

'Dangerous Crossing' has its flaws. The melodrama does get a little much in the latter stages and Crain's character as others have said is pretty one-dimensional and could have done with more subtlety in the writing.

Also found the ending somewhat abrupt, although to me it actually wasn't a predictable one. Although the use of the foghorn is creepy and leaves one feeling unsettled, it could have been used less and not emphasised as much as it was.

On the other hand, 'Dangerous Crossing' looks great. Very beautifully and atmospherically photographed with effective use of fog and the setting has class and creepiness. Although there are reservations with its overuse, the foghorn does give one the creeps. The dialogue on the most part is thoughtful and tightly structured until getting overwrought towards the end. The direction keeps the film moving at a crisp clip.

The story is intriguing and suspenseful generally, the mystery not routine or implausible. Rennie is admirably restrained and sympathetic and Crain does more than credibly and is fully committed in a difficult role of this nature to pull off. The rest of the cast are solid.

Concluding, good if not great. 7/10

Dangerous Crossing blends two hoary plot lines: the one where somebody suddenly disappears and whose very existence comes into question; and the one where a young woman marries a stranger about whom, to later chagrin, she knows absolutely nothing.

Newlyweds Jeanne Crain and Carl Betz board an ocean liner for a honeymoon cruise to Europe. He then promptly vanishes. Crain, reacting with swooning spells and hysterical outbursts, comes under the doting care of ship's doctor Michael Rennie, who's forever "prescribing" her things like shuffleboard or Champagne. (His cheekbones, meanwhile, threaten to pop right through his skin.)

Just about everybody writes Crain off as delusional, maybe even suicidal. But we know the groom's still on board; he phones her up late at night. The reason they can't find him despite searching every nook and cranny is....

Dangerous Crossing has its nice touches: Joseph LaShelle's fog-shrouded cinematography gets the accompaniment of a fog horn booming out its doom-laden basso ostinato figure. But too much of the movie hangs on Crain. For a few years in the late 40s she hovered on the brink of major stardom but never quite got there; the fact that she can't quite bring off this (admittedly one-dimensional) role perhaps explains why.

But the film's crucial failing lies in not filling out the "back" story: Who are the newlyweds, how did they meet, what are their individual agendas? The few hints and asides thrown our way don't sufficiently set up the perfunctory ending -- it comes as kind of a cheat. There's nothing left when the movie wraps up but the old adage "Marry in haste, repent in leisure."

This movie is a nice, tense little b/w thriller, set aboard a transatlantic passenger liner headed to England. Jeanne Crain plays a new bride; her husband immediately goes missing after boarding the ship in New York, leaving her in a state of panic as she can not convince the ship's crew or passengers that he even exists. Suspicions rise as a hint of her mental unstability comes to light, and bits of her past are made known. Questionable characters lurk around every dark corner of the ship during the fog-enshrouded crossing, offering an atmosphere of doubt and danger. Jeanne Crain portrays the sheltered, distressed young woman with an ideal sensitivity, and Britsh actor Michael Rennie is especially effective as the ship's doctor who treats her with thoughtful compassion. I enjoyed the shipbound suspense of this movie, particularly the scenes where the young lady tries to conduct her own investigation, searching the darkened decks in spite of her overwhelming fear and despair. The cast is good, the direction tight, and the mystery unravels without any dead spots to cool your interest. As a side note, did any actor ever look better in uniform than tall Michael Rennie?

Wow! What a great little noir. Apparently made utilising sets from 'Titanic' and 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', films made the same year, this is a great example of fast (three weeks shooting) low budget film making. Not a wasted frame, this spooky, thrilling mystery, looks good all the time and many shots are exceptional. Lots of shadowy, foggy or against the light close-ups and a sensational sequence in the ballroom. All menace and subterfuge as we begin to feel that Jeanne Crain's character is surely going to break down despite the restrained and reassuring Michael Rennie, who doesn't even get a kiss. The film races along and has your attention all the time. Set on an ocean liner we do not get the dark streets and lamplight shadows but Newman certainly makes the most of what he's got; the drone of the foghorn, the swirling fog itself and a slew of fellow travellers Crain is not too sure about. And nor are we! Splendid.

This taut atmospheric mystery-at-sea gets great performances by Jeanne Crain, Michael Rennie, Max Showalter, and Carl Betz. The pacing is fast, and the characterizations are well-crafted. I have seen this movie six times, and I never tire of it. Everything is handled so professionally. I highly recommend it.

After a whirlwind romance of only four weeks Ruth Stanton has married her dream man John Bowman and is about to set sail on a luxury liner for her honeymoon. Once aboard her husband promptly disappears after a visit to the purser's office. Ruth is distraught, only trouble is nobody has seen her husband, she has no id or ticket for the cruise and those aboard believe she is quite mad. She is befriended by the ships doctor Paul Manning, who is also unsure as to her state of mind, but he sets out to help her find her man. Ruth gets a telephone call from her missing man who tells her to trust no one and that they are both in danger from unknown sources, is he real or is she mad? Dangerous Crossing is one of the latest releases in the Fox Noir series, with b movie specialist Newman at the helm it's a pacey 76 mins and although its not, it plays much more like an espionage film, where nobody can be trusted aboard the fog bound liner. Jeanne Crain overacts a little as her character becomes ever more demented but in true Hollywood fashion its nothing that a classic slap in the face doesn't cure. If you're observant you will spot the clues as to the husbands disappearance early on, but I still found it a pleasant way to pass an afternoon.

I love this movie so much!! One of, in my opinion, the best mysteries ever!! Great acting by everyone involved and a pleasure to watch--believe me, you won't fall asleep watching this one. It is very atmospheric in some scenes, especially the night shots on board.

All about a bride who boards a ship for her honeymoon and her husband disappears while on the ship!! Not until the last few minutes do we finally know what happened to him!! Be sure and see this film and you won't be disappointed!! I only wish this great film would be released on DVD. I would be among the first to buy it!! I love this film so much I bought an original poster for the film and had it framed and it now hangs in my bedroom!!

I though this had a little of "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) to it as we follow the adventures of "Ruth" (Jeanne Crain) aboard a cruise liner. She embarked with her new husband "John" but he's gone missing. Not just missing, but there's not a trace of him to be found anywhere. The Captain (Willis Bouchey) and ship's doctor "Manning" (Michael Rennie) are not convinced that she's the full shilling - and as she becomes more and more frantic and desperate most conclude that the man never existed in the first place! Gradually, though, we realise that this is quite a clever cat and mouse game with a man playing the poor woman like a fiddle for her fortune. Luckily the doctor seems to see some sanity in her behaviour and maybe, just maybe, he can help her thwart the plan to drive her mad - or, even, overboard! Crain holds this together well. She manages her voyage between lucidity and madness effectively and though Rennie is maybe just a little too insipid, it's still quite an engaging and intriguing maritime thriller with an haunting fog-horn sounding throughout like a mourning bell!

This worthy 1953 noir transfers the action from the familiar urban landscape to a large luxury liner, fleetingly depicted on screen by stock footage of the Queen Mary.

Even before land is out of sight newly-wed Crain is distraught over the mysterious disappearance of her husband. Her frantic attempts to locate him are greeted with the brick wall treatment. His name does not appear on the passenger list and nobody recollects seeing him board the vessel. Consequently she finds herself accused of being delusional and unstable.

Suspicious characters are in no short supply: The gaunt, sullen steward, who appears to play every scene with a mouth full of lemon juice, the butter wouldn't melt stewardess and the curt, dismissive captain. Also thrown into the mix is the eerie tapping stick of the man with the pronounced limp, (That's L- I -M- P pronounced limp) who emerges variously from the shadowy bowels beneath the decks and through the thick, swirling mist, which seems to permanently engulf the ship.

Owing to these adverse conditions, the foghorn blares relentlessly. It's a wonder anyone on board managed a wink of sleep amidst that incessant racket. Personally, I'd have been at the front of the queue demanding a refund, or at the very least free beer for the entire voyage !

The above, however, is an observation rather than a criticism. Clocking in at 75 minutes, this is a taut, economical, well-crafted mystery, with a few subtle plot twists, which require a second viewing to be fully appreciated. A well above average' B' movie and a pretty decent sea movie, which poses just one question. Did Crain's repeated desperate cries of 'No! no! no!' during the ballroom scene inspire Neil Young to write 'Last Dance' on his 'Time Fades Away' album?

Jeanne Crain has never looked lovelier in this classy looking suspense movie that will leave you in knots. Costarring Carl Betz, from The Donna Reed Show, as Jeanne's husband and Michael Rennie as the ship's doctor, it concerns newlyweds who go on a cruise for a honeymoon. But this movie wastes no time on pleasantries. Carl promptly disappears and Jeanne spends the whole movie consumed in finding her husband. No one will believe her when she insists she's not alone, because no one else remembers seeing him on board. A tour de force by Jeanne Crain, as she is practically going out of her mind with worry.

(This was remade in the early 90s as a Lindsay Wagner TV-movie, which was called Treacherous Crossing.)

Miss the original, and not only do you miss one good movie, but you miss seeing Jeanne Crain, one of the sweetest and most beautiful stars ever in films, who rightly held a place in not only GIs', but all mens' hearts and second only to Betty Grable in receiving the most fan mail.

Jeanne Crain, you are not forgotten.

Wealthy young bride on ocean liner leaving New York City disrupts the lives of everyone on-board ship with curious story of a missing husband whom nobody recalls seeing. His name isn't on the passenger list, and two eyewitnesses don't remember the guy, so perhaps the lady's delusional or making the story up? Could be: Jeanne Crain's voice-over is reminiscent of Olivia de Havilland's for "The Snake Pit", while her hysterical manner clearly suggests instability. Luckily for Crain, this melodrama (based on the uncredited radio play "Cabin B-13" by John Dickson Carr) is tightly wound and occasionally surprising, despite going down roads we've traveled before. Though the narrative is familiar, the new cast of characters is intriguing, and most of the acting is solid. Crain (with Donna Reed's hair) isn't a smart heroine; she's stubbornly unstable--fainting, screaming, and at one point causing stoic ocean-medic Michael Rennie to give her a firm slap. A craftier central figure in place of a victimized wifey might have made for a stronger picture, but this one isn't half-bad. Nice direction from Joseph M. Newman, well-paced and enjoyable. *** from ****

A great example of B director James M Newman at his short lived feature film peak (1949-1953).

Newman (1909-) had a steady Hollywood career being an assistant director on 17 mostly mainstream musicals and dramas whilst in his twenties.

These included Americana such as "Another Language" (1933); musicals such as "Going Hollywood" (1933) and "Rose Marie (1936); comedy such as "Riptide" (1934)and classic dramas "Dinner at Eight" (1933) and "David Copperfield" (1935) for which he was nominated for an Oscar in the short lived category of Best Assistant Director.

However, it was directing shorts in the "Crime Does Not Pay" series where Newman really cut his teeth in the noir game.

His "Buyer Beware" installment from 1940 is pretty well the best short noir from the period.

Checkout the hugely underrated B noir "Abandoned" (1949) where Newman elicits an incredible performance from a young Raymond Burr.

Also worth seeking are the horse-racing drama "The Great Dan Patch" (1949) and the crime noir "711 Ocean Drive" (1950)starring Edmond O'Brien.

"Dangerous Crossing" is up there with the best of the low budget B noir classics. It possesses all the required elements. Characters in shadows and shadowy characters! Femme Fatales-but we keep having to guess which femme is the fatale! Newman later moved to television and became a director for the early "The Twilight Zone" (1959) and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" (1962) and finished his career with an episode of "The Big Valley (1965).

James W. Newman has directed a superb mystery thriller based upon John Dickson Carr's intriguing tale of a newlywed husband who goes missing on board an ocean liner in the middle of his honeymoon. Carr met his own wife Clarice on an ocean liner, so the evocative nature of the setting probably contributed to his thinking up this story. Jeanne Crain (best known for 'Pinky', 1949, four years earlier) is the perfect choice for the befuddled and rather dim young wife who finds herself in an insoluble dilemma, unexpectedly alone on a huge ship, without a passport, in the wrong cabin without a ticket, and alienating people with her fits of hysteria. She is a kind of B team version of Gene Tierney, though younger and softer and not a natural villainess. Michael Rennie is comforting as the ship's doctor, the only person on board who believes her story. Willis Bouchey is, as usual, solid as the ship's captain. We'd trust our ship to him anytime. This film was remade for TV in 1992 as 'Treacherous Crossing', apparently to derision and catcalls. What point is there in making retreads of classics? And yet they always try. This version could not be improved. It's got the period atmosphere of the early 1950s, not least Jeanne Crain's amazing parade of costumes and gowns. (Costumes by 'Renie', the titles said. Who was he or she? No relation to Michael Rennie, I'm sure.) This is 'the real thing', and a really good mystery yarn.

Jeanne Crain was under contract to Twentieth Century Fox in the '40s and '50s and, as a pretty ingénue, made some big films. In fact, the studio wanted Joseph Mankiewicz to give her the role of Eve in "All About Eve." Not considering her much of an actress, Mankiewicz refused to use her in the film. He was right and he was wrong. She wasn't much of an actress - but her youth, prettiness, and sweetness would have made her a great foil for Bette Davis, would have made Margo seem even more unreasonable, and her jealousy, given Crain's vibrant looks, would have even been more understandable. Where Crain would have been less effective is after Eve is found out - that's where Baxter's rightness for the role kicked in.

All that being said, Crain is the star of "Dangerous Crossing." She plays a woman on a honeymoon cruise who can't seem to find her husband. If she had a husband, that is. Elegant Michael Rennie is the ship's doctor who half believes her and wants to help. It's actually a very good, suspenseful movie, and if you've seen Fox's "Titanic," you'll recognize the ship.

Carl Betz of "The Donna Reed Show" plays the missing husband. Crain doesn't do paranoid very well, employing a lot of stock "crazy" mannerisms in her closeups. It would have been interesting to see what she could have accomplished with a strong director and a powerful cast surrounding her. Ah, what might have been.