Wow! Such a good movie.

Expected more

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Celebrated Noir-ist Anthony Mann Broke Through with this one and Never Looked Back. All of His Films (including the five Westerns with James Stewart) have a Visual Template that is Astonishing.Here He Anticipates many of Film-Noir's Traditional Stylistic Scenes. The Contrasting Light and Dark Swinging Lightbulb, the Urban Staircase Climax, the Slimy "Professionals" like the Car Dealer and the Private Investigator for the Criminals. Steve Brodie and Audrey Long are a Sweet Couple Struggling to gain a Foothold on the American Dream that is Nightmarish with Cynical Roadblocks. The Film is a bit Heavy Handed with the Immigrant Farmers who are even Sweeter than Brodie and Long.Jason Robards Chews Scenery as a Sharped Tongue Police Inspector that is as Detached as They come, Filing His Nails as Brodie Claims His Innocence and Decides to Use Him as Bait. Raymond Burr gives one of His Trademark Psychopathic Performances that Commands the Screen. The Title of the Film is one of those Film-Noir Luring that is Lurid and Speaks Volumes with just One Word.Overall, a Fine Film-Noir that leaves its Mark on the Viewer with an Iconic Story and Style.

Anthony Mann directed this early film noir that stars Steve Brodie as an independent trucker who is tricked into helping thieves drive the getaway truck for stolen furs. He thwarts this plan by alerting police, but is held captive by them as the leader Walter Radack(played by Raymond Burr) wants him to confess for the crime because his younger brother was captured. Brodie escapes however and takes his pregnant wife(played by Audrey Long) on the run, with a vengeful Radack in pursuit... Mediocre film has a menacing performance by Burr but feels longer than it is, and loses steam before the violent climax. Mann would do better in the genre quite soon though!

The trucker Steve Randall (Steve Brodie) is an ex-GI that has fought in the war and has been married with Anne Randall (Audrey Long) for four months. Steve has a trunking business, but he arrives home with the intention of celebrating his wedding anniversary with Anne. He receives a phone call from a client that offers a small fortune to him to transport some goods that night and he does not have how to refuse.When he arrives at the spot, he finds that he was lured by the mobster Walt Radak (Raymond Burr) that wants to use Steve's truck to transport stolen furs. Steve does not accept the deal but is forced by Walt's gangsters to drive his truck. When he sees a police officer on the street, he blinks the headlights to call his attention. There is a shooting and the police officer is murdered and Walt's young brother Al is left behind and arrested by the police. Walt tries to force Steve to assume the murder to save his brother but Steve flees from the gangsters and travels with Anne, who is pregnant, to the countryside, pursued by Walt and his gangsters and by the police. When Steve finds a safe place for Anne in the farm of her Aunt Klara (Ilka Gruning) and Uncle Jan (Paul E. Burns), he goes to the police department and tells his story to Det. Lt. Louie Ferrari (Jason Robards) that does not believe in his words but let him go. Steve returns to the farm without knowing that Ferrari released him to be a bait to catch Walt and his men."Desperate" is a film-noir by Anthony Mann with a good story of pursue and death wish, with sordid characters, like for example the mobster, the car dealer, the detective lieutenant among others and good duel between Steve Brodie and Raymond Burr. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Desesperado" ("Desperate")

This is a good movie. Steve Brodie, Audrey Long and the rest of the cast are excellent in this crime drama. The film-noir style sets the mood - one of tension and foreboding. Raymond Burr is surprisingly cast as a merciless gangster; he performs his part well. The story moves at a brisk pace which builds up the tension. The question is how things will work out remains undecided until the final scene. This movie is an example of the kind of well-crafted product that Hollywood use to produce by the hundreds, before television came along. Then it was possible for a movie company to produce a credible product at a modest price. But it is was a different time, which includes the economics. But one thing that has not changed has been the public's desire for quality movies. That is the same now as it then. It is true that tastes do change, yet a good story that is well acted is as welcome today as it was decades ago, and such a welcome applies to this movie too.