Riff-Raff (1947)

With an ex-lensman at the helm and a D.P. of George E Diskant's calibre on board, it's no surprise that the cinematography is one of the strongest features of this highly entertaining detective story that revolves around a search for a map. Shadows and high-angle camera shots are used to good effect to contribute to the atmosphere and there are a number of striking close-ups that enhance the tension at certain points as well as one that's used purely for comic purposes. The way in which a couple of the characters (a passenger at an airport and a man at a nightclub) are introduced on-screen makes a real impact and there's a relatively long dialogue-free sequence at the very beginning of the movie that's intriguing, suspenseful and visually stunning.The action begins at a small airport in Peru where a couple of passengers get onto a cargo plane headed for Panama City. They travel through a thunderstorm without conversing until one of the men, Charles Hasso (Marc Krah), reports to a pilot that the other man has apparently committed suicide by jumping out of the plane. After landing at his destination, Hasso is briefly interviewed by local Secret Police Lieutenant Rues (George Givot) and afterwards, goes directly to private detective Dan Hammer (Pat O'Brien) who he hires as a bodyguard. Hammer takes the anxious-looking Hasso to a nearby hotel and then goes on to his next appointment with oil company executive Walter Gredson (Jerome Cowan).Gredson explains that his investment in some wildcat oil wells in Peru is in danger because a map showing their locations was stolen and he suspects Charles Hasso of being responsible. After some haggling over his fee, Hammer is duly hired to find both Hasso and the map. At a local nightclub, the detective meets the establishment's attractive singer Maxine Manning (Anne Jeffreys) and a seemingly affable tourist called Eric Molinar (Walter Slezak) and later goes on to Charles Hasso's hotel where he finds his client dead in a bathtub after apparently being strangled.Hammer gradually discovers that his meetings with Maxine Manning and Eric Molinar were certainly not coincidental and that they both have links with Walter Gredson but as his quest for the missing map continues, the relationships between all of these characters go through some interesting changes as does his relationship with Maxine.In "Riff-Raff", the impact of a few murders, a lot of deception and plenty of violence, is counterbalanced to some extent by moments of romance, humour and witty banter that lighten the mood without ever detracting from the impetus of the main plot.Pat O'Brien is amusing as the rather rotund and extremely resourceful Hammer who has numerous sidelines as well as his job and his interactions with his very inactive dog and his good friend and taxi-driver, Pop (Percy Kilbride), provide platforms for much of the movie's humour. The supporting cast is also consistently good in bringing the remainder of the story's colourful characters to life so successfully. For a movie that's not generally regarded as being a top class film noir, "Riff-Raff" certainly has plenty going for it.

This typical film noir production has an unusual setting in Panama, although the fact that it's an RKO production means there aren't any exotic visuals or location shooting here. Instead this is a simply-plotted movie about the hunt for a missing map which has the location of oil highlighted on it. A private eye by the name of Dan Hammer (Mike's brother?) gets involved in the hunt and finds himself up against a criminal gang.RIFF-RAFF boasts a memorable opening sequence on board an in-flight aircraft in which a guy goes missing. However, it soon descends into your typical mystery thriller, with a few hard-knuckle fights here and there but little to distinguish it from literally hundreds of others. While Pat O'Brien was a great character actor (such as when he played the priest in ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES) he's an odd choice for lead and doesn't exactly seem to be the sort of guy able to handle himself. However, Walter Slezak is better as the sleazy villain and Anne Jefferys as the youthful love interest.

I thought I'd seen just about all of the great, dark thrillers made in the late 40s - this little gem was a great surprise! It is well scripted, well acted, fast paced and commands the viewers attention. Walter Slezak is wonderful in his role as villain: fat, sweaty and greedy - what worked for Sidney Greenstreet works equally as well for Slezak. Slezak, who usually played villains and cads, had the knack of winning an audience's affection. Pat O'Brien is excellent in the role, if a little long-in-the-tooth to be courting a 23 year old Anne Jeffrys. Percy Kilbride, of Pa Kettle fame, is fun in his role as a placid yet cunning taxi driver, whose taxi would have been considered ancient, even in 1947. Definitely worth watching if you are a fan of this genre. As an aside, it's great to see that Anne Jeffreys is still very active in acting, and still very beautiful - nearly 60 years after this film was made.

Riffraff finds Pat O'Brien as Dan Hammer, hardboiled private eye, operating in the Canal Zone which when the USA was operating the Panama Canal had a kind of hybrid sovereignty between America and Panama. Of course other than an aerial shot at the beginning of the film, no one got closer to Panama than the backlot of RKO Studios.I'm not sure if Mickey Spillane had already created his character of Mike Hammer, but O'Brien's portrayal sure could have been the model for it.O'Brien is hired by someone to locate a missing map of some undiscovered South American oil fields. His client is later murdered and that starts the ball rolling. A lot of the plot elements of Riffraff are found in that other private eye classic Murder, My Sweet and though Riffraff is entertaining, it doesn't hold a candle to that classic noir.Anne Jeffreys does well as the singer/moll who actually proves to be quite a bit of help to him in that last encounter with the bad guys. Walter Slezak is as always one charming, but dangerous villain. Jerome Cowan does well as the feckless and luckless oil executive and the best performance in the supporting cast is that of Percy Kilbride as a laconic cabdriver.In fact Percy's the one who gets the best of Slezak. You should see Riffraff just to see how he does it.