Edge of Doom
| Edge of Doom | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mark Robson |
| Screenplay by | Philip Yordan |
| Based on | the novel by Leo Brady |
| Produced by | Samuel Goldwyn |
| Starring | Dana Andrews Farley Granger Joan Evans |
| Narrated by | Dana Andrews |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling |
| Edited by | Daniel Mandell |
| Music by | Hugo Friedhofer |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release dates | |
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Edge of Doom is a 1950 black-and-white film noir directed by Mark Robson and starring Dana Andrews, Farley Granger, and Joan Evans.[2]
Plot[edit]
The story concerns a young man, Martin Lynn (Farley Granger), who becomes emotionally untethered after his sick mother dies. One of the main targets of his anger is the Catholic Church which, in addition to slighting him when he had requested a priest for his mother, had years before refused to bury his father who had committed suicide.
Martin, blaming the environment he lives in for the state of his life, lashes out at his cheap boss, a mortician and - most tragically - a Catholic priest, Father Kirkman (Harold Vermilyea), who refuses to give Martin's impoverished mother a big funeral. The hard-line priest is elderly and worn out from the strain of working with the desperate people in the neighborhood. He adopts an indifferent attitude which drives Martin into a blind rage.
Martin beats Father Kirkman with a heavy crucifix, killing him. Kirkman's assistant, Father Roth (Dana Andrews), suspects the young man, who finds himself accused of a separate crime, of the murder.
Cast[edit]
- Dana Andrews as Father Thomas Roth
- Farley Granger as Martin Lynn
- Joan Evans as Rita Conroy
- Robert Keith as Lieutenant Mandel
- Paul Stewart as Craig
- Mala Powers as Julie, Martin's girlfriend
- Adele Jergens as Irene, Craig's girlfriend
- John Ridgely as 1st Detective
- Douglas Fowley as 2nd Detective
- Harold Vermilyea as Father Kirkman
- Mabel Paige as Mrs. Pearson
- Ellen Corby as Mrs. Jeanette Moore
- Robert Karnes as George, a Priest narrated to
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
When the film was released, the staff at Variety magazine gave the film a positive review, writing, "A grim, relentless story, considerably offbeat, gives some distinction to Edge of Doom. It is played to the hilt by a good cast and directed with impact by Mark Robson."[3] The New York Times wrote, "Robson's direction gives flashes of high tension to the film, for he has made effective use of street scenes and noises and has skillfully reflected the oppressive atmosphere of poverty and squalor, but his actors run more to types than to real people."[4]
Awards[edit]
Wins
- National Board of Review of Motion Pictures: NBR Award - Top Ten Films; 1950.
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Edge of Doom: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
- ^ Edge of Doom at the TCM Movie Database.
- ^ Variety, film review, 1950. Accessed: July 13, 2013.
- ^ "THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; Goldwyn's 'Edge of Doom,' Based on the Novel by Leo Brady, in Premiere at the Astor". The New York Times. August 4, 1950. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
