A Dangerous Profession **** (1949, George Raft, Ella Raines, Pat O’Brien, Jim Backus, Bill Williams, Roland Winters) – Classic Movie Review 13,964

The way above-par 1949 RKO black and white film noir thriller A Dangerous Profession is written by Martin Rackin and Warren Duff, and stars George Raft, Ella Raines and Pat O’Brien.

Director Ted Tetzlaff’s classy 1949 RKO black and white film noir thriller A Dangerous Profession is written by Martin Rackin and Warren Duff, and stars George Raft, Ella Raines, and Pat O’Brien, along with Jim Backus, Bill Williams, and Roland Winters.

Former LA cop Vince Kane (George Raft) is a bail-bondsman, who falls for Lucy Brackett (Ella Raines) while bailing out securities bonds robbery suspect Claude Brackett (Bill Williams). It turns out that Claude is married to Raines, who tells Kane she loves him, and had long since fallen out of love with the spoilt rich boy Claude. Vince is sceptical, doubting her veracity and motives, but he’s in love.

[Spoiler alert] Claude promptly disappears, breaking his bail bond promise to Kane, who soon finds himself investigating the man’s mystery death to see if he can find the killer and get the girl.

This way above par B-movie thriller enjoys a splendid array of all the usual ingredients. The fast pace, intriguing realistic atmosphere, excellent performances by the industrious cast, and effective noir-style black and white cinematography (by Robert De Grasse) and direction are the main clues to the film’s success. Ted Tetzlaff marshals it all with command, confidence and style.

George Raft gives a strong, tough guy performance, and Ella Raines is a strong, tough femme fatale. Both are compelling, oddly attractive and alluring, though not particularly sexually. The connection is somehow there. Raft and Raines suggest it real well.

Pat O’Brien and Jim Backus add lustre as Raft’s bail-bondsman partner Joe Farley and a small-time detective Police Lt. Nick Ferrone, who is leading the case. Ferrone was Kane’s former police partner and friend, so they have history and an odd relationship. Backus is also the film’s Narrator, and we are supposed to be viewing the story through his eyes. He has lot to do, and does it convincingly, low-key showy, matching Raft’s turn. Both men have been round the block a few times, and now have ended up in different places, but they are still the same peas from the same old pod.

O’Brien exaggerates his performance a bit, but it still works. He looks old, flabby and weary. He’s ideally cast, just pitching it too high. It’s very much a support turn, but a vital one. Pat O’Brien called the film ‘a real dog. My agent said everyone connected with it should have been locked up without benefit of bail before it ever went into production.’ This is obviously wrong, of course, maybe just sour grapes for not having a larger role and being stuck with third billing after Raines.

Bill Williams is rather good, so it’s a shame and a disappointment that he disappears from the film so early on. There’s an interesting scene where Raft has just sprung Williams from jail by extremely costly bail bond (part of which he’s paid himself out of his company funds with Pat O’Brien), and showers and shaves him ready for Ella Raines. Raft loves Raines so much that he wants her happiness, even if that means with Williams, who he wants to make look and smell tasty after his jail spell. Williams rewards Raft with a loving display of his body. Raft looks interested and disgusted at the same time. When Raines arrives she looks much less interested. It’s all very odd, good odd, with sexual tension.

Roland Winters (as Jerry McKay), Robert Gist (as Roy Collins, aka Max Gibney), and David Wolfe [David Bauer] (as Matthew Dawson) are all splendidly quirky and creepy as various assorted nasty villains with a load of noir flavour.

You never know whose side anybody is on, but it’s fairly clear they are all on their own sides. It’s a greedy, grasping noir world where most people behave badly, but sometimes, occasionally, some people are driven to behave well, decently, a microcosm, surely, of the real world. The plot is suitably convoluted and baffling but it’s easy to go with the flow.

There’s some nice studio work, and some nice outside shooting at the climax, with an impressive stunt fight as two men battle falling down a hillside, and a cynical ending, shot from afar.

Cast: George Raft as Vince Kane, Ella Raines as Lucy Brackett, Pat O’Brien as Joe Farley, Jim Backus as Police Lt. Nick Ferrone, Bill Williams, Roland Winters as Jerry McKay, Robert Gist as Roy Collins, aka Max Gibney, Betty Underwood  as Elaine Storm, David Wolfe [David Bauer] as Matthew Dawson, Mack Gray, Lynne Roberts, Jonathan Hale, Paul Maxey, Steven Flagg, Don Dillaway.

A Dangerous Profession is directed by Ted Tetzlaff, runs 79 minutes, is written by Martin Rackin and Warren Duff, is shot in black and white by Robert De Grasse, is produced by Sid Rogell (executive producer) and Robert Sparks, and is scored by Frederick Hollander [Friedrich Hollaender].

Release date: November 26, 1949 (US).

A Dangerous Profession recorded a loss of $280,000. Raft’s three previous films for RKO were profitable: Johnny Angel, Nocturne and Race Street.

Jean Wallace, who hurried back from Paris to play the female lead, was fired after several days. RKO explained she ‘is not suited to the role.’ Studio boss Howard Hughes offered the role to Ella Raines, who was rushed to Hollywood England to play the leading lady.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,964

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