boscofl "Riffraff" is a surprisingly well done film noir. It is expertly directed by Ted Tetzlaff and contains a veritable Who's Who of noir cinema: Pat O'Brien, Walter Slezak, Anne Jeffreys, and Jerome Cowan. The plot is fairly routine - a rogues gallery of shady types (or riff-raff) hunting down a valuable item (in this case a map of oil wells) and committing any crime necessary to obtain it. The film boasts a memorable opening sequence devoid of dialogue that sets the tone for the film: a stormy Peruvian airport, a ramshackle aircraft, sketchy-looking passengers, and a man prematurely abandoning an airborn plane by taking the express route to the terra firma. The surviving passenger shows up in Panama with the skydiver's briefcase and immediately hires local PI Dan Hammer (O'Brien, sporting a name that only exists in fiction) to protect him. Unbeknownst to Hammer, the man clips a map onto a bamboo changing curtain and departs. The remainder of the film concerns the quest for this map and how many times the actors can walk past it or be framed by the camera with it in the backround as it hides in plain site. Tetzlaff does a wondeful job of shooting this film; from the brilliant opening sequence to the final fadeout. Many of these RKO noirs prove to be an endurance test to get through despite relatively brief running times but "Riffraff" held my attention with the visuals and performances of a stellar cast. Portly, balding, and painfully over-the-hill Pat O'Brien nevertheless turns in a surpsrisingly virile performance particularly near the end of the picture where he dukes it out with several tough guys and runs down a moving car by dashing through dark alleys & disturbing couples necking in parked cars. Of course he is brilliant at mouthing his lines both laconically and with his trademark staccato elocution. The script isn't particularly great but his delivery makes it seem like snappy dialogue. Despite his appearance the actor's performance is great and holds the film together. Walter Slezak seems to be reprising his role of the treacherous Incza from RKO's "Cornered" although sans moustache. He never runs out of flowery ways to make his point and conveys menace when flanked by his bodyguards. There is a priceless scene of him sitting in the window of Hammer's office, sketching the street outside, while his thugs work Hammer over with the obligatory nosey PI beating. He must be a fast illustrator because Hammer doesn't look too much the worse for wear when the goons finish roughing him up. In fact, after a good night's sleep, he's back to barging around and doing a little threatening of his own the next morning. Anne Jeffreys fills the part of the heroine in a one-note role as the love interest; unfortunately she has no femme fatale duties. However, she does get to wrestle around with Slezak in a late scene and is the first to discover the elusive map. Percy Kilbride adds levity as O'Brien's personal taxi driver and they exchange some curious banter about marriage to each other. Fortunately O'Brien moves on to Miss Jeffreys and Kilbride heads to the hills with Marjorie Main. Jerome Cowan adds a little Warner Brothers flavor with his typical role as a wormy executive who meets a deserved fate. A neat little film, "Riffraff" passes a pleasant 80 minutes, delivers a memorable opening sequence, and demonstrates the hazards of wearing a tie if you're a private investigator.

Leofwine_draca 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.

dougdoepke In Panama, a private detective is hired to find a missing oil well map.I expect this little gem got lost in the 1947 crowd. Too bad, because the opening scene is a wordless tour-de-force. Catch that ominous looking lizard in the first shot, indicating the sinister events to follow. Then there's the rainstorm that sounds like the sky is exploding around the airfield. And finally, scope out the open cargo hatch at 20,000 feet, where you see three people but no parachutes. It's a tough act to follow, and truth be told, the story then settles into an entertaining, if unremarkable, private-eye adventure.Nonetheless, there are so many nice touches lifting the narrative—the lazy guard dog, the down-and-outers needing help, Pop's belching old cab. But most of all, there's the stylish visuals, courtesy director Tetzlaff and cameraman Diskant. The compositions are especially impressive since they're artistic without being showy. And, of course, there's the great RKO team of D'Agostino and Silvera collaborating on the noirish sets.I also like O'Brien in the lead. He sure doesn't look like the standard Hollywood dick. He's about 20-years too old, 20-pounds too heavy, and more than a little balding. Still and all, he can fire off the tough-guy banter with the best and make you believe it. Of course, having the lovely Maxine (Jeffries) fall headlong for him remains something of a stretch, but that's just Hollywood being Hollywood.Talk about hiding in plain sight-- the map trick has stayed with me over the years. Speaking of the unusual, catch that brawl at movie's end. One thing for sure, I want Jeffries in my corner from now on. She doesn't just stand around while the hero gets bashed, even when a tricky bookcase bounces back at her.Anyhow, it's a really good little RKO programmer and a good reason to keep prospecting these unheralded oldies for their hidden gold.

Jed from Toronto 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.