Boomerang! (1947)

Directed by Elia Kazan. Starring Dana Andrews, Lee J. Cobb, Arthur Kennedy, Sam Levene, Karl Malden, Cara Williams, Taylor Holmes, Ed Begley, William Challee, Lewis Leverett, Jane Wyatt, Robert Keith, Clay Clement, E. J. Ballantine.

Inspired by a true story, Kennedy’s drifter is falsely accused of murdering a priest, and after deciding he doesn’t like the smell of it, the district attorney (Andrews) encounters numerous setbacks from corrupt insiders in his efforts to exonerate him. Solid crime noir docudrama suffers at time from stilted presentation, but there’s authenticity in several facets of filmmaking—from the muckraking angle to the location shooting—that cover up those dramatic weaknesses. Supporting cast gets the job done, although it should be noted that despite prominent billing in promotional materials, Wyatt doesn’t have much screentime as Andrews’ loyal-but-worrisome wife. Early narration reeks of mothballs. Begley’s first film role.

71/100