And as in many of the best noir films, there is an almost choreographed pivotal moment (like a complicated dance step) where the star-crossed lovers both shift gears, switch course and unwittingly cement their fates. As a big-time racketeer, Lowell Gilmore is ironically (or intentionally?) so unthreatening and personable that his eventual fate seems richly undeserved. As the femme fatale, Joan Dixon does little more than purse her lips and act icily alluring, but that's enough. It's brisk, surprisingly well-plotted and boasts that signature blunt dialogue that's like boxers exchanging jabs. This is a modest crime film that comes at the tail end of the noir cycle (and it was undoubtedly shrugged off by audiences at the time) but viewing it today 50 years after its release allows one to judge it with fresher eyes. And when his transformation is complete and his every thought and action is ruled by his mushrooming greed and lust, his hitting rock bottom is like a small earthquake. He's disgusted with himself for having the same lousy weaknesses as all the shlubs he's investigated. Shrewd, decisive, granite-jawed and gravel-voiced his fall into darkness is sometimes hard to stomach - it's more like a plunge. Oh, one last thing, "We Don't Have Your Size!"Ĭharles McGraw was not the typical film noir sap. Along with Jack Carson, Charles McGraw is one of my very favorite "second tier" actors and "Roadblock" will always be a film that I'l urge others to seek out. I watch it every time it's on TCM and I love it more and more. Over two years later, my original review still stands. If you love film noir, then add this one to your list! BTW, I had recorded "Roadblaock"on DVD and just watched it yet again. At under 75 minutes it certainly doesn't wear out it's welcome. A top camera guy is always as big in a noir as any of the on-screen actors. The cinematography was done by Nicholas Musuraca who had one Oscar nod to his credit. I actually caught myself feeling disappointed that he was a good guy who went wrong. Here he literally plays good cop/bad cop. He's just made for the film-noir genre and just about my favorite noir actor. Too bad, I thought she was really lovely. She is played by non other than Joan Dixon who went on to appear in only about four other films. What I liked about it was how the femme fatal crosses over from being a gold digging ice princess to actually choosing love over money. I guess this qualifies as a B-picture, but I refuse to see it that way. There's just something about a post war film-noir thriller and "Roadblock" as as good as any of them. In my book, all true film-noir films are good in one way or another.
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