Close-Up
Cast & Crew
Jack Donohue
Alan Baxter
Virginia Gilmore
Loring Smith
Philip Huston
Joey Faye
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In New York City, after World War II, at the entrance to the First National Bank, newsreel photographer Phil Sparr unwittingly photographs Nazi leader Martin Beaumen, who has been hiding in the city under the assumed name Beaumont. When a young boy sent to steal the film from the laboratory where it was being developed fails to bring the film to Nazi leader Joe Gibbons, Gibbons whips the boy and then places a telephone call to Beaumont. Another attempt to steal the film is made by a Nazi operative named Beck, who calls Phil and claims that he was photographed in the same newsreel with a woman that was not his wife. Beck insists on acquiring that part of the film from him. While Phil, who is not yet aware that he has a very incriminating piece of evidence in his possession, gives Beck the scrapped footage he asked for, Nazi operative Peggy Lane, posing as a journalist, vies for his attention. Beck offers Phil $100 for the negatives of the film, which Phil promises to deliver to him. Later, Phil's boss, Harry Avery, informs him that the man seen in his newsreel leaving the First National Bank is a missing Nazi leader who disappeared and has been presumed dead. Avery also tells Phil that Beck has been arrested in connection with Beaumont's attempt to acquire the film. Phil is then instructed to personally take the film to the police for safekeeping, with Detective Riley as his escort. Riley turns out to be one of Beaumont's men, however, and he and his henchmen abduct Phil at gunpoint and drive onto a ferryboat. Phil manages a clever escape, though, and returns to his apartment, where he discovers Peggy locked in his closet. After freeing Peggy, Phil rushes to Avery's office but is prevented from entering the building due to a police investigation into Avery's apparent suicide. Phil takes Peggy home and sends the negative by taxi to the police, but Peggy, who insists that Phil take her to his place because she is too scared to stay at home alone, tries to prevent the negative from being delivered to the police by clobbering Phil on the head as he is entering a taxi cab and forcing the cabbie out of his car. The negative, however, remains with the cabbie, who then goes to the police to report his stolen taxi. Peggy and Gibbons, meanwhile, chain Phil to a pipe while Gibbons waits impatiently for Beaumont to pay him for his work. When Peggy tells Gibbons that she has had enough of the Nazis and he threatens her, she gets him drunk and warns Phil that Gibbons is planning to kill him. A fight between Gibbons and Beaumont ensues when Beaumont arrives with only a fraction of the promised payment. Peggy then takes advantage of the confusion and calls the police. With a newsreel cameraman on the scene to capture the day's story, the police arrest Beaumont and Peggy and Phil is brought to safety.
Director
Jack Donohue
Cast
Alan Baxter
Virginia Gilmore
Loring Smith
Philip Huston
Joey Faye
Russell Collins
Michael Wyler
Sid Melton
Wendell Phillips
James Sheridan
Marsha Walter
Erin O'kelly
Richard Kollmar
Maurice Manson
Lauren Gilbert
Crew
Harry Brandt
Jules Bricken
John Bright
James Digangi
Jack Donohue
Faith Elliott
Edward Hyland
Robert L. Joseph
Robert Klaeger
William Miller
Jerome Moross
William J. Nallan
James Poe
Martin Rackin
Leo Rose
Frank Satenstein
Ira Senz
Swansdown
Furth Ullman
Clarence Wall
Max Wilk
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to a 1946 Hollywood Reporter news item, the story on which this film was based was originally purchased by RKO and set for Nat Holt to produce. A 1947 Variety news item notes that the story was later sold to Marathon Pictures. Contemporary sources indicate that James Poe's story was based on his personal experiences as a March of Time photographer. Hollywood Reporter news items also note that this film marked the screen debut of Richard Kollmar, radio's "Boston Blackie." The film was shot entirely in New York City, where backgrounds, as identified by the New York Times review, included East River Drive and the Ninety-first Street seaplane landing.
