Inquisitive, unflagging schoolmaster in London chases down the driver of a car which ran him off the road to a secluded manor in the woods; sneaking in the back window, the teacher comes across a secret sect of gentleman bankers who appear to be unaware of his presence when a shooting occurs. Complicated, endlessly intriguing film from Universal was distributed straight to television, though it has the look and feel of a theatrical feature (and may have eventually been pared down to TV-movie length, unfortunately). There simply isn't enough time on the clock to expand on all the twists and turns in Trevor Wallace's script. This would make the perfect mini-series, as each unfolding episode holds a small surprise. Louis Jourdan is terrific in the leading role--smart, sure-handed, resourceful. Mary Tyler Moore plays his romantic interest who may or may not be what she seems, and she's well-matched with Jourdan (but why can't the women in these movies ever run from Point A to Point B without falling down?). The concluding events seem a bit rushed, and Jourdan's escape from a locked room near the climax is right out of James Bond. Still, the film is a good one; improbable, perhaps, but tightly-paced, intelligent, and highly enjoyable.
Review of Run a Crooked Mile
Run a Crooked Mile
(1969 TV Movie)
Clever and suspenseful, if far-fetched, mystery with excellent performances...
10 May 2009