I just watched Backfire (1950) this afternoon on TCM. It starts off a little slow but gradually picks up steam in the interest department. The cast is uniformly good with Dane Clark giving a standout performance. The numerous flashbacks are necessary but they make the viewer really pay attention to keep up with the plot. Gordon and Sheila MacRae we're married when Backfire was made. What's really interesting about this movie is watching for the many soon to be familiar faces who show up in small roles, either on screen or voice only. Helen Westcott would have the the female lead in The Gunfighter (1950) with Gregory Peck in the same year that Backfire was made. Others with small roles are: Monte Blue, Russ Conway, John Dehner, Vinton Hayworth, Douglas Kennedy, Charles Lane, and John Ridgely. Backfire is an OK way to spend 90 minutes.
Review of Backfire
