Edge of Doom

Director: Mark Robson, Charles Vidor Mark Robson

Overview

This film stars Farley Granger as a sensitive young man trapped in an impoverished slum existence. Granger becomes unhinged after his beloved mother dies. When an unfeeling elderly priest refuses to provide the woman with a lavish funeral, Granger savagely kills the man.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/09/2016
UPC:	0888574378660
Original Release:	1950
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Language:	English
Time:	1:37:00
Sales rank:	44,642

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Farley Granger	Martin Lynn
Dana Andrews	Father Thomas Roth
Joan Evans	Rita Conroy
Robert Keith	Lieutenant Mandel
Paul Stewart	Craig
Mala Powers	Julie
Adele Jergens	Irene
Harold Vermilyea	Father Kirkman
John Ridgely	Detective
Douglas Fowley	Detective
Mabel Paige	Mrs. Pearson
Howland Chamberlin	Mr. Murray
Houseley Stevenson	Mr. Stevenson
Jean Inness	Mrs. Lally
Ellen Corby	Mrs. Moore
Ray Teal	Ned Moore
Mary Field	Mary Jane Glennon
Virginia Brissac	Mrs.Dennis
Frances Morris	Mrs. Lynn
Howland Chamberlain	Mr. Murray
Hugo Friedhofer	Composer

Technical Credits

Philip Yordan

Ben Hecht

Samuel Goldwyn	Producer
Mark Robson	Director
Charles Vidor	Director
Philip Yordan	Screenwriter
Ben Hecht	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Edge of Doom is a surprisingly bleak film noir, and that's saying something. It's also a somewhat frustrating one, as it could have been a truly exceptional film but had to settle for being merely quite good. The main problem are the prologue and epilogue that bookend the film; these were written after the film was completed and released, and the tacked-on feeling they give to the piece is unmistakable. Between this beginning and this end, the screenplay makes some other mistakes, soft pedaling a little of the conflict and simplifying some characters and their motivations; but these would have been easier to overlook had the opening and closing segments not been forced on Doom. Even with these flaws, Doom is quite effective and in places remarkably powerful, especially when its social conscience meshes with its story and the two build up a good head of steam. Mark Robson directs the main body of the story with skill and precision, aided enormously by Harry Stradling's commanding and compelling cinematography. Doom would be even better if it had stronger performances from Farley Granger and Dana Andrews; they're both fine, but one wishes they had delved a little deeper into their roles. Fortunately, there's excellent support from Robert Keith and Paul Stewart to help make up for this defect. Doom may miss being an outstanding film, but it's got more than enough going for it to make it a must-see for noir fans.