''Edge of Doom'' is a 1950
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
directed by
Mark Robson and starring
Dana Andrews
Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...
,
Farley Granger
Farley Earle Granger Jr. (July 1, 1925 – March 27, 2011) was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: ''Rope'' in 1948 and '' Strangers on a Train'' in 1951.
Granger was first noticed in a small ...
, and
Joan Evans.
Plot
The story concerns a young mentally disturbed man, Martin Lynn (
Farley Granger
Farley Earle Granger Jr. (July 1, 1925 – March 27, 2011) was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: ''Rope'' in 1948 and '' Strangers on a Train'' in 1951.
Granger was first noticed in a small ...
), who goes on a rampage after his sick mother dies. One of his main targets is the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
which, in addition to slighting him when his mother needed a priest, refused to bury his father years earlier because he committed suicide. The man, blaming the environment he lives in, takes revenge on his cheap boss, a mortician and a
Catholic priest
The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
, Father Kirkman (Harold Vermilyea), who refuses to give his poor mother a big funeral. He begins by killing the hard-line priest who slighted him by beating him with a heavy
crucifix
A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...
. Later, a young priest, Father Roth (
Dana Andrews
Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...
), suspects the young man, who has been arrested for another crime, of the killing.
Cast
*
Dana Andrews
Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...
as Father Thomas Roth
*
Farley Granger
Farley Earle Granger Jr. (July 1, 1925 – March 27, 2011) was an American actor, best known for his two collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock: ''Rope'' in 1948 and '' Strangers on a Train'' in 1951.
Granger was first noticed in a small ...
as Martin Lynn
*
Joan Evans as Rita Conroy
*
Robert Keith as Lieutenant Mandel
*
Paul Stewart as Craig
*
Mala Powers
Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers (December 20, 1931 – June 11, 2007) was an American actress.
Early life
Powers was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Los Angeles. Her father was a United Press International, United Press executive, whil ...
as Julie, Martin's girlfriend
*
Adele Jergens
Adele Jergens (November 26, 1917 – November 22, 2002) was an American actress.
Early life and career
Born in Brooklyn, New York, as Adele Louisa Jurgens (some sources say Jurgenson), she rose to prominence in the late 1930s when she was named ...
as Irene, Craig's girlfriend
*
John Ridgely
John Ridgely (born John Huntington Rea, September 6, 1909 – January 18, 1968) was an American film character actor with over 175 film credits.
Early years
Ridgely was born in Chicago, Illinois,Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: T ...
as 1st Detective
*
Douglas Fowley
Douglas Fowley (born Daniel Vincent Fowley, May 30, 1911 – May 21, 1998) was an American movie and television actor in more than 240 films and dozens of television programs, He is probably best remembered for his role as the frustrated m ...
as 2nd Detective
*
Harold Vermilyea
Harold Vermilyea (October 10, 1889 – January 7, 1958) was an American actor who had a long and prolific career on Broadway, performing in 32 plays over the course of his career. He made notable appearances in several films of the post-war era, p ...
as Father Kirkman
*
Mabel Paige
Mabel Paige (December 19, 1880 – February 9, 1954) was an American stage and film actress.
Early years
Paige began acting at age four, when she appeared in ''Van, the Virginian''.
Career
When she was 11 years old, Paige began acting ...
as Mrs. Pearson
*
Ellen Corby
Ellen Hansen Corby (June 3, 1911 – April 14, 1999) was an American actress and screenwriter. She played the role of Esther "Grandma" Walton on the CBS television series ''The Waltons'', for which she won three Emmy Awards. She was also ...
as Mrs. Jeanette Moore
*
Robert Karnes
Robert Anthony Karnes (June 19, 1917 – December 4, 1979) was an American film, stage and television actor.
Life and career
Karnes was born in Kentucky. He served in World War II, where he had interest into acting and going to Hollywood, Cal ...
as George, a Priest narrated to
Reception
Critical response
When the film was released, the staff at ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine gave the film a positive review, writing, "A grim, relentless story, considerably offbeat, gives some distinction to ''Edge of Doom''. It is played to the hilt by a good cast and directed with impact by Mark Robson." ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote, "Robson's direction gives flashes of high tension to the film, for he has made effective use of street scenes and noises and has skillfully reflected the oppressive atmosphere of poverty and squalor, but his actors run more to types than to real people."
Awards
Wins
*
National Board of Review of Motion Pictures
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...
: NBR Award - Top Ten Films; 1950.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edge Of Doom
1950 films
1950 drama films
American black-and-white films
Film noir
Films based on American novels
Films directed by Mark Robson
Films scored by Hugo Friedhofer
Samuel Goldwyn Productions films
American drama films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films