''I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes'' is a 1948 American

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

William Nigh William Nigh (October 12, 1881 – November 27, 1955) was an American film director, writer, and actor. His film work sometimes lists him as either "Will Nigh" or "William Nye". Biography Nigh was born Emil Kreuske''Silent Film Necrology'', ...

, starring

Don Castle Don Castle (September 29, 1917 – May 26, 1966) was an American film actor of the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Castle was born in Beaumont, Texas. He started his acting career as a stage actor, then moved to films. The actor, who resembled Clar ...

and

Elyse Knox Elyse Knox (born Elsie M. Kornbrath, December 14, 1917 – February 16, 2012) was an American actress, model, and fashion designer. Early life Knox was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Austrian immigrants Hermine Sophie (née Muc ...

.. It was based on a novel of the same name by

Cornell Woolrich Cornell George Hopley Woolrich ( ; December 4, 1903 – September 25, 1968) was an American novelist and short story writer. He sometimes used the pseudonyms William Irish and George Hopley. His biographer, Francis Nevins Jr., rated Woolrich th ...

with a screenplay by fellow pulp writer Steve Fisher.

Plot

Vaudeville dancer Tom Quinn (Castle) and his wife Ann are barely getting by on her job at a dance hall. He anxiously awaits her return from work, as she is often delayed by a heavy tipping customer she calls "Santa Claus" who turns out to be a police detective (Clint Judd). Depressed and anxious, Tom impulsively throws his only shoes at howling cats outside his window, which he is unable to find even though he immediately searches for them. They mysteriously reappear outside the apartment door the next morning. A reclusive neighbor known to have a large stash of old large size currency is found murdered, and Tom's shoe prints are found at the scene. Even worse, he had found a wallet containing several thousand dollars in such bills on the street at a place he frequented, so he is quickly convicted for the crime and sentenced to death. His wife implores Judd to find the real killer and he follows several leads to no avail. Ann soon realizes Judd had been in love with her all along and committed the murder and framed Tom in an attempt to win her.

Cast

as Tom J. Quinn *

as Ann Quinn *

Regis Toomey John Francis Regis Toomey (August 13, 1898October 12, 1991) was an American film and television actor. Early life Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey, and attended Peabody High Sc ...

as Inspector Clint Judd *

Charles D. Brown Charles D. Brown (July 1, 1887 – November 25, 1948) was an American stage and film actor. Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Brown wrote and directed a single short film in 1914. As an actor, he appeared in more than 100 films, stretching fro ...

as Inspector Stevens *

Rory Mallinson Charles Rory Mallinson (October 27, 1913 – March 26, 1976) was an American film and television actor. Career Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Mallinson began his acting career after signing a contract with Warner Brothers in 1945. That year he had ...

as Harry, 1st Detective * Robert Lowell as John L. Kosloff *

Steve Darrell Steve Darrell (born Darryl Eugene Horsfall, November 19, 1904 – August 14, 1970) was an American actor. Darrell was born in Osage in Mitchell County in northern Iowa. Darrell's career began in 1931 when he acted with the Trousdale Players in ...

as District Attorney * Bill Kennedy as 2nd Detective *

John Doucette John Arthur Doucette (January 21, 1921 – August 16, 1994) was an American character actor who performed in more than 280 film and television productions between 1941 and 1987. A man of stocky build who possessed a deep, rich voice, he ...

as a Prisoner *

Ray Teal Ray Elgin Teal (January 12, 1902 – April 2, 1976) was an American actor.The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Teal's birth date as January 12, 1908. His most famous role was as Sheriff Roy Coffee on the televis ...

as a Guard

References

1948 films 1948 crime films American crime films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films Film noir Monogram Pictures films Films based on American novels Films directed by William Nigh Films produced by Walter Mirisch Films based on works by Cornell Woolrich 1940s American films {{1940s-crime-film-stub