review for Castle on the Hudson on AllMovie

John Garfield railed against all the gangster and tough guys roles he was assigned, but as Castle on the Hudson once again demonstrates, there was a reason he was often cast this way: he knew how to play the hell out of these parts. Indeed, it's Garfield's performance that raises Castle above the average. Sure, Anatole Litvak's direction is zippy and well-modulated, full of fire and vigor but having time for the occasional "soft" moment for contrast. And yes, the screenplay has its share of hardboiled lines that leap out and smack the viewer in the ear. But it also has one of those annoying "good hearted" wardens who get a bit on the nerves, not because they have good hearts but because the filmmakers translate that to mean feeble brains. This results in this particular warden granting an unsupervised leave to the deadly Garfield, something which is so boneheaded that it helps destroy credibility -- and there are a few other missteps like this along the way that damage the film. But it ultimately doesn't matter, because Garfield is on hand to swagger, to fume, to boil, as well as to let down his guard, to show the goodness that lies inside him -- all with a power that makes his best scenes electrifying. There's fine work as well from Ann Sheridan and Burgess Meredith, but it's Garfield's picture.