(1951)
2
Craig Butler
Definitely not a great film, Chicago Calling nonetheless packs a punch thanks to Dan Duryea's intense performance. Many viewers will undoubtedly be moved by Chicago; after all, this is the kind of film that stacks the deck to make sure that the emotional buttons are pressed as hard as they can be. But many viewers are also likely to feel manipulated, and with good reason: Chicago exists only as a means of putting viewers through the same wringer that they put Duryea's character through. Unfortunately, this becomes grating after a while, and the blatant manipulation and obvious mechanics in its writing become irritating. Fortunately, Duryea is on hand. An actor who was most often cast as a heel of one stripe or another, Duryea here plays someone decidedly more sympathetic; he still has his flaws, and big ones, but the character also has enough goodness that the viewer roots for him. Nobody can play skitterish and desperate like Duryea, and he has some nicely tender and vulnerable moments as well, all of which he grabs hold of and runs with. Director John Reinhardt's work is hardly subtle, but he does know how to frame Duryea's star turn.
cast-crew for Chicago Calling on AllMovie
Chicago Calling (1951)
