by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Red Light is a curiously sentimental crime melodrama with heavy religious overtones. John Torno (George Raft) is on what he considers a mission from God: to find the man who killed his army chaplain brother Jess (Arthur Franz). The key to the mystery is a missing Gideon Bible, which figures very prominently in the syrupy denouement. Virginia Mayo plays Torno's girl friend Carla, who like practically everyone else in the film advises Torno to forgive and forget and let the police handle the investigation. The only genuine "film noir" touch is the no-nonsense performance of villain Raymond Burr. Red Light is one of many films that has been run to death on TV since lapsing into Public Domain.
characteristics
- Sibling Relationships
- Amateur Sleuths
- Police
- Prison
- Priest
- Murder
- Morality
- Morals
- Release
- Retaliation
- Vengeance
- Vigilante
- Vendetta
- Tracking [following]
- Retribution