Dennis O’Keefe in Raw Deal (1948)

Claire Trevor was the sometimes narrator of the 1948 film noir, “Raw Deal”. She played Pat, the girlfriend of Joe Sullivan, whom she helped break out of prison. Dennis O’Keefe had top billing as Joe. Marsha Hunt played Ann Martin, a social worker who saw “something good” in Joe.

The crime that Joe was serving time for involved a heist pulled off with his former partner, Rick (Raymond Burr). Joe took the rap and when he escapes from prison, he goes looking for his share of the loot. Rick is planning to keep all the loot and it’s gonna be over Joe’s dead body, if he gets his way.

I was wondering if this one would live up to Eddie Muller’s hype. The Czar of Noir can really lay it on thick with a trowel and I do enjoy the extra information he supplies. I just don’t see films the same way he does.

The film opens with Pat going to the prison to tell Joe how his escape is already set for 11:30 that night. She has to wait because social worker Ann is already in there telling Joe how he can out in 3 years if he’s a good boy. Joe flirts with her.and she seems a little more disconcerted by that than normal, so you can tell it’s not a one-sided attraction. For her part, Claire tells us how much she loves Joe even though he does not return her feelings with the same passion. She decided long ago that a cold Joe was better than no Joe.

Joe and Pat get away in the prison break despite a shootout and road blocks. Joe shows up at Ann’s place looking to hideout there for a couple of days with Claire, but Miss Straight and Narrow wants to turn him in so they kidnap her and go on the lam. Two stories play out from this point: the plan to kill Joe by Rick and his henchman and the love triangle.

Being a woman, I found the love triangle more interesting. What we’ll do for love!

“Raw Deal” is free to Prime members on Amazon.

Dennis O’Keefe was a very versatile guy, who played bad guys and good guys equally well. In the 1945 film version of “Brewster’s Millions” (1945), he played Montgomery Brewster. (Richard Pryor was Brewster in the 1985 film version.) O’Keefe was married to actress, singer and dancer Steffi Duna from 1940 until his death in 1968.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHD01bVqaKc

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