The Big Steal

It’s just a game of cat and mouses

Starring: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, William Bendix

Director: Don Siegel

Our introduction into film noir begins with The Big Steal. This 1949 film follows a wrongfully accused army lieutenant as he chases the real thief on a wild car chase.

The film drops you right into the action. There’s a fight in the first 2 minutes of the film. The detective walks in the room, asks a man about a brief case and they start fighting. You don’t really know who, why or who to even root for. All you know is there’s something very special about this brief case. And that mystery carries until the end of the film.

The film follows 3 main characters:

• Duke Halliday: An army lieutenant who’s framed for robbery
• Jim Fiske: The real theif who is running away from Halliday
• Joan Graham: Fiske’s fiancé who pursues him with Halliday

The story starts right away. The car chase (that lasts for the majority of the movie) starts around the 20 minute mark after a few fights break out. I noticed right away the “James Bond” charisma that Halliday walked around with.

The car chase has a few interesting moments. It’s actually impressive how it never became boring. There was always something going on, whether it was just a stop for gas or the dialogue that was occurring when they were driving. Whoever wrote this movie knew what they were doing.

The main point of this movie is you don’t know the reason why it’s happening. You don’t know what’s in the brief case, why Fiske wants it and why Halliday wants it even more. Hell, you don’t really know who Fiske or Halliday are. And that mystery is what keeps you intrigued throughout the film until the end.

The other main part of the story is the detective that’s chasing Halliday. I found that to actually be really funny, because you know whatever Halliday runs into, the detective will also run into. There were a few really comical points that helped the movie flow a lot smoother.

I’ve always liked Film Noir and I was excited when my dad sent me this list. It marks such a pivotal moment in cinema history. With that, I’ve found an awesome and detailed video on the history of Film Noir. Watch below.

I’ve always been into cop shows and serial killer-type movies. There’s just something about crime and mystery that has always intrigued me. I’m excited for the rest of the film noir movies that are on this list, which there are apparently a few more.