He Ran All the Way (4 stars)

Last Friday was John Garfield's day on TCM, which gave me the opportunity to catch some of the lesser-known works of one of my absolute favorite actors.  So far, I've had the opportunity to watch He Ran All the Way, a crime-drama from 1951, which also stars Shelley Winters and co-stars Wallace Ford and Selena Royle.  He Ran All the Way was Garfield's final big-screen performance, and in my opinion, he definitely went out on top...I think he was totally fabulous in this role.

Small-time crook, Nick Robey (Garfield),  is involved in a robbery gone wrong.  Although he makes off with the targeted payroll, his partner in crime is killed and a police officer is wounded by a shot from Robey's gun.  When a manhunt ensues for the second man involved in the heist, Nick's only means of escape is to melt into the crowd, so he ducks into the nearby community swimming pool, where he meets working-girl Peggy Dobbs (Shelley Winters).  Realizing that it is in his best interests to have Peggy as an ally, Nick asks if he might see her home from the pool, a request to which Peggy agrees.

Although Peggy shares an apartment with her mom, dad, and younger brother, they have all gone out for the evening, leaving Peggy and Nick alone.  Peggy is quite attracted to Nick and comes close to kissing him; however, in short order, Nick's fear of being discovered by the police begins to consume him.  By the time the remainder of the  family returns from their outing, Nick has brandished his gun and taken the Dobbs family hostage in their own home.  Though Nick allows them to carry on as normal---work, church, shopping, etc.--- with one family member always in his gun-ready presence, no one is willing to report Nick to the police.

There are a few moments when a tender, caring side of Nick pops to the surface.  As for Peggy, she appears to really care for Nick.  But are her feelings just an act?  Or does she really want to help Nick get away? 

He Ran All the Way is very similar to the 1955 Fredric March/Humphrey Bogart film Desperate Hours, in which a family is held hostage in their home.  My husband and kids actually prefer Desperate Hours to He Ran All the Way.  For me, though, I like them both equally.  They are both 4-star films for me.

Although John Garfield's performance in He Ran All the Way is stellar and perhaps one of his best, sadly this final big screen performance did not end his career on top.  As I learned from Ben Mankiewicz's informational snippet, shortly after this film was made, Garfield found himself blacklisted in Hollywood because of his refusal to provide names in the anti-Communism hearings.  The stress of the blacklist, coupled with the bad heart he'd had all his life, caused Garfield to suffer a fatal heart attack in 1952...a great talent gone too soon, at the age of 39.

I'm not sure if this film is out on DVD; however, I know it is viewable on You Tube, so you can easily catch it there.  I definitely highly recommend it.  And for those who are John Garfield fans (as I am), you won't want to miss his final big-screen performance.  Happy viewing!!