The Big Steal (1949)

“I’ll tell you what, Chiquita, you believe me, and I’ll believe you.”  24 December 2020

Lt Duke Halliday (Robert Mitchum) is in Mexico trying to catch a man who stole an Army payroll that Halliday’s been wrongly accused of.  Halliday meets Joan Graham (Jane Greer).  She’s after the same con-man as he stole money from her.  Hot on their heels is Capt Vincent Blake (William Bendix).  He’s out to catch Halliday and recover the missing money.  

Good, witty dialogue mixed with plenty of action - that’s what you’ll find in The Big Steal.  It may not be one of those uber-dark noirs, but the light tone works well.  There’s a nice twist at the end that caught me off guard - even though this was a second time viewing for me.  It’s hard to believe that The Big Steal was one of Don Siegel’s first directorial efforts.  He does a fantastic job of keeping things moving and giving the film a nice pace.  But in all honesty, with a veteran, capable cast like that in The Big Steal, I would expect nothing less.  Mitchum and Greer have a nice rapport.  I’ve read the stories about Hughes originally wanting Jane Russell in the female lead but he was afraid Mitchum’s recent marijuana conviction might hurt her career.  I’m glad he made the decision to go with Greer.  MItchum and Greer work together effortlessly.  One thing that bugged me though, and this holds true for many film noirs, is the familiarity characters seem to have with each other on their initial meeting.  I can’t imagine that people in 1949 actually spoke to strangers like that.  Minor quibble, but it always bothers me.  I've never been much of a fan of William Bendix’s brash style, but I quite enjoyed him here.  In general, the acting from the entire cast is first rate throughout.  Finally, the film features some nice shots of the Mexican countryside.  And I appreciate the way the Mexican people are presented.  Too often, a Mexican police officer would be portrayed as either a buffoon or a crook.  Instead, Inspector General Ortega comes across as the smartest person in the whole film.  Highly recommended.

8/10