Raft On A Rampage!

GR Combs LA For Filmland Slayer in Nocturne (1946)

Lone cop George Raft is dealt off the force for questioning a settled suicide. Raft may not have lit personality fires, but was ideal for dogged investigating and occasional temper loss, his a lulling invite to half-sleep as we await expected outcome. A novelty here is George still living with Mom and briefing her as to progress over bacon/eggs. There's also suspicion's path leading to RKO stages where Sinbad The Sailor is being made, a highlight by itself worth the sit. Good talent was involved: producing Joan Harrison of Hitchcock association, scenarist Jonathan Latimer who'd later pen The Big Clock, and story basis the work of Rowland Brown, who had crime-written and directed himself. As in happiest aspect of noir, Nocturne gets onto streets of LA with Raft amongst civilians who don't recognize him for brief shots they share. Moody and dark-lit sets were an RKO signature, effective even if they were meant to conceal limit of spending (Nocturne's negative cost: $694K). Worldwide rentals of two million handed RKO one of its bigger profits of the year, basis for the firm to go on Raft-ing. His earlier turndowns of High Sierra and The Maltese Falcon was artistic blundering for sure, but George knew where money was (then how come him to die virtually broke?).