Anatole Litvak directed Out of the Fog (working title: Danger Harbor), a noir crime drama, starring John Garfield, Ida Lupino and Thomas Mitchell.
The film was based on the play “The Gentle People” by Irwin Shaw.
Two aging men, Goodwin and Johnson (Mitchell and Qualen), are fishermen in their spare time. They are trying to buy new boat, but their Brooklyn pier is controlled by the gangster Goff (Garfield), who extorts “protection” money of $5 a week.
Goodwin’s daughter (Lupino) falls in love with Goff, who learns that Goodwin has tried to persuade her to holiday in Cuba. After he demands $190 from them, the sum Goodwin had promised his daughter, the fishermen plan to kill the gangster.
The gangster attempts to strike one of them but falls into the sea and drowns.
Goff turns out to have been a wanted man in five cities, and they recover the extorted money.
Described as too dreary, the film was also criticized for making changes from the play.
As a result, the commercial appeal was lower than expected.
Even so, Garfield excels in revealing the depravity of Depression-era capitalist society, condemning the fascist forces at play.
Cast
John Garfield as Harold Goff
Ida Lupino as Stella Goodwin
Thomas Mitchell as Jonah Goodwin
John Qualen as Olaf Johnson
Eddie Albert as George Watkins
George Tobias as Igor Propotkin
Aline MacMahon as Florence Goodwin
Jerome Cowan as Assistant district attorney
Odette Myrtil as Caroline Pomponette
Leo Gorcey as Eddie
Robert Homans as Officer Magruder
Bernard Gorcey as Sam Pepper
Paul Harvey as Judge Moriarty
