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Cross Fire
Cross Fire
Directed by	Otto Brower; Ray Lissner (assistant)
Written by	Tom McNamara
Story by	Harold Shumate
Produced by	David O. Selznick; Merian C. Cooper
Starring	Tom Keene
Cinematography	Nicholas Musuraca
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date	1933;
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$26,000
Box office	$98,000

Cross Fire is a 1933 American pre-Code Western film starring Tom Keene and directed by Otto Brower. Produced and distributed by RKO, it cost $26,000 to make and produced a profit of $30,000. The plot follows a soldier who returns from World War I and seeks justice for a man falsely accused of murder. Critical reviews were mixed, with some praising the story and others stating that the action was overriden by the plot.

Plot

Tom Allen, overseer of the Sierra Mining company, enlists in the French Ambulance Corps during World War I. The board of directors replaces him with Bert King, whose father founded the mine. The board of directors consists of five men: Daniel Plummer, a rancher; Charlie Rudorph, the mayor; Miles P. Styles, a doctor; Whitney T. Wilson, a judge; and Jonathan Wheeler, a banker. As overseer Bert embezzles money from the company. When he and his friend Kreuger, who is also involved in the embezzlement, send reports of mine losses to the board, the board members grow suspicious. Jonathan Wheeler tells Bert that he will report him, but Bert shoots him and frames Daniel Plummer for the murder. The remaining three board members help him escape from jail and go into hiding. While in hiding they rob shipments of gold coming from the mine. Bert, meanwhile, becomes the new mayor.

A year later, Tom returns from the war and becomes a deputy for Sheriff Jim Wells. He falls in love with Daniel's daughter Pat and learns of her father's circumstances. With her help he locates the three men in hiding and encourages them to turn themselves in. They agree, and upon their arrival in town they discover that Sheriff Wells has been dismissed and replaced by Kreuger. Kreuger arrests them. Tom's friend Ed Wimpy overhears Kreuger's plans to lynch the former board members and warns Tom. While Ed distracts Kreuger, Tom helps the men escape and brings them to Mexico. Bert and Kreuger follow the group, but after Kreuger accuses Bert of being dishonest with him Bert shoots him. Meanwhile, Tom finds out that Bert plans to ambush them and ruins the attempt. Kreuger, whose gun wound was not fatal, arrests Bert. Daniel's charges for murder are removed, and Tom marries Pat.^[2]

Cast

Tom Keene as Tom 'Jack' Allen
Betty Furness as Pat 'Mike' Plummer
Edgar Kennedy as Ed Wimpy
Eddie Phillips as Bert King
Stanley Blystone as Kreuger
Lafe McKee as Daniel Plummer
Nick Cogley as Dr. Miles P. Styles
Thomas Brower as Charles Rudorph
Jules Cowles as Judge Whitney T. Wilson
Charles K. French as Jonathan Wheeler
Murdock MacQuarrie as Sheriff Jim Wells
Tom Kennedy as French Bouncer

Production and release

Production for Cross Fire began in March 1933 and was produced and distributed by RKO studios.^[3]^[4] RKO claimed the copyright on June 12, 1933.^[3]^[4] Harold Shumate created the story and wrote the screenplay with help from Tom McNamara,^[5] who added further dialogue.^[3] Otto Brower directed the film with assistance from Ray Lissner.^[3]^[6] Merian C. Cooper worked as the executive producer and David Lewis as the associate producer.^[7] It was edited by Fred Knudston, with cinemaphotography by Nicholas Musuraca.^[7] Cross Fire was released on June 30, 1933 with a running time of 55 minutes.^[3]^[6] The last of Tom Keene's RKO Westerns, it is classified as a B film.^[5] Production cost $26,000 and the film earned $98,000 in the United States and other countries. After distribution costs the profit amounted to $30,000.^[1] It made the least money of the 1932-1933 film season but also cost the least to produce.^[1] It did not rank among the top ten films of the season.^[1]

Reception

The Film Daily deemed Cross Fire a "swell action story" that would "go big with the youngsters" and "click anywhere". It rated the direction as "very good".^[8] Variety called the acting "stereotyped" but added that it "doesn't matter". The magazine also stated that the "dialogue isn't smart but understandable".^[9] According to Motion Picture Herald the "preview audience [was] both laughing at and with the picture", which it claimed had "about two cents worth of real story". It also praised Edgar Kennedy's acting in comedic scenes.^[10] In a review about fifty years after its release, film historian Richard B. Jewell and RKO archivist Vernon Harbin called it "a dull Tom Keene horse opera" whose "over-elaborate plot" eclipsed the action.^[11] Film historian Michael R. Pitts wrote that it "is okay but its plot was nothing new".^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Jewell, Richard (1994). "RKO Film Grosses: 1929-1951: the C. J. Tevlin Ledger". Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. 14 (1):39.
^ "Cross Fire: Synopsis". prod.tcm.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Cross Fire (1933)". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Cross Fire: Overview". prod.tcm.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Passafiume, Andrea (January 25, 2011). "Cross Fire (1933)". prod.tcm.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Pitts, Michael R. (1986). Western Movies: A TV and Video Guide to 4200 Genre Films. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 98. ISBN 0-89950-195-8.
^ ^a ^b "Cross Fire: Credits". prod.tcm.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
^ "Tom Keene in "Crossfire"". The Film Daily. August 15, 1933. p. 7. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
^ Shan (October 24, 1933). "Film Reviews: Crossfire". Variety. p. 17. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
^ McCarthy (April 8, 1933). "Showmen's Reviews: Cross Fire". Motion Picture Herald. pp. 23, 26. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
^ Jewell, Richard B.; Harbin, Vernon (1982). The RKO Story. Great Britain: Octopus Books. p. 64. ISBN 0-517-546566.
^ Pitts, Michael R. (1986). Western Movies: A TV and Video Guide to 4200 Genre Films. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 89. ISBN 0-89950-195-8.