On this day in movie history – Pitfall (1948 movie & novel):

Pitfall

directed by André de Toth,

written by Karl Kamb, André de Toth and William Bowers,

based on the novel The Pitfall by Jay Dratler,

was released in the United States on August 24, 1948.
Music by Louis Forbes.

Cast:

Dick Powell, Lizabeth Scott, Jane Wyatt, Raymond Burr, John Litel, Byron Barr, Jimmy Hunt, Ann Doran, Selmer Jackson, Margaret Wells, Dick Wessel.

Recommended reading:

The Pitfall

By Jay Dratler.

Introduction by Jay Dratler Jr. & Timothy J. Lockhart.

Published by Stark House Press.

First published 1939.

ASIN: B0BGMFDDKV

ISBN-13: 979-8886010084

Description:

Jon Forbes is a happily married screenwriter in Hollywood when his cop friend Mac tells him about a gal named Mona he’s interested in. Her husband is in jail, and she knows that Mac is the cop who put him there. So, Mac asks Forbes to set her up for him. Take her out, introduce her to him as a friend.

But that’s where Forbes’s troubles begin. Because happily married or not, Mona gets into his blood immediately. And he into hers. And now he’s not only lying to his wife, but trying to avoid Mac as well. He and Mona have no idea where this will lead, but they both know it can’t end well. But neither of them figure just how far Mac will go to get Forbes out of the way once he discovers his friend’s betrayal. Nor what Forbes will do to protect his own.

On this day in movie history - Raw Deal (1948):

Raw Deal

directed by Anthony Mann,

written by Leopold Atlas and John C. Higgins,

based on a story by Arnold B. Armstrong and Audrey Ashley,

was released in the United States on May 26, 1948.
Music by Paul Sawtell.

Cast:

Dennis O’Keefe, Claire Trevor, Marsha Hunt, John Ireland, Raymond Burr, Curt Conway, Chili Williams, Richard Fraser, Whit Bissell, Cliff Clark, Gregg Barton, Robert Bice, David Clarke, Victor Cutler, John Daheim, Alexis Davidoff, Abe Dinovitch, Lloyd Everett, Tom Fadden, Ilka Grüning, Frank Hyers, Richard Irving, Bill Kennedy, Paul Kruger, Mike Lally, Carey Loftin, James Magill, Joan Myles, Edna Ryan, Cap Somers, Dok Stanford, Ray Teal, Regis Toomey, Harry Tyler, Robert B. Williams, Beverly Wills.

On this day in movie history - The Blue Gardenia (1953):

The Blue Gardenia

directed by Fritz Lang,

written by Charles Hoffman,

based on the novella The Gardenia by Vera Caspary,

was released in the United States on March 28, 1953.
Music by Raoul Kraushaar.

Cast:

Anne Baxter, Richard Conte, Ann Sothern, Raymond Burr, Jeff Donnell, Richard Erdman, George Reeves, Ruth Storey, Ray Walker, Nat King Cole, Dolores Fuller.

On this day in movie history - Crime of Passion (1957):

Crime of Passion

directed by Gerd Oswald,

written by Jo Eisinger,

was released in the United States on January 9, 1957.
Music by Paul Dunlap.

Cast:

Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray, Virginia Grey, Royal Dano, Robert Griffin, Dennis Cross, Jay Adler, Stuart Whitman, Malcolm Atterbury, Robert Quarry, Gail Bonney, Joe Conley.