Boomerang

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Boomerang, directed by Elia Kazan, is a chilling film noir, the true story about the murder of a priest, the subsequent arrest and trial of a jobless drifter, and the efforts of young state's attorney Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews) to uncover the truth. Closely based on the actual 1924 murder of Fr. Hubert Dahme in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the film was directed by the young Elia Kazan in a highly effective, semi-documentary style. Kazan shot most of the film on location, using high-contrast cinematography and an extremely mobile camera to create a palpable sense of urgency. The screenplay, expertly crafted by Richard Murphy received an Academy Award nomination. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Subtitle: Eng/Spa
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • Audio commentary by film historians Alain Silver and James Ursini
  • Poster gallery
  • Unit photography gallery
  • Theatrical trailer

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Screenplay - 1947 (Richard Murphy)

• National Board of Review

•     Won Best Director - 1947 (Elia Kazan)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1947

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Dana Andrews - Henry L. Harvey
       E.J. Ballantine - McDonald
       Lee J. Cobb - Chief Robinson
       Arthur Kennedy - John Waldron
       Karl Malden - Lieutenant White
       Sam Levene - Dave Woods
       John Carmody - Callahan
       William Challee - Stone
       Philip Coolidge - Crossman
       Bert Freed - Man
       Richard Garrick - Mr. Rogers
       Walter Greaza - Mayor Swayze
       Helen Hatch - Miss Manion
       Taylor Holmes - Wade
       Robert Keith - Mac McCreery
       Barry Kelley - Sgt. Dugan
       Lester Lonergan, Jr. - Cary
       George Petrie - O'Shea
       Anthony Ross - Warren
       Guy Thomajan - Cartucci
       Anna Minot - Secretary

• Director:

  Elia Kazan

• Producer:

  Louis de Rochemont

• Screenwriter:

  Richard Murphy

• Book Author:

  Anthony Abbott

• Cinematographer:

  Norbert F. Brodin

• Composer (Music Score):

  David Buttolph, Alfred Newman

• Editor:

  Harmon Jones

• Art Director:

  Richard Day, Chester Gore

• Set Designer:

  Thomas K. Little

• Costume Designer:

  Kay Nelson

• Makeup:

  Ben Nye, Sr.

REVIEW:

• This noir docudrama, the story of an actual unsolved murder, reflected the taste for true-life storytelling of Twentieth Century Fox production chief Darryl F. Zanuck. Adapted from a Reader's Digest article called "The Perfect Case," Boomerang! concerned the murder of a priest and the subsequent efforts of a prosecutor to exonerate the accused killer, an ex-G.I. whom the police had coerced into confessing. Although the film pointed to a probable shooter (a fellow priest), in reality the crime was never solved. Zanuck and his producer, former "March of Time" newsreel producer Louis de Rochemont, hired young director Elia Kazan, who characteristically refused to oversimplify the characters, all of whom walk a fine line between virtue and corruption. (De Rochemont had just finished work on two other true-life dramas for Zanuck with director Henry Hathaway, both of which employed documentary-style techniques: The House on 92nd Street (1945) and 13 Rue Madeleine (1946), which also included actual documentary footage). Kazan, de Rochemont, and Zanuck made several unusual creative choices to enhance the film's authenticity. The entire picture, including interiors, was filmed in Connecticut, except for the courtroom scenes, which were staged in White Plains, NY. Kazan and cinematographer Norbert F. Brodin employed a roving camera to enhance the film's documentary-like feel, and de Rochemont cast most of the smaller roles with non-professional local residents. The end result was one of the earliest examples of the "docudrama" form. Kazan received more attention (and an Oscar) that same year for Gentleman's Agreement, but his Best Direction award from the New York Film Critics' Circle was for both films. As a theater director, Kazan had directed the original Broadway production of Death of a Salesman, and playwright Arthur Miller returned the favor by appearing as one of the line-up suspects in Boomerang!. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi