Take One False Step

1949
Approved
1h 34m

IMDb RATING

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William Powell and Shelley Winters in Take One False Step (1949)

During a conference-trip to L.A., an academic runs into an old-flame and into trouble with the police when she disappears, presumed murdered.During a conference-trip to L.A., an academic runs into an old-flame and into trouble with the police when she disappears, presumed murdered.During a conference-trip to L.A., an academic runs into an old-flame and into trouble with the police when she disappears, presumed murdered.

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IMDb RATING

6.4/10

792

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
At the 71 minute mark, Martha Wier (Marsha Hunt) and Helen Gentling (Dorothy Hart) are seen riding in a taxi in areas of the University of California Berkeley campus that are no longer open to regular automobile traffic. The taxi is first seen heading north through Sather Gate and across the bridge over Strawberry Creek. The taxi turns right, heading east in front of Wheeler Hall, and is then seen driving west, down the hill from the Campanile. Finally, the taxi stops in front of the "Boalt Hall of Law," which was the law school's home from 1911 to 1951, and which was renamed Durant Hall when the law school moved to a new location at the southeast corner of campus.

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Review

Featured review

7/10

The women in his life

This rather unusual noir has a strange intro - It's almost comical, like the beginning of a 1950 TV comedy. It shows the views of a series of people - shoes and legs only - about to make "one false step". They are about to step into a manhole, or into traffic, etc. The "one false step" that Andrew Gentling (William Powell) is about to make is to step into a bar where an old girlfriend (Shelley Winters as Catherine Sykes) from the war years is having a drink. Andrew is in LA on business. She obviously wants to pick things up from where they left off, and he tells her that he is married now and that "the war is over". But this annoying cloying dame is not about to take no for an answer.

Later that evening she calls him and insists that he come to her house for a party. If not she says she will come to his hotel and make a scene. So he comes over only to find that there is no party. He drives around with her for awhile, and at the end she won't get out of the car. So he does and walks awhile until he sees her out of the car and walking down the street, he then goes back to his hotel room. The next day the headlines scream "Housewife missing - foul play suspected". The police have the scarf she took off of Andrew's neck and various people saw them arguing. He is suspect number one in this, except the police don't know who he is yet.

So Gentling decides to go to the police - but wait. Somebody else from his past, Martha Wier (Marsha Hunt) calls him and says - don't be a dope! And then encourages him to not go to the police but instead to take all kinds of shady illegal actions that just get him in deeper. With female friends like these I'm surprised Andrew Gentling is not a confirmed bachelor and member of the Three Stooges Women Haters Club, but I digress. Let's just say complications ensue.

And the reason Gentling was in town in the first place - to talk a millionaire into contributing to a university he is trying to found - is in jeopardy as the millionaire does not tolerate even a whiff of scandal in anyone with which he is associated. So that is all in jeopardy too at this point.

I rated this higher than other folks did, and that's probably because I'm such a big William Powell fan that I enjoy watching just about anything in which he has a significant role. I can't think of any of his films that I would not recommend. I certainly would say if you are introducing yourself to William Powell's talents that I wouldn't put this one among the first of his films I would watch. Save it for later.