Movie Cosmos - Crack-Up

Description:

Art curator George Steele experiences a train wreck...which never happened. Is he cracking up, or the victim of a plot?

Top Cast >

Pat O’Brien

As George Steele

Claire Trevor

As Terry Cordell

Herbert Marshall

As Traybin

Ray Collins

As Dr. Lowell

Wallace Ford

As Lt. Cochrane

Dean Harens

As Reynolds

Damian O'Flynn

As Museum Curator Stevenson

Erskine Sanford

As Museum Director Barton

Mary Ware

As Mary

Alex Akimoff

As Man (Uncredited)

John Ardell

As Man (Uncredited)

Gertrude Astor

As Nagging Wife on Train (Uncredited)

Al Bain

As Arcade Patron (Uncredited)

Guy Beach

As Station Agent (Uncredited)

Edward Biby

As Lecture Guest (Uncredited)

Bonnie Blair

As Dorothy (Uncredited)

Robert Bray

As Man with Drunk (Uncredited)

George Bruggeman

As Cop (Uncredited)

James Carlisle

As Lecture Guest (Uncredited)

Jack Cheatham

As Museum Attendant (Uncredited)

Ellen Corby

As Reynold's Maid (Uncredited)

Delmar Costello

As Deck Hand (Uncredited)

Roger Creed

As Card Player on Train (Uncredited)

Kernan Cripps

As First RR Ticket Clerk (Uncredited)

Lee Elson

As Man (Uncredited)

Franklyn Farnum

As Man on Train (Uncredited)

Carl Faulkner

As Detective (Uncredited)

J.C. Fowler

As Man (Uncredited)

Edward Gargan

As Cop in Arcade (Uncredited)

Jack Gargan

As Second Railroad Ticket Agent (Uncredited)

Rudy Germane

As Lecture Guest (Uncredited)

Belle Green

As Woman in Audience (Uncredited)

Chuck Hamilton

As Man in Ticket Line (Uncredited)

Alvin Hammer

As Milquetoast (Uncredited)

Carl Hansen

As Card Player on Train (Uncredited)

Harry Harvey

As 'Dad' Moran, Museum Custodian (Uncredited)

Alf Haugan

As Man in Audience (Uncredited)

Al Hill

As Card Player on Train (Uncredited)

Fred Hueston

As Man (Uncredited)

John Ince

As Man (Uncredited)

John Indrisano

As Detective (Uncredited)

Gloria Jetter

As Gambler (Uncredited)

Tiny Jones

As Old Lady (Uncredited)

Joseph Kamaryt

As Waiter (Uncredited)

Colin Kenny

As Lecture Guest (Uncredited)

King Lockwood

As Lecture Guest (Uncredited)

Sam Lufkin

As Detective (Uncredited)

Sam McDaniel

As Porter (Uncredited)

Charles Meakin

As Lecture Guest (Uncredited)

Chef Milani

As Restaurant Proprietor (Uncredited)

Harry Monty

As Midget in Arcade (Uncredited)

Frank Moran

As Bartender (Uncredited)

Philip Morris

As Cop (Uncredited)

Horace Murphy

As Train Conductor (Uncredited)

Tommy Noonan

As Bonbon Vendor (Uncredited)

Jimmy O'Gatty

As Mate (Uncredited)

Eddie Parks

As Drunk in Arcade (Uncredited)

Bob Pepper

As Intern (Uncredited)

Rose Plumer

As Impatient Woman in Ticket Line (Uncredited)

John Roy

As Attendant (Uncredited)

Dick Rush

As Captain of Arcadia (Uncredited)

Shimen Ruskin

As Dissenter at Art Lecture (Uncredited)

Dick Ryan

As Reynold's Butler (Uncredited)

Jeffrey Sayre

As Diner in Restaurant (Uncredited)

Frank Shannon

As Train Station Gateman (Uncredited)

Harry Shannon

As Cop (Uncredited)

Cap Somers

As Cop (Uncredited)

Tex Swan

As Cop (Uncredited)

Eric Wilton

As Lecture Guest (Uncredited)

Dorothea Wolbert

As Old Lady (Uncredited)

Top Crew >

Irving Reis

Director

Jack J. Gross

Producer

John Paxton

Screenplay

Ben Bengal

Screenplay

Ray Spencer

Screenplay

Fredric Brown

Story

Leigh Harline

Original Music Composer

Robert De Grasse

Director of Photography

Albert S. D'Agostino

Art Direction

Jack Okey

Art Direction

Michael Ohrenbach

Set Decoration

Darrell Silvera

Set Decoration

Renié

Costume Design

James H. Anderson

Assistant Director

Russell A. Cully

Special Effects

Reviews:

CinemaSerf (6/10)

If only Irving Reis had cast his net a bit wider when casting his leading man, here - then we could have ended up with a quality, sophisticated crime drama. Sadly, he didn't and we are stuck with a really quite dreary performance from Pat O'Brien as "George", an art critic who finds himself caught up in a train crash (or was it!?) and a well planned, psychologically driven, plot involving art fraud after he had suggested that modern day X-ray techniques be used to verify the authenticity of old masters on loan to a museum - including a Gainsborough and a Dürer. Luckily for him, Claire Trevor "Terry" and Herbert Marshall ("Traybin") are on hand to get to the bottom of it. At times it's quite gripping, and the intricacies of the plot - and of the manipulation it suggests, are clever and quite original but it's far too long, and the sagging in the middle is almost hammock-like. Still, the use of sound is effective and the film is certainly worth catching up with with some tea and a bit of carrot cake.

2022-07-07