[4]
William Holden and Lee J. Cobb, who previously co-starred in Golden Boy, headline this snoozy bit of Freudian psychological propaganda. Holden plays an escaped convict who kills the warden before leading his getaway gang to a rural home where a police psychologist, played by Cobb, is entertaining guests. The Dark Past is based on a stage play called Blind Alley, so it’s largely confined to that one setting. While the police search the area for Holden’s gang, Cobb tries to help Holden by analyzing his recurring nightmare. The film ends with a hokey psychological breath-through and Holden’s decision to stop being a violent criminal. While it’s nice to see a film push for rehabilitation over incarceration, it’s just a little too heavy-handed to take seriously here. Holden and Cobb give good enough performances to keep a disappointing film from being any worse. Future Oscar nominee Nina Foch (Executive Suite) makes the most of her role as Holden’s caring girlfriend.
Directed by Rudolph Mate. With Adele Jergens, Stephen Dunne, Lois Maxwell, Berry Kroeger, and Steven Geray.