Criss Cross (1949)

"Excellent Siodmak Noir"

The film director Robert Siodmak made just after CRY OF THE CITY (1948) gets a Blu-ray release of a new 4K scan courtesy of Eureka.

Steve Thompson (Burt Lancaster) returns to Los Angeles having finally got over his now ex-wife Anna (Yvonne DeCarlo). He gets a job as an armoured car driver but just can't help going back to the bar where Anna hangs out. She's now married to mob boss Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea) but that doesn't stop Steve and Anna from rekindling old passions. 

In an attempt to convince Dundee there's nothing going on Steve claims he only contacted Anna to meet Dundee, whose help he needs to rob an armoured car Steve will be driving that's filled with payroll money. Does the heist work? Do people double cross each other? Do Anna and Steve end up together? 

Robert Siodmak is known to horror fans for directing Universal's SON OF DRACULA (1943) but he came into his own directing thrillers and film noirs like PHANTOM LADY (1944), THE KILLERS (1946)  and THE DARK MIRROR (1946). The director himself claimed that only about five minutes of any one film of his was any good. You'll probably be able to tell which bits he was referring to in CRISS CROSS but that's doing the rest of this film a disservice. Burt Lancaster is excellent as the lovesick Thompson while Yvonne De Carlo doesn't always get to grips with the lines but certainly looks the part. Oh, and there's a cracking score from the marvellous Miklos Rozsa.

Eureka's 4K scan sparkles - CRISS CROSS has never looked this good. Extras on the disc include a commentary track by Lee Gambin and Rutanya Alda and a new video piece on the film by Adrian Martin. There's also a booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kat Ellinger and Adam Batty as well as reprint articles and stills.

Robert Siodmak's CRISS CROSS is out on Blu-ray from Eureka on Monday 22nd June 2020