mark.waltz The end of World War II didn't end the hatred towards Jews, even in a democratic country like the United States. As evidenced in "A" films such as "Gentleman's Agreement" and "Crossfire", anti-Semitism was still rampant in the world, even though Hitler's Germany was being criticized for the cruelty of the Holocaust. Unlike the posh settings of "Gentleman's Agreement", "Crossfire" took this hatred into the darkened side streets of big street U.S.A. and added a definite film noir element into the movie's powerful theme. "Open Secret" is even tougher looking, perhaps because of its less than glossy photography, and definitely because of its independently made status.John Ireland and Joyce Randolph are a newlywed couple who arrive at the apartment of an old friend who has promised them a bed to sleep in for the night until they can find a hotel. When they arrive, they find he has disappeared, but the mystery doesn't grow until Randolph goes to develop a roll of film she's found and put into her camera (already partially exposed!) and before they can even pick up the film, they find they are in danger. Shouts of anti-semitic slurs are heard prior to this, and the pictures seem to point to both Ireland's pal's disappearance and a violent crime which has yet to be exposed.While certainly gritty and filled with some great aspects of what makes film noir fascinating, there are minor flaws in the script which makes it only slightly disappointing. However, there are more details that enhance the film rather than weaken it, such as the nosy but ultimately caring landlady (who ironically resembles Margaret Hamilton) and the round table of bigots who pass a verdict of hate, not justice, then go out to commit their crimes against society. Whether or not these men were involved with the American Nazi party is never clarified, but it is obvious that if they had been over in Hitler's Germany, they certainly would have supported the evil that was going on. There's certainly an important element of why this story needed to be told the way it is and that makes it definitely worth watching.

JohnHowardReid John Ireland was an actor with a moderate amount of charisma, who always knew his lines and gave his directors no trouble at all. Although he was a natural for TV and played many roles, including John Hunter in 39 episodes of "The Cheaters", Jeff Colby in 8 episodes of "Rawhide", and Shack Shackelford in 13 episodes of "Cassie & Co.", he never became a household word. In movies, his best role was as Jack Burden in All the King's Men (1949) for which he should have won that year's award for Best Supporting Actor, but unaccountably lost out to Dean Jagger in Twelve O'Clock High. Earlier in 1949, Ireland played the title role of Bob Ford in I Shot Jesse James. He continued the James association by playing the lead in The Return of Jesse James (1950), a minor film about a drifter who adopted the James name. In 1951, he starred in The Basketball Fix and The Bushwackers. In 1952 he was the lead in Hurricane Smith. So it's no surprise to find him as the star of our 1948 "B" movie, Open Secret, even though he does little with the role and is often upstaged by the support cast, particularly Anne O'Neal, here in the first of her fifteen movie appearances for 1948. In fact, Miss O'Neal's inquisitive landlady does tend to throw the whole movie off balance and she certainly creams our nominal heroine, Jane Randolph. We would also have liked to have seen more of some of the other support players, particularly Roman Bohnen and Sheldon Leonard. However, the movie does come to an effective action climax, well staged by director John Reinhardt—although the lesson or the moral does seem to be a bit exaggerated and over the top. Admittedly, Gentleman's Agreement (1947) erred in the opposite direction and was too namby-pamby in its approach to anti-Jewish prejudice, but I still thought the police response in an Open Secret situation would have been far more active, particularly as the movie seems to go out of its way to praise the police effort and make excuses for their lack of involvement. Available on a very good Alpha DVD.

SGT Lee Bartoletti Tight story on anti-Semitic/anti-"Foreigner" group operating in what appears to be part of NYC. Ireland discovers that his murdered Army buddy was somehow involved with said group, and tries to get to the bottom of it. In the process, he discovers some incriminating photos of local resident bigots, and nearly gets greased himself (of course). Novel to see Leonard playing a good guy (a police detective) who, being of Italian ancestry, has a personal interest in ridding the nativist bigots who terrorize his town (in the last scene, he actually walks down the street with a grin on his face). Two best pieces of dialog:Leonard to Jewish camera store owner Strauss (after beating up town bigots)- "Hey, Harry, what'd they to to you? Strauss- "Did you see the other guy? Take it easy on Ralph; I think the kid learned by now." Ireland- "Hey, you wanna see a doctor?" Strauss- "Doctor? I never felt better in my life."Leonard on phone, talking to a detective about catching gang's leader, Phillips- "This is Frontelli speaking. Send the wagon to 531 Parker, back alley...Phillips. (Chuckles slightly under his breath). Yeah, he was playing Hitler, but in the wrong precinct." 7 out of 10 *s.

sol1218 ***SPOILERS*** Powerful and no holds barred movie about racism in America that goes as far as murder to those that don't fit into what American, according to a bunch on Neo-Nazis, are supposed to be like.It's when newlyweds photographer Paul Lester and his wife Nancy, John Ireland & Jane Randolph, came to see his army buddy Ed Stevens, Charles Walkdrow Jr, that he found the guy AWOL not only from his apartment but Paul as well! It's when Paul gets a phone call from Snap Magazine investigative reporter Larry Mitchell, Morgan Farley, about some secret information, a roll of film, that Ed was supposed to hand over to him that he realized that his friend was in a heap of trouble. Ed had secretly photographed the actions,like painting swastikas on Jewish owned establishments and setting a synagogue on fire, of a number of secretive neighborhood Neo-Nazis that he infiltrated. What's even worse these Neo-Nazis were also involved in the murder of a Jewish man in the neighborhood, Mr. Fisher, by running him down in a staged hit-and-run "accident". It's later with the help of police Det. Sgt.Mike Frotelli, Sheldon Leonard, that Ed's body is recovered in him suffering the same fate that Mr. Fisher did: killed in a hit-in-run "accident".It's in fact the Neo-Nazis brazenness in not being able to keep their big mouths shut by always getting themselves drunk at their neighborhood hangout, "The no Jews allowed 19th Hole", about what their up to that leads to their ultimate demise. There's also a few, to say the least, weak links in their rag tag organization of drunks loudmouths and Adolph Hitler wannabes with them, when the heats on, turning over evidence to the DA in order to save their skins. That all ends up exposing their leader or Fuhrer's evil and diabolical plans for the future of America!It's the Neo-Nazis attempt to run Jewish camera store owner Harry Strass, George Tyne, out of the neighborhood is what in the end did the rascals in. Not at all intimidated by the Neo-Nazis Harry joined with Paul to put this slobbery bunch of self-styled Ubermenchen, Supermen in German, out of business. It was Harry who developed the very incriminating film that the late Ed Stevens gave him that put his life in danger! Hiding the film in Ed's apartment the head Neo-Nazi, who shall remain nameless, tried to talk Paul's wife Nancy into turning over the film and negatives to him for safe keeping. It's in his not so subtle demands to get his hands on the film which finally got Nacy wise to what he was in fact planning: Burn and film & negatives!***SPOILERS*** Nail-biting finish with Harry putting his life on the line by him going into the lions den the anti-semitic "19th Hole" bar, where no Jews are allowed, to both give Paul who was being held hostage enough time to make his getaway while most of the Neo-Nazis were lead on a wild goose chase by Harry in trying to find Ed's developed photos of them in action! As for Hitler Jr, the head of this unsavory group of Nazi storm troopers, he got his and got it good by trying to check out with Ed's photo's Tarzan style, by by jumping out of a closed window, only to find out that he, unlike Superman, isn't faster then a speeding bullet!