Crack-Up

Art critic and forgery expert George Steele (Pat O'Brien) is apprehended by the police as he desperately tries to break into the Manhattan Museum in the opening scene of Crack-Up, a noir mystery directed by Irving Reis. Steele does not understand his own bizarre actions, but explains that he was in ...more

While it falls short of being a classic, Crack-Up is a very good mystery thriller and a welcome treat for fans of the genre looking for something a bit off the beaten path. Although often classified as a film noir, Crack-Up doesn't fully fit into that category; it's placed there generally because of the exceptional work of cinematographer Robert de Grasse. His masterful, chiaroscuro lighting and unexpected angles are firmly in the noircamp, and his atmospheric work is distinctive and original ...more