The Narrow Margin (1952)
A woman planning to testify against the mob must be protected against their assassins on the train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Richard Fleischer
Written By: Earl Felton, Martin Goldsmith
Starring: Don Beddoe, Marie Windsor, Charles McGraw, Jacqueline White, Queenie Leonard, Paul Maxey, Gordon Gebert, David Clarke, Peter Virgo
Country: USA
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The Narrow Margin belongs to 29 collections
1. Features under 91 minutes (collaborative: moderated by epiphany - 56 stars)
2. Film Noir (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 55 stars)
3. They Shoot Pictures 250 Quintessential Noir Films (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 38 stars)
4. Jonathan Rosenbaum's Top 1000 Movies (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 38 stars)
5. Academy Award - Oscar - ALL Best Picture, Directing, Acting & Screenplay Nominees (collaborative - 22 stars)
6. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
7. Best of criticker: Drama (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 18 stars)
8. Best film of top directors (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 15 stars)
9. Doubling The Canon (collaborative - 13 stars)
10. 1,000 Noir Films: They Shot Dark Pictures, Didn't They? (collaborative: moderated by lisa- - 9 stars)
11. BFI 100 key Noir films (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 8 stars)
12. Best of criticker: Crime (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 8 stars)
13. Best of Classic Old Hollywood (pre-70s) (collaborative: moderated by 90sCoffee - 6 stars)
14. Doubling The Canon (2010 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 5 stars)
15. Remade (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 4 stars)
16. List: Noir of the Week (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 3 stars)
17. Best of criticker: Film Noir (collaborative: moderated by avgcrtckr - 3 stars)
18. Trains (collaborative - 2 stars)
19. The 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time: Slant Magazine (public: TychoCelchuu - 2 stars)
20. Doubling the Canon (2011 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 1 star)
21. Doubling the Canon (2012 update) (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 1 star)
22. Moviedrome: Alex Cox (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer - 1 star)
23. List: TSPDT's 100 Noir Films (public: KasperL - 1 star)
24. Cinema Sewer (collaborative: moderated by mattburgess)
25. Golden film reels from L.A. Noire (collaborative: moderated by juntakinte99)
26. The Overlook Film Encyclopedia: The Gangster Film (collaborative: moderated by RoyalB)
27. DtC Doubling the Canon 2023 Nominees (collaborative: moderated by lineuphere)
28. Owned Films (public: TheSaberfool)
29. Forrest Watch List (public: ForrestQ)
Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 5 |  |
Alex Watkins | 3 38th |
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An edge-of-your-seat thriller that clocks in at a lean-as-hell 71 minutes.
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| 4 |  |
Nathan S | 3 45th |
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This movie was a pleasant surprise. Really good use of the train scenario to build claustrophobia and tension, with some neat photographic tricks and an unexpected twist ending. Short, but sweet.
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| 2 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 86 84th |
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Sometimes simplicity is an asset for a film, if executed correctly, and that's the case here. Following a quick set up we're treated to a tense hour of tight spaces and suspense aboard a train with slight interludes of levity. It works really well and has some well executed twists.
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| 1 |  |
MartinTeller | 84 81st |
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Makes great use of the train setting, the results are suspenseful and often inventive. It seems to be put in the film noir category, but I wouldn't say it has many of the noir characteristics. There are some excellent twists and surprises which make it a first-rate thriller though. The main drawback is McGraw, who lacks the charisma to be a compelling leading man.
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| 1 |  |
JooJoo | 5 80th |
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You just can't go wrong with suspense on a train. Impossible.
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| 1 |  |
KasperL | 80 86th |
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Near-excellent, minimalistic thriller with a satisfying, twisty-turny plotline.
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| 1 |  |
afx237vi | 70 69th |
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The twist caught me by surprise, but I thought it was a shame the film ended so quickly afterwards and the consequences of the revelation were essentially ignored. Apart from that it was very good; a brisk, economical thriller with a simple premise, well-written characters and sharp dialogue. Marie Windsor steals the show as the hard-nosed moll, played with just a hint of vulnerability. Some good action sequences, too, including a great fight scene in a cramped train carriage.
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| 1 |  |
friendo55 | 88 79th |
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With so much happening in its 71 minute runtime it's impossible not to be on the edge of your seat the entire time. It's also very impressive the number of notable characters introduced throughout the film, and the twists and turns that follow. The dialogue is fantastic, the story is simple but told very well, and overall incredibly entertaining.
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| Average Percentile 69.81% from 297 Ratings |  |