Dangerous Crossing

Product Description The ship's doctor helps a bride solve the case of her missing husband on a honeymoon cruise. Amazon.com A relaxing cruise turns into a terrifying journey in Joseph M. Newman's Dangerous Crossing. Part of the Fox Film Noir series, Newman's classy B-movie plays more like a psychological thriller with some particularly atmospheric visuals (heavy on the studio-generated fog). As her honeymoon begins, newlywed Ruth Bowman (Jeanne Craine, Pinky) explores the ship while husband John (Carl Betz, The Donna Reed Show) runs an errand. On deck, a friendly divorcée warns Ruth, "You mustn't let him out of your sight--husbands can get lost so easily." (The familiar-looking sets were recycled from 1953's Titanic and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.) Hours later, John hasn't returned, and no one has seen him. Ruth?s inquiries uncover an empty room, a missing passport, and her spouse?s absence from the passenger list. All signs point to delusion. Ruth's plight brings her to the attention of Dr. Paul Manning (the elegant Michael Rennie, The Day the Earth Stood Still), who offers to help in any way he can. Though Ruth confesses to a brief bout with depression, there?s nothing else in her background to indicate instability, but that disclosure leads Manning to the real cause of her distress. Based on John Dickson Carr's 1943 radio play Cabin B-13 and shot in 19 days, Newman ( This Island Earth) conjures up as much intrigue as Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes. The excellent extras include comprehensive commentary from Fox historian Aubrey Solomon, a short featurette ( Peril at Sea: Charting a Dangerous Crossing), several stills galleries, and the original theatrical trailer. --Kathleen C. Fennessy