Review of Blood Alley (1955) by Jeff Z — 01 Feb 2010

Great title, weak film. Wayne escapes after being held prisoner two years by the Chicoms and is asked to help an entire village flee communist China and escape to Hong Kong aboard an old paddleboat. Bacall is in top form in this and Mike Mazurki has what is about the best part in his life, but Wayne is saddled with a "imaginary friend" he talks to throughout the film he names "baby" (oddly, Bacall's nickname).

"Baby" helps him get through the 2 years of captivity without going crazy (or maybe not!). It's a awkward device and doesn't fit the Duke. William Wellman's direction is plodding and there's no way the interiors of the ship match the size of the exterior shots of the ship.

Look for Wayne old buddy Paul Fix as the spokesperson for the Chinese villagers.