A tough cop meets his match when he has to guard a gangster's widow on a train journey from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Direction
Fleischer weaponizes every train compartment.
Acting
Marie Windsor's 40-minute smirk — villainy as seduction.
Editing
Tight 72 minutes, not a frame wasted.
Director
Richard Fleischer
Charles McGraw
Det. Sgt. Walter Brown
Marie Windsor
Mrs. Frankie Neall
Jacqueline White
Ann Sinclair
Gordon Gebert
Tommy Sinclair
Queenie Leonard
Mrs. Troll
David Clarke
Joseph Kemp
Peter Virgo
Densel
Don Beddoe
Det. Sgt. Gus Forbes
Paul Maxey
Sam Jennings
Harry Harvey
Train Conductor
Peter Brocco
Vincent Yost (uncredited)
George Chandler
Accomplice Running Newsstand (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum
Train Passenger (uncredited)
Don Haggerty
Det. Wilson (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee
Tenant (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
RKO wanted the train rebuilt on a soundstage; Fleischer fought to shoot on the real LA-Chicago line, creating documentary-level authenticity.
Marie Windsor became the patron saint of 'bad blondes' in noir — this role typecast her for decades, though she called it 'the best work I ever did.'
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