Hugo Haas continued the classic noir tradition of the ‘40s well into the next decade with Hit and Run (1957) as a signature noir film among his credits, both as the writer and the director while also playing one of the three lead roles.
In Hit and Run, Haas plays business-owner Gus Hilmer who marries a showgirl Julie (Cleo Moore) much younger than him and who has already become the object of desire of his young, hunky employee Frank (Vince Edwards). The smoldering relationship inevitably leads to a murder plot masked as a random car accident with Gus being overrun to death. But not all goes as Frank had planned and the arrival of Gus’ twin brother to claim his share in the property brings more than an estranged relative to the table.
Making a crime thriller as a drama with just a few lead characters takes screenwriting talent and Hit and Run is an example of Haas’ knack for writing noir (with Herbert O. Phillips sharing the writing credit). All three leads in the movie offer the classic noir shades with the look-alike brother adding to the thrill of the cat-and-mouse game in the final act.
In characterization, Julie happens to take the center stage with her character making a 180 from being the object of Frank’s jealous passion against Gus to making Frank the object of her own jealousy against Miranda – the Circus Lion Tamer (Dolores Reed) after she senses her interest in Frank.
With the essential ingredients of mistaken identities, betrayal, guilt, and escape, Haas captures the essence of noir filmmaking in Hit and Run.
