Knock on Any Door
1949 · Movie · NR · 100 min
★ 6.6(74)unSUB Rating
A defense lawyer takes on the case of a young man accused of killing a police officer, arguing that poverty, neglect, and a harsh upbringing helped shape his path. As the trial unfolds, the story looks closely at crime, responsibility, and whether society shares part of the blame.
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Details
- Years
- 1949
- Release date
- 1949-02-22
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 100 min
- TMDB rating (input)
- 6.2/10 (74 votes)
- Box office
- $2,100,000
About
You may like this if you enjoy classic crime dramas with moral arguments and courtroom conflict, especially if Party Girl or Illegal worked for you; Not for you if you dislike preachy themes or slower, dialogue-heavy storytelling.
Pros: intense courtroom tension; strong lead performance; thoughtful social themes | Cons: heavy-handed message; uneven flashback structure; talky slow stretches
Themes
- death sentence
- criminal past
- capital punishment
- juvenile delinquent
- defense attorney
- gun violence
- murder trial
- murdered cop
- courtroom drama
- angry young man
- lying witness
- petty criminal
- +6 more
Cast & crew
Humphrey Bogart
as Andrew Morton
John Derek
as Nick Romano
George Macready
as Dist. Atty. Kerman
Allene Roberts
as Emma
Candy Toxton
as Adele Morton
Mickey Knox
as Vito
Barry Kelley
as Judge Drake
Florence Auer
as Aunt Lena (uncredited)
Vince Barnett
as Carl Swanson - Bartender (uncredited)
Argentina Brunetti
as Ma Romano (uncredited)
Directed by Nicholas Ray