Dangerous Crossing

Directed by Joseph M. Newman, Dangerous Crossing follows Jeanne Crain’s newly-married Ruth Bowman as she becomes increasingly frantic after her husband (Carl Betz’s John) vanishes during their honeymoon cruise. It’s a compelling premise that’s employed to predominantly engaging effect by Newman, and there’s little doubt that the filmmaker, armed with a screenplay by Leo Townsend, does a terrific job of immediately luring the viewer into the briskly-paced proceedings – with the initial emphasis on the aforementioned vanishing certainly perpetuating the compulsively watchable vibe. And while the picture admittedly does spin its wheels to a slight degree within its midsection, Dangerous Crossing, buoyed by Crain’s larger-than-life yet sympathetic turn as the distraught protagonist, builds towards an increasingly engrossing final stretch wherein the various pieces begin to satisfyingly fall into place – which effectively confirms the movie’s place as a rewarding little thriller that does, generally speaking, exploit its setup to engrossing effect.

*** out of ****