Jane Randolph (Clara) stages a robbery at her own beauty parlour. Her boyfriend gangster John Ireland (Duke) is in on it but things go wrong when his partner Keefe Brasselle (Kowalski) is shot and kills a policeman in the process. Ireland, Brasselle and Randolph all set up Ed Kelly (Steve) to take the blame and go to the electric chair for this crime that he did not commit and his sister Sheila Ryan (Rosie) sets out to prove his innocence.This is a predictable film that contains some inexplicable actions that don't make sense. Why would Ireland get in touch with sister Sheila? No sense at all. I also briefly fell asleep for a part of this film and have to report that when I awoke the film panned out exactly as expected. There are no surprises with this one but John Ireland makes a good baddie.

Railroaded! Is directed by Anthony Mann and written by Gertrude Walker and John C. Higgins. It stars John Ireland, Sheila Ryan, Hugh Beaumont and Jane Randolph. Music is by Alvin Levin and cinematography by Guy Roe.When an innocent young owner of a company van is framed for a robbery and killing of a cop, his sister takes up the case to prove his innocence. Forming an uneasy alliance with the detective in charge of the case, it is touch and go as to if innocence can be proved since the evidence is stacked against the youngster. But someone is responsible, and that someone is moving close to the action…A difficult film to recommend with confidence to those interested in noir/crime cinema, Anthony Mann's Railroaded has some good moments but unfolds merely as a solid noirish frame-up picture. Narrative holds no surprises and goes exactly where you wish it wouldn't. The tiny budget shows and the acting away from Ireland is pretty average at best, while important points of worth in the plotting drop in only to not be expanded upon thereafter; including the poor innocent youngster sitting in jail!However, it is that portrayal of villain Duke Martin by John Ireland that more than makes it worth sitting through. This is a villain who is not particularly bright in his decision making, but he has some odd kinks (perfuming his bullets, caressing his pistol) and he thinks of nothing to handing out violence to women. Mann and Roe utilise his menace with some good shadow play and lighted close ups. Elsewhere there's a hugely enjoyable "girl scrap" scene between Ryan and Randolph, made more dangerous by the presence of Duke in the shadows. Duke's setting-up of a wino stooge carries with it the requisite nastiness and his kills pack a punch for dramatic impact. The finale, as expected as it is, is well constructed by Mann and at least closes the film down with double bang instead of a whimper.With Desperate and Railroaded released in 1947, Anthony Mann was still crossing over and learning about his film noir capabilities. It would be T-Men made in the same year, with his pairing with ace cinematographer John Alton, where Mann found his mojo and began a coupling that would produce a run of film noir classics. Railroaded is passable, but best viewed as a time waster or appetiser to better pleasures. 6/10

Once I got into collecting film-noir movies, I had to have this one, so I paid big bucks for the VHS. I say that because it added to my disappointment. The film is okay, but if you have really high expectations before seeing this, you'll probably be let down, as I was. I liked this more on the second viewing when I knew what to expect.In the beginning, it dwells too long on the innocent man-being arrested theme but after that part is over, it picks up, but then bogs down again. For people who grew up watching "Leave It To Beaver" on TV, this film offers Hugh Beaumont as a main character. Since I did, I always find it interesting to see Beaumont in different roles. I also enjoyed ogling a pretty brunette, "Rosie," played by Sheila Ryan. The climax to this story was good, and it was surprisingly realistic. There was some decent film-noir photography in spots, too. Overall, okay but not what it's cracked up to be.

John Ireland's portrayal of a cold obsessed killer is the best thing in this movie. His performance is edgy, sexy and menacing. A brutal thug who loves his gun. Unfortunately he is hampered by a weak script, where his actions often make little sense. (For instance, why would he contact the sister of the suspect he framed?). Jane Randolph is also strong as the moll, although her character seems to change midway through the movie.One of the first noir films directed by Anthony Mann, the movie is well shot, fast paced, tightly edited and tough. One wishes the focus could have stayed on Ireland, or, alternatively, the strong scenes of Ed Kelly being framed and pushed around by the cops. Mann will better develop these themes in his later films (noirs and westerns). Still a pretty enjoyable movie and a must for film noir fans.