The Chase (DVD)

A man is dragged into a violent underworld when he returns a lost wallet and discovers that the owner is a crime lord. The kingpin, impressed by Scotty's naive honesty, hires him as a chauffeur. Troubled by the sadistic treatment the tyrant visits upon his beautiful wife, the innocent man succumbs to her appeals for help, and organizes an escape plan. The getaway is foiled when she is brutally stabbed and Scotty finds himself framed for the murder. Realizing that he is at the mercy of a diabolic scheme hatched by the crime boss and his insidious henchman (Peter Lorre), Scotty prepares to fight for his life. The twists and turns of the final sequence create a staggering and artful finale to this Film Noir thriller.

Released to critical acclaim and long renowned as a cult classic, The Chase features some of cinema's finest talents. Superior performances from Hitchcock-regulars Robert Cummings and Peter Lorre favor this complex, sophisticated story. Producer Seymour Nebenzal first made a name for himself producing Fritz Lang's M and story writer Cornell Woolrich also penned such masterpieces as Rear Window and Fear in the Night.

• mystery