The Limping Man ~ 1953 -BW

QUICKIE: Murder, blackmail, intrigue, drama, romance, this is turning into a great movie.... PSYCH! Aw, BOOOOOOOOO!

PLOT: American Frank Pryor (Lloyd Bridges) arrives in London to take up an interrupted romance with Pauline French (Moria Lister), whom he hasn't seen in six years. At the airport a man standing alongside Pryor is slain by an unseen sniper, and he is detained by Scotland Yard for questioning. Released, he goes to Pauline's apartment, and learns that she had an intimate association with the slain man and is not interested in talking about it. Scotland Yard also knows this and Pryor and Pauline are kept under surveillance. After complications involving the dead man's wife, it is found that the man Pauline knows isn't dead at all and isn't who he is supposed to be.

SUMMARY: Wow, this movie had everything going for it, and was shaping up to a great dramatic ending, and then it just pulls the rug right out from under you. I've seen some horrible endings in my day, but this one, this one takes the cake. The movie has great intrigue, blackmail, murder, mystery, deception, plot twists, it's a great film. Then WHAMO! Sucks.

It works out that the dead guy isn't dead, and continues to try and blackmail Pauline. The climactic pre-ending has him trying to escape the police and Pryor catches him on the balcony of the theater. There's a fist fight and just as Pryor is about to klonk the bad guy on the head, or push him over the balcony, WHAM! Pryor is back on the plane where the movie started, and he's being awakened by the passenger behind him returning his magazine to him. WHAT?!!! It was all just a dream he was having? What a rip off. I felt gyped. Where's the happy ending? Is him getting off the plane and meeting Pauline it? Boooooooo. Give us a real ending. It's a great movie, but the ending is infuriating. But maybe that was the point.