Elia Kazan declined to discuss his Fox films when I interviewed him. He felt they were not his. They were not Gadge Kazan movies but the result of a team effort by such superb studio craftsmen as photographer Norbert Brodine and film editor Harmon Jones. True, Kazan directed the cast, but this movie's visual style, pacing and atmosphere was supervised by de Rochemont who had the ear of studio head, Darryl F. Zanuck.However, despite Kazan's initial reluctance to talk about Boomerang!, we actually spent well over thirty minutes on it. While he agreed that the picture was realistic at a time when Hollywood was mainly into glamour and escapism, Kazan argued the movie "was no way as good as Paisa." Kazan was also contemptuous of the over-simplification of civic corruption in Fulton Oursler's Reader's Digest article on which the film was based. And he was not happy with his leading man, Dana Andrews, whom he described as difficult to direct. He didn't like the way Brodine lit the film either and found him extremely unreceptive to suggestions that he employ a more gritty style such as that used by Martelli in Paisa.

"Boomerang" is a "Law and Order" type film noir drama from Director Elia Kazan. It is divided into two parts: the crime and pursuit of the criminal and the ensuing courtroom proceedings.Set in an unnamed town in New England, the story deals with the unexpected murder of popular Minister Father George Lambert (Wyrley Birch) by an unknown assailant on the darkened main street of the town. Detectives Robbie Robinson (Lee J. Cobb) and White (Karl Malden) investigate the murder. They are under great pressure from the local State's Attorney Henry L. Harvey (Dana Andrews) and the town's Mayor (Walter Greanza) and its leading citizens Taylor Holmes, Robert Keith and Ed Begley among others who have their own reasons for having the crime solved.An unemployed drifter John Waldron (Arthur Kennedy) is arrested and charged with the crime. He is identified by seven witnesses including the vengeful former girlfriend Irene Nelson (Cara Williams). Robinson and White question him relentlessly until he reluctantly signs a confession.Harvey is congratulated by the pillars of the community and is promised the Governor's mansion if he gets a quick conviction. Harvey at first believes the man to be guilty but then as he re-examines the evidence he begins to have second thoughts.This story is based on an actual case that resulted in part, in the character played by Andrews becoming Attorney General of the United States. Kazan draws an excellent performance from the then newcomer Kennedy as the beleaguered Waldron. Andrews at the peak of his career, is also convincing as the State Attorney. Karl Malden, though unbilled here, makes a good impression in his first of many roles for Director Kazan.Others in the cast include Jane Wyatt, given little to do as Andrews' wife, Sam Levene as news reporter Dave Woods, Barry Kelley as Sgt. Dugan and Philip Coolidge as the mysterious Jim Crossman. Reed Hadley is the narrator (a role he often "played") and Bert Freed as a member of a mob. Brian Keith (son of Robert) appears as an extra and watch for author Arthur Miller as a member of a police line-up.Although Kazan gives us a possible solution to the crime the viewer is left wondering...hmmmm did he or didn't he do it?

Elia Kazan directed this true story set in Connecticut, that begins with the mysterious murder of a popular priest that proves quite difficult to solve, until finally a suspect emerges: a drifter named John Waldron(played by Arthur Kennedy) who was known to be in the area, and has no alibi. The police chief(played by Lee J. Cobb) is satisfied with his suspect, but State Attorney Harvey(played by Dana Andrews) isn't so sure, since there is a distinct lack of evidence(a motive in particular) He then decides to defend Waldron, much to the surprise of his town. Effective film with good acting and direction, and a most interesting recreation of this mysterious case and its effect on the community.

"Boomerang!" features an exceptional cast of actors who might not be pretty but who really knew their craft. Think about it...Dana Andrews, Ed Begley, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, Arthur Kennedy and Robert Keith all in one film. You can't help but enjoy watching the film simply so you can get a chance to watch these wonderful but generally unheralded actors exercise their craft. And, with Elia Kazan directing, you can't help but expect excellence.The film begins with a seemingly senseless murder. A beloved priest is shot in the back of the head, execution-style, on the street of a Connecticut town. The killer, dressed in a trench coat and hat, manages to get away and the town is clamoring for the police to catch him. In fact, the local paper pushes hard, very hard, for the police to act. And, as a result, it seems that the authorities try too hard to catch someone...anyone. The man they eventually catch (Arthur Kennedy) does give an inconsistent story but there really isn't much to connect him to the murder other than several eyewitnesses.When the District Attorney (Dana Andrews) gets the case, something bothers him. While everyone around him seems pleased about the arrest, he can't get past the fact that the evidence is tenuous--very tenuous. In fact, instead of prosecuting the case as you'd expect, Andrews manages to systematically prove the eyewitnesses were not the least bit reliable. They, too, were in a rush to judgment or had personal reasons to say Kennedy was the killer. And, following his impeachment of the witnesses, he is able to tear apart his own case--proving the defendant could not have been the assailant. While the idea of a prosecuting attorney working hard in court to DISPROVE his case sounds insane, it is supposedly based on a real case. And it also proves just how horrible eyewitness accounts can be--often VERY unreliable and subject to lots of human error. It has a great point to make AND is quite entertaining and well constructed. Well worth seeing.