George E. Diskant

The Narrow Margin is another taught and exciting crime film from director Richard Fleischer. Based on a story written by Jack Leonard and Martin Goldsmith, Earl Felton’s tight screenplay is executed with nail-biting flair by director Fleischer. Suspense builds, and a twist is thrown at the viewer before it is finally over, making this “B” sleeper one of RKO’s best from this period. A thriller set on a train bound for California, the viewer is aboard for a tense and action-filled ride they won't soon forget.

His partner is killed while picking up the wife of a mob boss set to testify before a Grand Jury, and Sgt. Walter Brown (Charles McGraw) is determined to get her from Chicago to Los Angeles by train in one piece. He knows he has been followed, however. His only advantage being that the killers sent after his charge don't know what she looks like. Not enamored of the kind of woman who would hook up with a gangster, he is a by-the-book cop, and keeps the somewhat trampy wife (Marie Windsor) stashed in his compartment while he plays cat and mouse with at least two men sent to kill her. He is impeded along the way by a bratty kid named Tommy (Gordon Gebert), who turns out to be not so bad after all. Tensions escalate, however, when Tommy’s pretty mother, Ann (Jacqueline White), is mistaken for their target.

Though the film is shot nearly entirely aboard a train, the interiors work in the film’s favor, adding a claustrophobic feel as Brown must stay alive so he can protect someone for whom he doesn’t have much use. Marie Windsor is excellent as Mrs. Neall, who may have a few tricks up her own sleeve — and a secret. Jacqueline White, so pretty opposite William Lundigan in Mystery in Mexico, another solid RKO “B” entry, is very nice as Tommy’s mother. When an attempted bribe comes into play, it is unclear just who the honest cop can trust. A fat man who always seems to slow him down and a car shadowing the train keep the viewer guessing. Plus, there’s a final twist coming you won't see coming.

Moving as quickly as the train it is set on, Fleischer’s film is a bona-fide classic in the suspense and crime thriller genre. Shot on a meager budget, it packs a bigger wallop than many films with a better pedigree, proving that money alone does not a good film make. A fun ride.… (more)