Performance & Direction: A Dangerous Profession Review
Last updated: January 23, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is A Dangerous Profession (1949) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 5.6/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Crime.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Crime is often anchored by its ensemble, and A Dangerous Profession features a noteworthy lineup led by George Raft . Supported by the likes of Ella Raines and Pat O'Brien , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
In summary, our editorial assessment of A Dangerous Profession (1949) is mixed. With an audience rating of 5.6/10, it stands as a decent one-time watch.
Story & Plot Summary: A Dangerous Profession
Quick Plot Summary: A Dangerous Profession is a Crime, Drama, Mystery film that dives into the criminal underworld with a grounded sense of realism and complex morality. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Ending Explained: A Dangerous Profession
Ending Breakdown: A Dangerous Profession attempts to tie together its various plot elements. The finale presents its approach to crime resolution.
The final reveal recontextualizes earlier scenes, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the crime themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of A Dangerous Profession reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
A Dangerous Profession Real vs. Reel: Is it Based on a True Story?
A Dangerous Profession incorporates elements from real criminal cases. As a crime, drama, mystery film, it navigates the space between factual accuracy and narrative engagement.
Historical Context
The film takes creative liberties to enhance dramatic impact. Core events maintain connection to source material while adapting for theatrical presentation.
Creative interpretation shapes the final narrative, focusing on emotional truth over strict chronology.
Accuracy Assessment: A Dangerous Profession adapts its source material for dramatic purposes. The film prioritizes thematic resonance over documentary precision.
Who Should Watch A Dangerous Profession?
Consider Watching If:
- You're a completist for Crime films
- You're curious despite mixed reviews
- You have low expectations and want casual entertainment
Top Cast: A Dangerous Profession
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Where to Watch A Dangerous Profession Online?
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Amazon VideoApple TV StoreFandango At HomeA Dangerous Profession Parents Guide & Age Rating
1949 AdvisoryWondering about A Dangerous Profession age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of A Dangerous Profession is 79 minutes (1h 19m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 5.6/10, and global performance metrics, A Dangerous Profession is classified as a ABOVE AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 1949 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is A Dangerous Profession worth watching?
A Dangerous Profession is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Crime movies. It has a verified rating of 5.6/10 and stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find A Dangerous Profession parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for A Dangerous Profession identifies it as NR. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of A Dangerous Profession?
The total duration of A Dangerous Profession is 79 minutes, which is approximately 1h 19m long.
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How A Dangerous Profession Compares & Where it Ranks
Critic Reviews for A Dangerous Profession
Penal Code - 1096 A Dangerous Profession is directed by Ted Tetzlaff and written by Warren Duff and Martin Rackin. It stars George Raft, Ella Raines, Pat O'Brien, Bill Williams and Jim Backus. Music is by Frederick Hollander and cinematography by Robert De Grasse. The scene is set, it's Los Angeles and Police Lt. Nick Ferrone (Backus) explains to us with stentorian narration about the whiles of bail bond brokers. This story is concerned with one in particular, Vince Kane (Raft), a one time policeman who followed the lure of the coin into a partnership of a bail bonds operation. It's all going swimmingly well, he's making lots of cash, has gals eating out of his hand, but when a pretty face from his past turns up requesting a favour? Vince suddenly finds himself in a quagmire of murder, deceit and emotional discord. What cop ever reformed? Shall we cut to the chase here? This is not a "great" film, though I do believe that it's very under seen and therefore the meagre internet ratings it has - and the lack of reviews for it - don't quite tell the whole story. There's nothing particularly striking about the visual aspects here, De Grasse's photography occasionally falls in line with what film noir fans consider standard procedure, which has led a few critics to question the film's film noir status. This is all about Vince Kane and how he is thrust into a murky new world by a slinky femme, it may be a whodunit in essence, but the Vince and Lucy Brackett (Raines) axis is most assuredly noir. You phony Gumshoe! Action is in short supply, leaving much of the piece in talky territory. There's a few zinger lines of dialogue in the mix, but mostly it's screen writing 101. Yet in spite of the mixed qualities on offer here, it's a film that Raft fans are sure to enjoy, because he's very much great value as the stoic but emotionally troubled Vince. In fact O'Brien turns in one of his better performances and Raines is pleasingly sultry, meaning the cast perform well up to scratch, even if the screenplay does them few favours. A mixed bag for sure, and hardly essential for fans of such cinematic fare, but there's just enough from the cast to make this one above average. 6/10
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This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
