US Release date: 3 November 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 4 February 1950
Genre: Crime
Country: USA
Running time: 86 minutes.
Director: Lewis Allen
Cast: Alan Ladd, Donna Reed and June Havoc
Australian Distributor: Paramount
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Union’s Liberty Theatre for four weeks from 23 December 1949 with Robin Hood of Texas as support.
Suburban Release Type: Union 8-W-1
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 321 | 52 |
| EF PPE | 7.13 | 41 |
| Metres Travelled | 484,851 | 151 |
| Average MT | 10,774 | 107 |
| Engagements | 45 | 177 |
| Slots | 74 | 52 |
| Weeks | 29 | 45 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 64.44% | 49 |
| Saturdays | 6 | 292 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 13.33% | 327 |
| Tuesdays | 10 | 177 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 22.22% | 222 |
| First billed | 44 | 83 |
| Second billed | 1 | 259 |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Independent ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 42 |
| Ratio | 93.33% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 6.66% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 2 |
| Ratio | 4.44% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.18% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 1 |
| Ratio | 2.22% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.49% |
| Hoyts eng | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.84% |
| Independent eng | 35 |
| Ratio | 77.78% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 0.67% |
| Suburban eng | 10 |
| Ratio | 22.22% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 0.17% |
Notes: Stellar performer for Paramount and evidence of the popularity of Alan Ladd at the time. Intriguingly, as the advertising copy states, this was rush released to Melbourne, only three months after its US premiere (3 months was a very short lag-time in 1950). Given that fact, why did Union then dump it into their fleapit action-house, The Liberty? Sure, four weeks there was a top result for a venue that rarely heldover, but one would think a genuine A picture would have been better served by a more prominent venue. In any case, it nearly snuck into the EF top 50 due to a large number of slots and lucrative weeks. Red, Hot and Blue was its regular support act.
Chicag0 Deadline engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| Collingwood | Austral | Suburban | 4/2/50 | 1 | T | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Albert Park | Kinema | Independent | 4/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Burnley | Burnley | Independent | 4/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| North Carlton | Adelphi | Independent | 4/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Richmond | National | Independent | 4/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| St.Kilda | Astor | Independent | 4/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Toorak | Village | Independent | 4/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| St.Kilda | Palais | Suburban | 4/2/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Brunswick | Empire | Independent | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Caulfield | Camden | Independent | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Elsternwick | Esquire | Independent | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Malvern | Embassy | Independent | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Moonee Ponds | Moonee | Independent | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| West Brunswick | Western | Independent | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Westgarth | Westgarth | Independent | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Preston | Planet | Suburban | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| East Malvern | Waverley | Independent | 18/2/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Glenferrie | Glen | Independent | 18/2/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Hawthorn | Vogue | Independent | 18/2/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Camberwell | Rivoli | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Newmarket | Newmarket | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Ormond | Plaza | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| East Brunswick | Liberty | Independent | 18/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Beyond the Blue Horizon |
| Essendon | Regal | Independent | 18/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | The Lady Eve |
| Balwyn | Balwyn | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Preston | St. James | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| North Brighton | Gardenvale | Independent | 25/2/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| North Melbourne | Central | Independent | 25/2/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Fairfield | Fairfield | Suburban | 25/2/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Middle Brighton | Dendy | Independent | 25/2/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Skylark |
| Footscray | Grand | Independent | 25/2/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Sandringham | Roxy | Independent | 25/2/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Newport | Plaza | Independent | 4/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Williamstown | Empress | Independent | 4/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Coburg | Plaza | Independent | 4/3/50 | 5 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Heidelberg | Orient | Independent | 4/3/50 | 5 | W | 1 | Give me a Sailor |
| Surrey Hills | Surrey | Independent | 4/3/50 | 5 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Yarraville | Sun | Independent | 4/3/50 | 5 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Oakleigh | Plaza | Independent | 11/3/50 | 6 | W | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Port Melbourne | Port | Independent | 11/3/50 | 6 | W | 2 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Box Hill | Regent | Suburban | 18/3/70 | 7 | S | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Chelsea | Plaza | Independent | 18/3/50 | 7 | W | 1 | Tarzan’s Magic Fountain |
| Ashburton | Civic | Independent | 22/4/50 | 12 | S | 1 | Red, Hot and Blue |
| Elwood | Broadway | Independent | 29/4/50 | 13 | T | 1 | Miss Mink of 1949 |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 23/9/50 | 34 | T | 1 | Sanders of the River |
The 1950 Project 