US Release date: 3 August 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 12 August 1950
Genre: Crime
Country: UK
Running time: 96 minutes
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Cast: Robert Newton, Sally Gray & Phil Brown
Australian Distributor: GBDFD
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Hoyts’ Athenaeum theatre for four weeks from 23 June 1950 supported by Poet’s Pub.
Suburban Release Type: Hoyts 9-W-2
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 161 | 145 |
| EF PPE | 3.50 | 156 |
| Metres Travelled | 462,243 | 177 |
| Average MT | 10,049 | 206 |
| Engagements | 46 | 163 |
| Slots | 47 | 227 |
| Weeks | 1 | 284 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 2.17% | 323 |
| Saturdays | 21 | 112 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 45.65% | 132 |
| Tuesdays | 24 | 62 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 52.17% | 88 |
| First billed | 25 | 149 |
| Second billed | 21 | 147 |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Hoyts ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 45 |
| Ratio | 97.83% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 5.47% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -5.39% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 1 |
| Ratio | 2.17% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.07% |
| Hoyts eng | 32 |
| Ratio | 69.57% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 3.79% |
| Independent eng | 5 |
| Ratio | 10.87% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.63% |
| Suburban eng | 9 |
| Ratio | 19.57% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.15% |
Notes: Grim but highly effective British noir balanced its bookings between Saturdays and Tuesdays; first billings and supports (shared with Holiday Affair). Therefore rankings were strictly middle of the road on most metrics.
Obsession engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| Caulfield | Crystal Palace | Suburban | 12/8/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Malvern | New | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| South Yarra | Regent | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Albert Park | Park | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 1 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Fitzroy | Regent | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 1 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| North Fitzroy | Merri | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 1 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Port Melbourne | Eclipse | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 1 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Prahran | Empress | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 1 | T | 1 | Girls’ School |
| Richmond | Cinema | Hoyts | 12/8/50 | 1 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Northcote | Northcote | Suburban | 19/8/50 | 2 | S | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Brighton | Centre | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Brunswick | Alhambra | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Girls’ School |
| Coburg | Town Hall | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Girls’ School |
| Elsternwick | Renown | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Essendon | Circle | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Ascot Vale | Ascot | Suburban | 19/8/50 | 2 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Richmond | Globe | Suburban | 19/8/50 | 2 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Ascot Vale | Waratah | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Essendon | Plaza | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Glenhuntly | Glenhuntly | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Thornbury | Regent | Hoyts | 19/8/50 | 2 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| St. Kilda | Palais | Suburban | 19/8/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Red Light |
| Balwyn | Time | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Camberwell | Broadway | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Footscray | Barkly | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Girls’ School |
| Gardiner | Regent | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Hampton | Southern | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Kew | Rialto | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Bentleigh | Bentleigh | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Carnegie | Carnegie | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Glenferrie | Palace | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Preston | Circle | Hoyts | 26/8/50 | 3 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 2/9/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Canterbury | Maling | Hoyts | 2/9/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| Malvern | Victory | Hoyts | 2/9/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| North Fitzroy | Palace | Suburban | 2/9/50 | 4 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Brunswick | Lygon | Hoyts | 2/9/50 | 4 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Ivanhoe | Ivanhoe | Hoyts | 2/9/50 | 4 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| North Melbourne | Loco | Independent | 9/9/50 | 5 | S | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Yarraville | St. George | Suburban | 9/9/50 | 5 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Williamstown | Shore | Hoyts | 9/9/50 | 5 | T | 2 | Holiday Affair |
| Oakleigh | Paramount | Independent | 16/9/50 | 6 | T | 1 | Inside Story |
| Box Hill | Rialto | Suburban | 23/9/50 | 7 | T | 1 | Poet’s Pub |
| Elwood | Broadway | Independent | 7/10/50 | 9 | S | 1 | Holiday Affair |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 14/10/50 | 10 | T | 1 | One Last Fling |
| West Preston | Rivoli | Independent | 24/2/51 | 29 | S | 1 | Dakota Lil |
The 1950 Project 