Charles McGraw with that raspy voice and rugged look was always cast as a tough guy on either side of the law. But only in The Narrow Margin was he a lead in a film.
He and partner Don Beddoe draw a tough assignment, escort mob widow Marie Windsor to Los Angeles from Chicago to turn over a list of payoffs the mob has been making to law enforcement officials. Right from the start it goes bad as Beddoe is killed just taking Windsor out of her apartment.
So McGraw has to keep an eye out on Windsor for the next few days as the train goes to Los Angeles. Strangely enough the hit men have no idea what their target looks like, but they know McGraw is now the only cop escorting so they focus on him.
Now I have to say that throughout the whole film I kept thinking this was a truly stupid idea, sending out contract killers who have no knowledge of what their target looks like. But as it turns out this was a very clever plot gimmick and there's a good reason why.
McGraw and Windsor are at their best here. Windsor is frightening as one coldhearted woman who has a secret that's the key to the whole story.
The Narrow Margin got an Oscar nomination for the writing. Deservedly so.
He and partner Don Beddoe draw a tough assignment, escort mob widow Marie Windsor to Los Angeles from Chicago to turn over a list of payoffs the mob has been making to law enforcement officials. Right from the start it goes bad as Beddoe is killed just taking Windsor out of her apartment.
So McGraw has to keep an eye out on Windsor for the next few days as the train goes to Los Angeles. Strangely enough the hit men have no idea what their target looks like, but they know McGraw is now the only cop escorting so they focus on him.
Now I have to say that throughout the whole film I kept thinking this was a truly stupid idea, sending out contract killers who have no knowledge of what their target looks like. But as it turns out this was a very clever plot gimmick and there's a good reason why.
McGraw and Windsor are at their best here. Windsor is frightening as one coldhearted woman who has a secret that's the key to the whole story.
The Narrow Margin got an Oscar nomination for the writing. Deservedly so.