Guilty Bystander (1950): Cast, Plot & Where to Watch
Guilty Bystander is a 1950 crime drama directed by Joseph Lerner, starring Zachary Scott as Max Thursday, Mary Boland and Faye Emerson. It runs 1 hour 31 minutes. Stream it on Fawesome and JustWatch TV.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 31m (91 min)
- Director
- Joseph Lerner
- Original language
-
English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Guilty Bystander About?
The premise of Guilty Bystander without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
How innocent can a bystander be? A drunken ex-cop gets a shot at redemption when his young son is kidnapped after a smuggling deal goes belly up.
Guilty Bystander Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- intoxication
- hotel
- ex policeman
- detective
- new york city
- manhattan new york city
- begins with a quotation
- taxi
- new york city skyline
- card playing
- house detective
- knocking on a door
+38 more Show fewer
- man wears an undershirt
- drink
- drinking
- drunkenness
- mustached man
- photograph
- little boy
- mirror
- looking at oneself in a mirror
- looking out a window
- ex husband ex wife relationship
- father son relationship
- mother son relationship
- money
- missing son
- missing little boy
- cigarette smoking
- cigarette vending machine
- reflection in a mirror
- lighting a cigarette
- gun
- subjective camera
- raising one's hands up in the air
- hangover
- licorice
- doctor
- policeman
- jail cell
- knocked unconscious with gun
- jail
- police captain
- kidnapping a little boy
- dead body
- morgue
- water cooler
- interrogation
- alibi
- woman files her fingernails
Where to Watch Guilty Bystander
Stream it on Fawesome and JustWatch TV. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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Guilty Bystander Cast & Characters
Zachary Scott leads the cast as Max Thursday, with Mary Boland as Smitty and Faye Emerson as Georgia. Directed by Joseph Lerner; 19 actors are credited in all.
- Director Joseph Lerner
- Zachary Scott as Max Thursday
- Mary Boland as Smitty
- Faye Emerson as Georgia
- Dennis Patrick as Mace
Also Starring in Guilty Bystander
· 15 more- Jed Prouty Dr. Elder
- J. Edward Bromberg Varkas
- Kay Medford Angel
- Jesse White Masher
- Elliott Sullivan Stitch
- John Marley Bartender (uncredited)
- Sam Levene Captain Tonetti
- Harry Landers Bert
- Donald Novis Johnson
- Lou Herbert Detective
- Maurice Gosfield Guard on Bridge (uncredited)
- Ray Julian Johnny
- Garney Wilson Harvey
- Scott Landers Shaunessy
- Lester Lonergan Morgue Doctor
Guilty Bystander Plot Summary
What happens in Guilty Bystander from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Max Thursday is an alcoholic former cop who works as a house detective at his friend Smitty’s rundown hotel. Georgia, his ex-wife, arrives in a panic because their young son Jeff and her brother Mace are missing. She was warned not to inform the police by Dr. Elder, a business associate who looms large over the case.
In a drunken confrontation, [Max Thursday] accuses Dr. Elder of foul play, but the doctor knocks him unconscious from behind. When [Max] wakes, he is hauled to the police station for questioning. The awful truth unfolds quickly: [Dr. Elder] is dead and Max has become the prime suspect. [Georgia] supports him with a false alibi, and the police release him, adding a fragile sense of relief to a tense moment.
Full summary
The whole story of Guilty Bystander, scene by scene
Cars in Guilty Bystander
8 cars on screen, including the 1948 Checker Taxicab and the 1947 Oldsmobile 66 Special.
-
1948 Checker Taxicab Minor role -
1947 Oldsmobile 66 Special Minor role -
1946 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Background role -
1946 Clark Yardlift Background role
Seen Guilty Bystander?
Movies Like Guilty Bystander
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Guilty, The Guilty Generation and The Guilty.
Guilty Bystander FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch and post-credit scenes of Guilty Bystander, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Guilty Bystander?
Guilty Bystander runs 1 hour 31 minutes (91 minutes).
When was Guilty Bystander released?
Guilty Bystander was released on April 20, 1950.
Who directed Guilty Bystander?
Guilty Bystander was directed by Joseph Lerner.
More films by Joseph Lerner Who is in the cast of Guilty Bystander?
Guilty Bystander stars Zachary Scott as Max Thursday, Mary Boland as Smitty and Faye Emerson as Georgia, among 19 credited actors.
Where can I watch Guilty Bystander?
In the US, Guilty Bystander is streaming on Fawesome, JustWatch TV and MUBI (availability from JustWatch).
Does Guilty Bystander have a post-credit scene?
No. Guilty Bystander has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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