Crime drama

Pitfall (1948): Cast, Plot & Where to Watch

Name: Pitfall
Genre: Crime, Drama
Released: 1948-08-11
Duration: 1 h 26 min
Cast: Dick Powell, Jimmy Hunt, Raymond Burr, Lizabeth Scott, Byron Barr

Pitfall is a 1948 crime drama directed by André De Toth, starring Dick Powell as John Forbes, Jimmy Hunt and Raymond Burr. It runs 1 hour 26 minutes. Stream it on Fawesome and Hoopla, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video.

Where to watch Read the plot summary

Released: August 11, 1948
Runtime: 1h 26m (86 min)
Director: André De Toth
Genres: Crime , Drama
Original language: English
Studio: Regal Films
After the credits: No No extra scene

The story

What Is Pitfall About?

The premise of Pitfall without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Though he believes himself as strong as steel, a woman may be his undoing. An insurance salesman bored with his routine yearns for excitement, only to become entangled in the dangerous world of a jailed embezzler, his glamorous model girlfriend, and a ruthless private investigator.

Pitfall Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags

insurance investigator
model
private detective
husband wife relationship
justifiable homicide
love triangle
photography portfolio
motor boat
black eye
stalking
family breakfast
release from prison

+38 more

jealousy
private eye
marital infidelity
adultery
unfaithfulness
insurance claims agent
morality
adulterer
intrusive man
routine
boyfriend in prison
male stalker
bored
private investigator
woman shoots a male stalker
sexual attraction
insurance employee
man conceals that he is married
daily routine
stalked woman
repossession
bar
man beaten up by rival
boyfriend killed
inciting jealousy
family man
extramarital affair
ex cop
prison visit
speedboat
femme fatale
romantic rivalry
whistling off camera
stuck in a rut
intercom
rowing a boat
car cigarette lighter
bruised ribs

Where to watch

Where to Watch Pitfall

Stream it on Fawesome and Hoopla, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video. US availability and prices from JustWatch.

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Cast & crew

Pitfall Cast & Characters

Dick Powell leads the cast as John Forbes, with Jimmy Hunt as Tommy Forbes and Raymond Burr as MacDonald. Directed by André De Toth; 20 actors are credited in all.

Director André De Toth

Dick Powell as John Forbes
Jimmy Hunt as Tommy Forbes
Raymond Burr as MacDonald
Lizabeth Scott as Mona Stevens

Also Starring in Pitfall

· 16 more

Byron Barr Bill Smiley
John Litel District Attorney
Jane Wyatt Sue Forbes
Sam Harris Man in Diner
Selmer Jackson Ed Brawley
Ann Doran Maggie
Charles Sherlock Elevator Passenger
Dick Wessel Desk Sergeant
Eddie Borden Prison Visitor (uncredited)
Cap Somers Prisoner
Don Haggerty District Attorney's Man
Helen Dickson Fashion Show Attendee
Thomas Martin Bartender
David McMahon Police Lieutenant
Ben Erway Doctor
Margaret Wells Terry

Plot

Pitfall Plot Summary

What happens in Pitfall from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

John Forbes [Dick Powell] is a family man who feels stifled by his dull job at an insurance agency and yearns for a taste of danger and adventure. When private investigator and former policeman MacDonald [Raymond Burr], working for the agency, reveals that he’s traced the proceeds of an embezzlement—the kind of valuable gifts given to the imprisoned offender’s girlfriend—Forbes decides to step into the mystery himself, convinced that he can recover what was taken and perhaps prove something to himself. But he also senses that MacDonald isn’t just chasing the money; he’s drawn to Mona Stevens [Lizabeth Scott], the glamorous girlfriend who holds the key to the hoard, and Forbes is wary that the investigator may value thrill over ethics.

Full summary

The whole story of Pitfall, scene by scene

Read the full summary