Take One False Step (1949): Cast & Plot
Take One False Step is a 1949 mystery thriller directed by Chester Erskine, starring William Powell as Andrew Gentling, Felix Bressart and Dorothy Hart. It runs 1 hour 34 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 34m (94 min)
- Director
- Chester Erskine
- Original language
-
English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Take One False Step About?
The premise of Take One False Step without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After a midnight drive with Professor Andrew Gentling, Catherine “Cathy” Sykes vanishes, presumed murdered. When the authorities view Andrew as the prime suspect, his friend Martha urges him to clear his name by launching his own investigation before he is taken into custody.
Take One False Step Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- 1940s
- los angeles california
- old flame
- academic
- professor
- conference
- disappearance
- police investigation
- police road block
- homicide detective
- scarf
- fugitive
+38 more Show fewer
- murder investigation
- infidelity
- racketeer
- mobster
- crime syndicate
- rip off
- assumed dead
- coastal highway
- threat to commit suicide
- betrayal
- deception
- revolver
- train
- diary
- fistfight
- stolen money
- rabies
- rabid dog
- dog bite
- vicious dog
- doctor
- car accident
- circumstantial evidence
- radio broadcast
- roadside diner
- trap
- san francisco california
- drunkenness
- scene during opening credits
- freeze frame
- screenplay adapted by author
- police
- missing woman
- the los angeles tribune
- champagne
- reference to frankenstein's monster
- throwing a dart
- picture on front page of newspaper
Take One False Step Cast & Characters
William Powell leads the cast as Andrew Gentling, with Felix Bressart as Professor Morris Avrum and Dorothy Hart as Helen Gentling. Directed by Chester Erskine; 42 actors are credited in all.
- Director Chester Erskine
-
William Powell as Andrew Gentling - Felix Bressart as Professor Morris Avrum
- Dorothy Hart as Helen Gentling
- Jess Barker as Arnold Sykes
Also Starring in Take One False Step
· 38 more- Shelley Winters Catherine Sykes
- Marsha Hunt Martha Wier
- Mikel Conrad Freddie Blair
- James Gleason Captain Gledhill
- Marjorie Bennett Waitress (uncredited)
- Frank Cady Reporter (uncredited)
- Art Baker Henry Pritchard
- Chuck Hamilton Policeman (uncredited)
- Charles Sullivan Truck Driver in Cafe (uncredited)
- Paul Harvey Mr. Arnspiger
- Brick Sullivan Policeman (uncredited)
- Minerva Urecal Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
- Edmund Cobb Policeman (uncredited)
- Jack Rice Good Humor Man (uncredited)
- Ralph Peters Portly Man (uncredited)
- Herbert Heywood Attendant (uncredited)
Show all 42 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Sheldon Leonard Detective Pacciano
- Dorothy Vaughan Leona (uncredited)
- Francis Pierlot Dr. Herbert Watson
- Howard Freeman Dr. Markheim
- Houseley Stevenson Montgomery Thatcher
- George Lynn Policeman (uncredited)
- Charles McAvoy Policeman (uncredited)
- Maurice Marsac Louis (uncredited)
- Lyle Latell Reporter (uncredited)
- Paul Brinegar Reporter (uncredited)
- Leonard Bremen Truck Driver (uncredited)
- Adolph Faylauer Bald Man at Lecture (uncredited)
- Johnny Duncan Bellhop (uncredited)
- Charles Flynn Policeman (uncredited)
- Vangie Beilby Old Lady at Lecture (uncredited)
- Jim Toney Bartender (uncredited)
- Tommy Ivo Horace - Boy at Roadblock (uncredited)
- Sandra Gould Newspaper Girl (uncredited)
- Harland Tucker Clerk (uncredited)
- Enid Markey Clara (uncredited)
- Ethyl May Halls Woman at Window (uncredited)
- Helen Crozier Maid (uncredited)
Take One False Step Plot Summary
What happens in Take One False Step 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
In a tense postwar setting, Andrew Gentling, a married college professor and a founding figure of a new university, reluctantly agrees to share a drink with Catherine Sykes, his wartime girlfriend. He is careful to avoid scandal as his career and reputation loom large. However, the next day Catherine is reported missing and is feared to have been murdered after a bloody scarf is found at her ransacked home. Catherine’s friend Martha Wier informs him that Catherine had been romantically involved with Freddie Blair, a crime partner of Catherine’s husband. Andrew tries to retrieve Catherine’s diary containing evidence of the affair from her bedroom, but he is attacked by a dog and suffers a deep cut on his hand.
Full summary
The whole story of Take One False Step, scene by scene
Take One False Step Also Known As
5 alternative titles, including “Un mal paso” and “Un paso en falso”.
- Also known as
-
- Un mal paso
- Un paso en falso
- Um Passo em Falso
- Un pas en fals
- 行差踏错
Seen Take One False Step?
Movies Like Take One False Step
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including One False Move, Take My Life and One Way.
Take One False Step FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Take One False Step, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Take One False Step?
Take One False Step runs 1 hour 34 minutes (94 minutes).
When was Take One False Step released?
Take One False Step was released on June 3, 1949.
Who directed Take One False Step?
Take One False Step was directed by Chester Erskine.
More films by Chester Erskine Who is in the cast of Take One False Step?
Take One False Step stars William Powell as Andrew Gentling, Felix Bressart as Professor Morris Avrum and Dorothy Hart as Helen Gentling, among 42 credited actors.
Does Take One False Step have a post-credit scene?
No. Take One False Step has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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