Try and Get Me (1950)
Originally released as The Sound of Fury, this searing crime drama directed by Cy Endfield is one of the most powerful and socially conscious films of the film noir era. Based on Jo Pagano’s novel The Condemned, it dramatizes the real-life 1933 kidnapping and lynching case in San Jose, California, and delivers a scathing critique of media sensationalism and mob violence.
Plot Summary
Howard Tyler (Frank Lovejoy) is an unemployed family man who falls under the influence of Jerry Slocum (Lloyd Bridges), a charismatic but psychopathic petty criminal. Together, they commit a series of robberies, culminating in a kidnapping that ends in murder.
As the press fans the flames of public outrage, the town descends into hysteria. The film’s final act—featuring a terrifying lynch mob scene—is a chilling indictment of collective rage and the breakdown of justice.
Cast Highlights
- Frank Lovejoy as Howard Tyler
- Lloyd Bridges as Jerry Slocum
- Kathleen Ryan as Judy Tyler
- Richard Carlson as Gil Stanton (the conflicted journalist)
- Adele Jergens, Art Smith, and Katherine Locke in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was re-released under the title Try and Get Me! after flopping initially, with the new title emphasizing its raw intensity
- Martin Scorsese owned the only surviving 35mm print, which he authorized for restoration in 2013
- Director Cy Endfield was blacklisted shortly after the film’s release and moved to the UK, where he later directed Zulu (1964)
- Lloyd Bridges was also called before the House Un-American Activities Committee but continued working after naming names
- The film was nominated for two BAFTA Awards, including Best Film and Best Foreign Actor (Frank Lovejoy)
