I first saw this when it was screened as a supporting feature in Australia in 1951/52 and hasn't been seen here since. A pity, because it was rather more cerebral and realistic than almost anything else seen in that era. I was only 14 when I saw it so I can't remember much about the plot but its realism came through (I was a pretty savvy kid movie-wise, I must admit). I could only remember Lloyd Bridges until I looked it up just now and was surprised to see who else was in it: Anne Francis, Ernest Borgnine, Carleton Carpenter, Murray Hamilton etc, before they became known. I'm also a little surprised director Robert Siodmak didn't run into strife with the McCarthy hearings in those years as it seemed to me the movie could be seen as a tad leftish, but I may be wrong as I was too young to understand that at the time, and this was not an issue in Australia then. Anyway, the semi-documentary treatment and the (apparent} filming on location added to the straightforward treatment. Columbia made some interesting movies around that time, some that I would suggest are a high-water mark in American movie-making and should be seen more often. If it's as good as I remember it, it should be seen as a minor classic.
Review of The Whistle at Eaton Falls
