How come just because the cops saw Zosh could walk that somehow they seemed to determine that Frankie wasn't the killer?
They say 'Get dressed', and she does, then takes off and throws herself over the railing to her death, and afterwards they just take her away, and Frankie just walks away with Molly. No statement, no questioning by the police, who up to that point had considered him the cheif suspect.
I don't know. That seems a bit strange to me as well. When the cops interrogated her she did appear to be lying and nervous, and somehow she "knew" he didn't do it. That might have raised some suspicion or a hunch, but to instantly know she was the murderer was a bit unexplainable.
After jumping to her death it makes sense that they would assume she was guilty, but I'm not sure how they knew FOR SURE before that. Perhaps it's just how the director wanted to end the film. It does make for a dramatic ending.
It's still a good movie though, and to be honest most modern movies have a lot more illogical things happen.
Actually, if you think about it since she was the only one there at the time of McGavin's death it was obvious she did it.
Play the game existence 'til the end...of the beginning...
I believe the director wanted us to assume that the cops, seeing her walk and realizing she was lying in appearing to be disabled would then assume she killed to cover up for herself. Not quite realistic, but in the early 50's we were less critical of such inaccuracies.
I'm the kind of guy, when I move - watch my smoke. But I'm gonna need some good clothes though.
^^this
"Did you make coffee? Make it!"--Cheyenne.
Yeah the ending was undeniably a bit too cute. Just about the weakest part of the otherwise really impressive, compelling picture that also features by far the best Sinatra performance I seen (and no, not just - or even mainly - because of the cold turkey scenes... in which he was fine, but hardly amazing to anyone who´s seen The French Connection 2).
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
Agreed. In the book it was 100% more dramatic. Frankie actually killed the drug dealer and then hung himself. But if you expected a major studio to shoot that ending in this film with Frank Sinatra in the year 1955, then you don't know much about movies. Everybody including the audience wanted a happy ending to their American movies back then, and this neat, clean "deus ex machina" gave it to them.
shareInteresting. I've never read the book so I didn't realize that had different endings. That does explain things a lot though.
shareThanks for ruining the book for me-and others. Spoiler alert next time.
share#1 Back then (50's) the cops didn't get real excited over the death of a drug dealer. In NYC, I can tell ya that unless the dealer was 'connected', the cops and most people saw it as 'good riddance'.
#2 She was the only wittiness to the dealers death. Without her theres no case.
Add to that Sinatras alibi and its all over with unless/until another wittiness comes forth so...
Of course if the cop wanted to bust Sinatras chops he could have, but it seemed that he knew Sinatra and had no great dislike for him.
One less heroin dealer walking the streets of the city, who cares.
*If McGavin was mobbed up then anything goes of course but back in the early 50s dope was a no-no with most mob guys. Cops, the mob and the average citizen wouldn't be sweating out 'who done it ?'.
i've noticed that many older movies have pretty abrupt endings
so many movies, so little time