Dangerous Crossing

Set entirely on a cruise ship, Joseph M. Newman’s Dangerous Crossing features a relentlessly nautical ambience complete with a constant foghorn and a soupy fog that allows for a wide variety of beautiful entrances and exits. Jeanne Crain plays newlywed Ruth Stanton, whose new husband vanishes minutes after boarding their honeymoon cruise. Not a soul on board remembers him, and once it’s discovered that Ruth appears solo on the ship registry, nobody seems willing to give her the benefit of the doubt except ship doctor Paul Manning (Michael Rennie), who quickly evolves into a sort of husband substitute. The ship’s hallways and staterooms serve as a labyrinthine backdrop for suspense, especially after Ruth overhears crew members speaking about her fate, and a Halloween party onboard adds extra creepiness. Some of the dialogue sounds forced to move the plot along, and Crain is no Stanwyck or Crawford, but Dangerous Crossing is beautifully photographed, efficiently directed, and perfectly entertaining.