Dana Andrews leads the cast of "Boomerang!"

Boomerang! (1947) is based on a true crime. A minister is murdered in a small town in Connecticut and John Waldron (Arthur Kennedy), a young drifter, is arrested and charged with the crime.

Arthur Kennedy and Dana Andrews

The prosecuting attorney Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews) is under pressure from local politicians to convict Waldron. The evidence points toward Waldron’s guilt, but Harvey has his doubts. Directed in a semidocumentary style by Elia Kazan, the movie features an impressive supporting cast that includes Jane Wyatt, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, and Sam Levine.

Elia Kazan (1909 – 2003) was an American director, producer, writer, and actor. He is one of the co-founders of the Actors Studio in 1947 with Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Kazan is also one of the most celebrated directors of the theater and movies. Kazan won two Best Director Academy Awards-1947 for Gentleman’s Agreement and 1954 for On the Waterfront—a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1998. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) was Kazan’s feature film debut as a director.

Dana Andrews (1909 – 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor. During the 1940s, Andrews was a major star and leading man starring in Laura (1944), State Fair (1945), A Walk in the Sun (1945), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Canyon Passage (1946), Boomerang! (1947), and Daisy Kenyon (1947), the latter co-starring Joan Crawford and Henry Fonda. During the 1950s, film roles were harder to come by, but he had success in Elephant Walk (1954) co-starring Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Finch, While the City Sleeps (1956), and Curse of the Demon (1957). In 1958 he replaced Henry Fonda on Broadway in Two for the Seesaw. Andrews worked a lot on television guest-starring on shows like The Twilight Zone, Checkmate, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Ben Casey, The Love Boat, Ironside, and Falcon Crest. He also starred in the daytime soap opera Bright Promise (1969 - 1971).

Boomerang! trivia

• Boomerang! was Kazan's fourth feature film.
• Ed Begley's film debut.
• After Lee J. Cobb and Arthur Kennedy appeared in Boomerang!, Kazan cast them both in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.
• Speaking of Arthur Miller, he has a cameo as one of the men in the police lineup.
• First of four films, Kazan directed Karl Malden.
• Walter Huston, Fredric March, and Joseph Cotten were considered for the role of Henry Harvey. John Payne was also considered for the role at one time.
• First of two films starring Dana Andrews where the plot concerns the murder of a priest. The second is Edge of Doom (1950).

Click HERE to watch the film on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on August 26, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join us on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Did the film shot on location add authenticity to the narrative?
2. What did you think about the politics of the film? Did it seem realistic? 
3. The film has an impressive cast, but the film rests primarily on the shoulders of Dana Andrews's character. Was he successful in the role of Henry Harvey?
4. Why do you think there was a rush to judgment in convicting the Arthur Kennedy character?
5. As mentioned, the supporting cast is impressive; did anyone stand out to you?