The Man Who Walked Alone (1945) [Drama] [Comedy]

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“The Man Who Walked Alone” is a 1945 American film directed by Christy Cabanne.

Marion Scott, honorably discharged WW II soldier, in “civies” and carrying a suitcase containing his uniform and medals, is hitch-hiking to the small hometown of a buddy killed overseas, intending to make it his home. En-route, he encounters wealthy society girl Wilhelmina Hammond, who is running away from her stuffed-shirt fiancée, Alvin Bailey and has taken his car without permission. Marion and Wilhelmina are bickering over a blow-out and an empty gas tank when the local cops appear and haul them off to jail on a car-theft charge. Wilhelmina establishes her identity and is released and, intrigued by Marion whom she suspects is a deserter, arranges his release also. She takes him to the Hammond estate and tells Marion, who does not know her true identity, she is Mrs. Hammond’s secretary. Wilhelmina has no keys to the home and they are arrested again when they are caught crawling into the house through a window. This time reporters and photographers discover her identity and plaster the papers with a story of an heiress running out on her rich fiancée to take up with an unknown stranger. Over the objections of the Hammond caretaker, Wiggins, she hires Marion as a chauffeur and stands her ground when her irate mother and angry fiancée rush home from New York with their entourage, including: Aunt Harriet, an old maid who had an unfortunate love affair during WW I; Patricia, “Willie’s” young and mischievous sister; Camille, the family dressmaker, and Champ, Alvin’s physical instructor. It becomes a battle of wills as Mrs. Hammond and Alvin are determined to break up a romance that doesn’t exist, as “Willie” and Marion are constantly bickering, and Aunt Harriet who is all for the pair getting together.

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Directed by Christy Cabanne, produced by Christy Cabanne (associate producer) and Leon Fromkess (producer), written by Christy Cabanne (original screenplay) and Robert Lee Johnson (screenplay), starring Dave O’Brien as Cpl. Marion Scott, Kay Aldridge as Wilhelmina Hammond, Walter Catlett as Wiggins, Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams as Champ. Isabel Randolph as Mrs. Hammond and Smith Ballew as Alvin Bailey.

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Source: “The Man Who Walked Alone” IMDb, Internet Movie Database. Written by Les Adams. Web. 15 July 2012. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037893/plotsummary.

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41 Replies to “The Man Who Walked Alone (1945) [Drama] [Comedy]”

  1. What a fun movie from good ol; PRC. Isn't that what movies are supposed to be? Fun. FIlled with a lot of the usual suspects, Isobel Randolph, Dick Elliot, Walter Catlett and Guinn (Big Boy) Williams. Dave O'Brien and Kay Alderidge make a beautiful couple and throw out their lines like champs. Smith Ballew, away from Old Paint makes a great stuffy villain. After calling Marion Scott Cpl thru the whole movie PRC lists him as Pvt in the credits PRC, always pays attention to details!

  13. Have you ever seen Christmas Holiday? great movie. Deanna Durbin and Gene Kelly. Its a much darker character he plays. Compared to what i see him do usually. Boy that Deanna Durbin shes something i think.

  15. Surprisingly bright and funny film! The first 35 minutes are the best as leads Dave O'Brien and Kay Aldridge banter their way to the middle of the film. Things slow up a bit when they are not both ion screen together, but a band of Hollywood characters pick up some of the slack.

    This film is listed as a "comedy/drama" above, but the only drama is comedic. The story is very light. Lots of bounce as they continue their road trip.

    Worth watching!

  17. In the beginning of the flick was charming and witty… Over all I love it. Thanks for the upload… Cant go wrong with black and white classical movie…TY, once again. 

  19. The credits at the end give Scott the rank of Private.  Yet his fellow actors and his uniform say he's a Corporal.  Typo !! in the credits. 

  27. A kleptomaniac with good taste – love it.  Thank you for this upload, haven't laughed so much in yonks.  Movies of the 30s and 40s were great especially if they featured Rosalind Russell, whose machine-gun delivery still amazes me.                   Cheers.

  34. The thing about some of these poverty row B-pictures is many of them are pretty good, oh they need a couple of script re-writes but they are quite entertaining, and most of them are public domain and never air on TCM which ought to focus on some of them. Dave O'Brien who we all remember from Reefer Madness and the Pete Smith shorts is quite good here as the male romantic lead. I have a new appreciation for him now as an actor. Kay Aldridge was the most photographed woman in the 30's, and was under contract to 20th. She retired in 1945 and passed away in 1977, a Google search will bring up a lot about her. Interesting later life she had in Maine. Smith Ballew was a well known big band leader in the 30's as well as an actor. Vivian Oakland who appeared with Laurel and Hardy is in the film as is the great Walter Catlett. I had fun with this film thanks to public domain, YouTube and people who collect and post them. Otherwise they would remain buried and lost.

  35. interesting war era film and perspective about the war. decent acting and writing. well worth seeing and good introduction to O'Brien and Scott who are not particularly well known now.

  39. One of Christy Cabanne's last films. Nice to see Dave O'Brien starring in a feature. I enjoy his funny work in shorts. Thanks for posting these old films.

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