The Hunted (1948) The Hunted, released by the "Poverty Row" studio Monogram Pictures (later Allied Artists Pictures) in 1948, is a solid B movie that is a perfect example of the gritty, low-budget films noir produced in Hollywood post-World War II. Directed by Jack Bernhard, with a screenplay by prolific novelist and screenwriter Steve Fisher, The Hunted stars the always dependable Preston Foster and Olympic ice skater-turned-actress Belita.

Preston Foster is Johnny Saxon, a police detective whose girlfriend, Laura Mead (Belita), has been found guilty of jewel theft. Despite his attraction to Laura, Johnny believes she should pay for her crimes, playing an instrumental role in her arrest and imprisonment. Laura denies that she stole the jewelry, insisting that she was framed for the crime. She threatens to kill both Johnny and her lawyer Simon Rand (Pierre Watkin) for their failure to keep her out of prison. After serving her time behind bars, Laura is released on parole and she reunites with Johnny. Of course, Johnny is cautious of Laura because of her past threats, but in true film noir fashion, his attraction to Laura is too strong and he can't keep away. Desire, lies, jewel theft, murder and ice skating definitely make for a most interesting and bizarre combination.

Dubbed "Audrey Totter on ice" by the Czar of Noir, Eddie Muller (film historian, writer and TCM Noir Alley host), Belita was an Olympic ice skater who had hoped to have a successful transition to film, much like her fellow figure skater Sonja Henie. (Belita and Henie had both competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics, with Henie winning the gold medal. Belita came in 16th place.) Belita, whose full name was Maria Gladys Olive Lyne Jepson-Turner, was born in England to Major William Jepson-Turner and his wife Queenie Jepson-Turner. According to Muller, Queenie was the very definition of a "stage mother," using her own failed ambitions to be a successful dancer and skater to push her daughter into performing before she was a year old. Belita hoped to have the same level of success as Henie, who was a huge star for Twentieth Century-Fox and one of the highest paid stars in Hollywood at that time. Belita managed to get the attention of the less-prestigious Monogram Pictures, signing a seven-year contract. While her career might have been overshadowed by her more famous contemporary, Belita arguably had the more interesting film career, albeit very short, starring in a trio of significant films noir: Suspense (1946), The Gangster (1947) and The Hunted. In 1956, after years of performing in traveling figure skating shows, Belita officially retired from the sport. That same year, she appeared in Gene Kelly's ambitious Invitation to the Dance (1956). Belita moved back to her native England and enjoyed a career in television, eventually retiring from acting to live a quiet life with her second husband, James Berwick.

New Jersey native Preston Foster got his start in Hollywood in 1929 primarily playing uncredited bit parts. But by 1932, Foster established himself as a solid supporting character actor, starring alongside Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray and Lee Tracy in Michael Curtiz's horror-comedy Doctor X and with Paul Muni in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, directed by Mervyn LeRoy. By 1940, Foster had starred in well over 50 feature-length films, playing everything from hardened criminals to romantics, including several films with director John Ford: The Informer (1935), The Plough and the Stars (1936) and Submarine Patrol (1938). Foster was also a singer and composer, often performing live concerts and on various radio programs. By the mid-to-late 1950s, Foster primarily worked in television, starring in series such as Waterfront (1954-1955) and Gunslinger (1961). Foster's final on-screen performance was in Chubasco (1967) before his death in 1970 at the age of 69.

Novelist and screenwriter Steve Fisher was a staple in film noir with his original screenplays as well as a pulp fiction magazine icon. Fisher was one of the most popular writers in Hollywood, penning original stories and adapted screenplays, such as 1941's I Wake Up Screaming and Destination Tokyo (1943), both original stories adapted for the screen and the latter earning Fisher an Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Story. Fisher also wrote screenplays for Robert Montgomery's Lady in the Lake (1946), Song of the Thin Man (1947) and City That Never Sleeps (1953). In addition to his successful film career, Fisher was also a prolific television writer, contributing to popular shows like Peter Gunn, The Loretta Young Show (1953-1961) and Fantasy Island.

With the combination of the strong presence of Preston Foster, the odd intrigue of Belita and the remarkable talents of Steve Fisher, The Hunted is an interesting entry in the film noir genre.

Director: Jack Bernhard
Producer: Scott R. Dunlap
Screenplay: Steve Fisher
Cinematography: Harry Neumann
Editing: Richard V. Heermance
Art Direction: Frank Paul Sylos
Music: Edward J. Kay
Cast: Preston Foster (Johnny Saxon), Belita (Laura Mead), Pierre Watkin (Simon Rand), Edna Holland (Miss Turner), Russell Hicks (Dan Meredith) and Larry J. Blake (Hollis Smith).
B&W-88m
Resources:

Belita: The Ice Queen of Film Noir by Eddie Muller (http://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/belita.pdf)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/belita-335218.html
http://www.aclassicmovieblog.com/2014/08/new-from-warner-archive-hunted-1947-and.html

By Jill Blake