Imagine being accused of murder because you wore a certain pair of dancing shoes. Well, that’s what happened here in the 1948 American crime film with the classic title, I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes. In this movie, you probably wouldn’t!
I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes is a crime drama about a Tom Quinn (Don Castle, Who Killed Doc Robin) and his wife Ann (Elyse Knox, Hit the Ice) who are a flat broke dance team. Don has been seeking engagements, while Ann works as an instructor at a dance academy to make ends meet. Tom is accused and charged with murder after he threw his shoes out the window, which left shoe prints at a murder scene, and his shoes somehow were put back into his home. Those shoe prints match Tom perfectly, obviously because they are his. Not only that, poor Tom also has found a couple of thousand dollars in a wallet which adds to the evidence that he committed the murder for some dough. On the case to clear Tom’s name is Detective Judd (veteran actor Regis Toomey, The Big Sleep) who is friends with Ann and often visits her dance academy to go dancing. Ann also does some investigating on her own, following clues that lead to her shocking discovery of the real killer.
This is another movie I hadn’t heard of, but upon its initial viewing, it was an enjoyable B effort. There’s a fair amount of suspense, great acting, and fluid direction. It reminded me of those rare Alpha Video mystery thriller movies, except I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes looks and sounds one-hundred times better! This film was directed by William Nigh who responsible for some of those films that were released by Alpha Video such as Mr. Wong Detective and Black Dragons. In my opinion, I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes is one his better films.
I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes receives a surprising Blu-ray from Warner Archive. The video quality is top of the line with rich black levels, some nice bright, cheerful whites, and a balanced grey scale. Shadow delineation is especially well-done with a few great shots with darkness and shadows that give the movie a noirish feel to it. It looks smooth and polished without any print damages, which is surprising for an obscure movie.
Warner uses English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track for their Blu-ray. The audio is crisp and clear. Dialog is easy to follow and other sounds such as the soundtrack and screaming are flawless. No drop-offs or hissing sounds were detected. English SDH subtitles are available for this offering.
Bonus materials include a Warner Short Drama: The Symphony Murder Mystery and a Warner Cartoon: Holiday for Shoestrings. The shorts are both in HD and are just as much fun as the feature film.
Warner Archive has done it again, giving a superior release of a little-known gem of a film. I recommend this release for both the enjoyment of the film itself and its audio / video quality!
I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes
Director- William Nigh
Cast- Don Castle, Elyse Knox, Regis Toomey
Country of Origin- US
Distributor – Warner Archive / Warner Home Video
Number of Discs – 1
Reviewed by – David Steigman
Date- 8/12/21