Dead Reckoning (1947 film)

Dead Reckoning is a 1947 American film noir directed by John Cromwell and starring Humphrey Bogart, Lizabeth Scott, Morris Carnovsky, and William Prince. It was written by Steve Fisher and Oliver H.P. Garrett, based on a story by Gerald Drayson Adams and Sidney Biddell, adapted by Allen Rivkin. Its plot follows a war hero, Warren Murdock (Bogart) who begins investigating the death of his friend and fellow soldier, Johnny Drake (Prince). The investigation leads Murdock to his friend's mistress, a mysterious woman whose husband Drake was accused of murdering.

The film was originally intended to star Rita Hayworth in Scott's role as a followup to Columbia Pictures's successful Gilda (1946), but contractual obligations prevented Hayworth from appearing in the film. Instead, Scott was loaned out from her contract with Paramount Pictures to co-star with Bogart, who himself was loaned out for the project by Warner Bros. Filming took place in the summer of 1946, largely on Columbia soundstages in Los Angeles, with location shoots occurring in St. Petersburg, Florida; Biloxi, Mississippi; Philadelphia, and New York City.

Dead Reckoning was first released theatrically in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 1946, expanding to a wide theatrical release in January 1947. The film received mixed reviews at the time of its release.