Follow Me Quietly might be the freakiest classic film noir of them all! This film was made in 1949 and directed by Richard Fleischer. Noir directing great Anthony Mann helped with the story.

This story is a classic police procedural, centering around Police Lt. Harry Grant played by William Lundigan. Grant is on the case of The Judge, a serial killer who seems to attack his victims when it rains. Dorothy Patrick plays Ann Gorman, a journalist for a dirt rag. Grant is not a fan of the magazine Gorman works for and does not want to work with her. Gorman is charming and Grant finally agrees to help her as long as he is in full control of the article. When Grant can not get a decent lead on The Judge, he brings in a sketch artist to draw what they know. Then a dummy maker is brought in to do a life-size rendition of The Judge to help them identify him.

If you don’t find this kind of creepy, I don’t know what will. There is a scene with the dummy in a rain storm that will make you jump as well.

Jeff Corey is also very good in this film, playing Police Sgt. Art Collins. He is the voice of reason to Grant, as Grant starts to lose his mind with the pressure of the investigation.

This is a very good, short film noir and it is worth watching for all noir fans. It is also worth viewing to see how police procedures have changed and how they have stayed the same over the last 5 decades.  Not to mention the freaky dummy is worth the price of admission.