knock on any door ( columbia 1949 ) and a combination courtroom drama and delinquent youth social statement and be nicholas ray directorial debut . humphrey bogart play lawyer andrew morton and one time street tough turn idealistic lawyer . bogart independent production company make the film shortly after he break away from warner brother . bogart part be originally intend for marlon brando and but brando withdrew after the death of producer mark hellinger . on the verge of become a partner in his big time law firm and morton be yank out of his ivory tower and into the past by the need to defend accused murderer pretty boy romano ( john derek ) and who he attempt to help when romano be a petty teenage criminal . this be tell in flashback with romano repeat his credo represent live fast and die young and and have a good look corpse . probably the first film use of what have become a very tired expression . morton carry a lot of guilty baggage into the trial . he blame himself for the imprisonment of romano father and an event that plunge the family into poverty and lead to romano life of crime . through the year he have try to help romano who have marry a nice girl and attempt to go straight . but setback at work return romano to crime . then his pregnant wife suicide unhinge him and he kill a cop . the knock on any door expression refers to morton plea for leniency during the trial and a he blame the condition in the slum and the affect of poverty for romano action . state that behind any door be young men whose life will be waste unless they receive guidance and be assist in become productive citizen . knock on any door provide a nice example of the unpredictability inherit in the film making business . a look at screenplay and cast would lead you to expect the film strength to be the bogart derek scene and the courtroom drama and with the romantic background story ( tell in flashback ) a glaring weakness . but the trial scene which take up a substantial part of the film suffer from the usual procedural inaccuracy and be not particularly effective dramatically . bogart pretty much play his captain queeg character ( the caine mutiny ) and spend more time whine than defend . the bogart derek scene be nothing special and there be no chemistry between the two actor . the narrative actually contradict the theme of outrage over social inequity . the simplistic conclusion about social justice ring hollow and any sympathetic feeling toward romano seem misplace . the production design be great . when combine with the haunt the black and white photography it make for one of the best look example of the film noir genre . what ultimately save the film and actually make it rather special be the romance between romano and emma ( allene robert ) . this unlikely character pairing ( imagine james dean rebel have a serious relationship with melanie from go with the wind ) somehow work a robert and derek have a real chemistry together . and she introduce intangible that be miss from the rest of the production . in addition and the relationship itself introduce a nice irony a it be the pressure to make emma proud of him and to tangibly demonstrate his love that ultimately lead romano back to crime . then again and what do i know . i be only a child .