I Wouldn’t Be In Your Shoes is a very short movie about a wife helping her husband with a bum murder rap. The film is more famous for being the start of Oscar winning producer Walter Mirisch’s career. Taking place on limited sets, I Wouldn’t Be In Your Shoes thrives on making you feel the depression of prison life. But, why did this movie fall off the radar for decades?
Monogram Pictures is a funny studio to study in 2021. Often relegated as a Pembroke production, this film was one of the biggest early hits for Monogram. But, why did a Poverty Row studio need a hit like this? While Monogram was formed as a B movie studio at the start of the Depression, they knew audiences. Coasting on the mainline hit of The Bowery Boys movies, they took bigger chances on smaller films. They would greenlight movies that RKO passed on.
So, when it comes to I Wouldn’t Be In Your Shoes, it makes sense why they knocked it down. Who else in 1948 was going to take the convict’s side and tell a crime story? While Monogram would go on to become Allied Artists and then fold into the studio system, they hit a magic streak.
If you’re not a fan of this kind of movie, there’s nothing here that is going to blow your socks off. But, it is a historical curiosity that deserves your attention. For those that dig that sort of thing, then I Wouldn’t Be In Your Shoes is that kind of thing.
Warner Archive comes with a vintage short and cartoon. I wish we could have landed a commentary to explain the nature of Monogram. The A/V Quality is sharp for a film of this age. However, the 1080p transfer plays a little too dark at times. Still, this is worth a purchase to Film Noir fans.
