You Have to Run Fast

Dr. Frank Harlow is in the process of trying to save a man badly beaten by two gangsters whom he identifies to the police. When the victim dies the charge becomes murder and Harlow hightails it to the far woods where he finds a job as clerk Roger Condon in a sporting-goods store. Harlow's plan is to lay low until the gangsters forget about him. But complications arise from two different sectors. First, Harlow falls in love with the local beauty Laurie Maitland and second, the murderers find out where he is hiding.

Directed by Edward L. Cahn, You Have to Run Fast leans on a strong ensemble — Craig Hill, Elaine Edwards, Grant Richards — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 1961.