A Few 'B' Movie Reviews
These reviews focus on noir, and/or fringe-noir B movies. A B-movie does not connote a lack of quality or seriousness. The direction, cinematography and acting are often as good than the better financed films. I've found the optimum running time is from 70 to 80 minutes. The finished product should be fat free. If it's a choice between action and character development, then action wins out. B movies often allowed the director to push the edge of the envelope when it came to sex, violence, drug use and other subjects that might be taboo in the large A productions.
FOR YOU I DIE
3.75/5 stars
"May the winds of Heaven come down and blow away the trash of the Earth."
Arpi Productions
1947---76 Minutes
Dir. John Reinhardt---Chicago Calling.
Stars-Marian Kerby
Cathy Downs--The Dark Corner, My Darling Clementine, The Amazing Colossal Man.
Paul Langton- The Incredible Shrinking Man, It! The..Beyond Space, To Hell and Back.
Roman Bohnen-The Best...Our Lives, The Strange...Martha Ivers, Brute Force.
Mischa Auer----Destry Rides Again,Hold That Ghost, Hellzapoppin.
1947---76 Minutes
Dir. John Reinhardt---Chicago Calling.
Stars-Marian Kerby
Cathy Downs--The Dark Corner, My Darling Clementine, The Amazing Colossal Man.
Paul Langton- The Incredible Shrinking Man, It! The..Beyond Space, To Hell and Back.
Roman Bohnen-The Best...Our Lives, The Strange...Martha Ivers, Brute Force.
Mischa Auer----Destry Rides Again,Hold That Ghost, Hellzapoppin.
Forget about the melodramatic, sensationalist title. The movie is about two cons who escape from prison. One (Don Harvey) is a hardened criminal, the other (Paul Langton) has less than a year to go and was forced to escape with the bad con. The bad con has the good con check on his girlfriend while he sees to other business. The good con falls in love with the bad con's girlfriend (Cathy Downs) and she with him. Trouble ensues when the bad con returns to reclaim his girlfriend.
For You I Die is a movie where a rather pedestrian main plot and serviceable, but rather indistinguishable, leads take a backseat to the sub-plots and the interesting and entertaining supporting actors. The glue that holds the film together, is Marian Kerby as Maggie Dillon. Maggie runs the diner with the stern hand of a ship captain tempered with the love of a doting grandmother. This was the third and final film of Ms. Kerby's career. I could not find much info other than she was a folk singer and historian of Appalachian folk music. Suffice it to say but she was thoroughly enjoyable in this film.
Roman Bohnen is Smitty the cook at the diner (film fans will remember him as Dana Andrews' father in, The Best Years Of Our Lives), has a drinking problem, and in keeping with the half-way house aspect of the diner, Maggie tries to keep him off the hooch. When Ma questions Smitty about drinking on the job he says:
You don't see me drinking around here anymore do you?
Ma replies: Well, I don't see you drinking the lemon extract. I'll give you credit for that.
Mischa Auer who made a career of playing Russian emigres excels as a struggling actor who each year brings his family to camp on Ma's property. Auer's characters are usually over the top and over the top he is in this film. A little Mischa goes a long way and there may be too much of Mischa in the film, but he was an assistant Producer. Auer overwhelms every scene he's in, he's sort of like a kind, amiable, gentle, and lovable Tim Carey.
Jane Weeks is Georgie, the girl who preys on men who have a wandering eye by flaunting her wandering body. She had a brief career and her final role was as an uncredited bar patron in, Mighty Joe Young. She went on to marry John Gilbert Martin, the president of Heublein Inc. the maker of Smirnoff vodka. One might rightfully assume she lived happily ever after.
Harvey, Downs, and Langton give good performances. Cathy Downs was Clementine in, My Darling Clementine. She was also in, The Amazing Colossal Man, and The Dark Corner. She had a busy career but died much too young from cancer at the age of fifty. Paul Langton had a long career. His most notable role, for me at least, was in, It! The Terror From Beyond Space. Don Harvey was one of the scores of prolific character actors whose name is not recognizable but we've all seen his face before. All those actors I mentioned are serviceable, dependable, but it's the lesser known actors that make this an enjoyable movie to watch. Did I mention the bad con comes back and has a fight with good con over the girl? They do.
Kudos to Robert Presnell who wrote the screenplay. Presnell's dialogue is never forced or strained and the writing gives all the characters their own identity and distinctive voice.
The director was Austrian born John Reinhardt. He died of a heart attack at the age of fifty-two in Berlin. He directed the acclaimed but little known, Chicago Calling that starred Dan Duryea and Mary Anderson. Reinhardt was constrained to B films but certainly was not a B quality director. His wife Elizabeth Reinhardt was a credited screen writer for Laura.
This is an enjoyable film with a great performance by Marian Kerby and some very good story telling.
I recommend this movie.
For You I Die is a movie where a rather pedestrian main plot and serviceable, but rather indistinguishable, leads take a backseat to the sub-plots and the interesting and entertaining supporting actors. The glue that holds the film together, is Marian Kerby as Maggie Dillon. Maggie runs the diner with the stern hand of a ship captain tempered with the love of a doting grandmother. This was the third and final film of Ms. Kerby's career. I could not find much info other than she was a folk singer and historian of Appalachian folk music. Suffice it to say but she was thoroughly enjoyable in this film.
Roman Bohnen is Smitty the cook at the diner (film fans will remember him as Dana Andrews' father in, The Best Years Of Our Lives), has a drinking problem, and in keeping with the half-way house aspect of the diner, Maggie tries to keep him off the hooch. When Ma questions Smitty about drinking on the job he says:
You don't see me drinking around here anymore do you?
Ma replies: Well, I don't see you drinking the lemon extract. I'll give you credit for that.
Mischa Auer who made a career of playing Russian emigres excels as a struggling actor who each year brings his family to camp on Ma's property. Auer's characters are usually over the top and over the top he is in this film. A little Mischa goes a long way and there may be too much of Mischa in the film, but he was an assistant Producer. Auer overwhelms every scene he's in, he's sort of like a kind, amiable, gentle, and lovable Tim Carey.
Jane Weeks is Georgie, the girl who preys on men who have a wandering eye by flaunting her wandering body. She had a brief career and her final role was as an uncredited bar patron in, Mighty Joe Young. She went on to marry John Gilbert Martin, the president of Heublein Inc. the maker of Smirnoff vodka. One might rightfully assume she lived happily ever after.
Harvey, Downs, and Langton give good performances. Cathy Downs was Clementine in, My Darling Clementine. She was also in, The Amazing Colossal Man, and The Dark Corner. She had a busy career but died much too young from cancer at the age of fifty. Paul Langton had a long career. His most notable role, for me at least, was in, It! The Terror From Beyond Space. Don Harvey was one of the scores of prolific character actors whose name is not recognizable but we've all seen his face before. All those actors I mentioned are serviceable, dependable, but it's the lesser known actors that make this an enjoyable movie to watch. Did I mention the bad con comes back and has a fight with good con over the girl? They do.
Kudos to Robert Presnell who wrote the screenplay. Presnell's dialogue is never forced or strained and the writing gives all the characters their own identity and distinctive voice.
The director was Austrian born John Reinhardt. He died of a heart attack at the age of fifty-two in Berlin. He directed the acclaimed but little known, Chicago Calling that starred Dan Duryea and Mary Anderson. Reinhardt was constrained to B films but certainly was not a B quality director. His wife Elizabeth Reinhardt was a credited screen writer for Laura.
This is an enjoyable film with a great performance by Marian Kerby and some very good story telling.
I recommend this movie.
AMONG THE LIVING
4.50/5 stars
"For five thousand dollars I'm not afraid of anything, not even death."
Paramount Pictures
1941---61 Minutes
Dir. Stuart Heisler-The Glass Key, Storm Warning, I Died A Thousand Times.
Cine.Theodor Sprakhul-The Glass Key, Wake Island.
Stars-Albert Dekker-The Killers, The Pretender, The Furies, Dr. Cyclops.
Susan Hayward-Deadline..Dawn, House of Strangers, Rawhide, They Won't Believe Me.
Harry Cary----Kid Galahad, Red River, Duel In The Sun.
Gordon Jones--Flying Tigers, was Mike the Cop in Abbott and Costello TV Series.
1941---61 Minutes
Dir. Stuart Heisler-The Glass Key, Storm Warning, I Died A Thousand Times.
Cine.Theodor Sprakhul-The Glass Key, Wake Island.
Stars-Albert Dekker-The Killers, The Pretender, The Furies, Dr. Cyclops.
Susan Hayward-Deadline..Dawn, House of Strangers, Rawhide, They Won't Believe Me.
Harry Cary----Kid Galahad, Red River, Duel In The Sun.
Gordon Jones--Flying Tigers, was Mike the Cop in Abbott and Costello TV Series.
This film has the basic prerequisites of a good B movie; a great title, a short running time of 61 minutes (with not a minute wasted) talented leads, Albert Dekker and Susan Hayward), and an established veteran, Harry Carey. The director is Stuart Heisler who would go on to direct Storm Warning, The Glass Key and I Died A Thousand Times among others. It also has the talented and experienced cinematographer, Theodor Sparkhul.
John Raden (Albert Dekker) and his wife (Frances Farmer) return home for the funeral of his father. He learns his twin brother, (Paul Raden) who he believed died at a very young age, is alive. Paul is insane and has been kept in isolation for years. Their father had bribed Dr.Saunders (Harry Carey) into signing a phony death certificate by funding the doctor's medical clinic. In lieu of Paul another child is buried. In keeping of the class distinctions so evident in this film, nothing is mentioned as to who that child might have been.
The night of his father's funeral Paul murders his long time guardian, the sympathetic Ernest Whitman, then escapes and for the first time in his life mingles with society. Dekker was a very talented yet unappreciated actor. His other roles include, Dr.Cyclops, The Killers, The Wild Bunch, Kiss Me Deadly, and the over looked B gem, The Pretender. In, Among The Living, Dekker gives both brothers their own unique persona and since Paul is schizophrenic it could be said Dekker is playing three roles. Dekker gives Paul enough amusing idiosyncrasies that are initially seen as harmless eccentricities until we learn about the viciousness behind them.
The tormented and violent Paul takes a cheap apartment near a factory owned by his family. The daughter of the landlady is Millie Pickens (Susan Hayward) I was knocked out by her performance. For those who are used to seeing Ms. Hayward as a hard-bitten, worldly woman this performance comes as a surprise. She was twenty-four when she made this film, and transits from a sweet, innocent, earnest teenager, to a money hungry, vindictive, teenager in less time than it took to write this sentence. I may be biased because I'm a big fan of hers and I find her extremely good looking, but her working class Millie is as sexy as a femme fatale in jewels and evening gown.
This excellent film blends noir, with horror, class differences, Southern Gothic, humor, psychological terror, child abuse, and does so effectively in sixty one minutes. The final ten minutes of the film take on a chilling aspect. It reminded me of mob scenes in old Frankenstein films, and the brutally realistic lynch mob of Sound Of Fury. I would be remiss if I didn't give kudos to Gordon Jones, the much beloved Mike the Cop of The Abbott and Costello TV Series.
This is a movie that will get better with a second and even third viewing. Detour is thought of as the best of B movies, but Among The Living is better developed, with fleshed out characters, better all around acting, darker in theme and several deep subtexts. It deserves a much better print, and I can give it no higher accolade than to say, it could have been at least ten minutes longer.
I definitely recommend this movie.
https://ok.ru/video/1821439363665
John Raden (Albert Dekker) and his wife (Frances Farmer) return home for the funeral of his father. He learns his twin brother, (Paul Raden) who he believed died at a very young age, is alive. Paul is insane and has been kept in isolation for years. Their father had bribed Dr.Saunders (Harry Carey) into signing a phony death certificate by funding the doctor's medical clinic. In lieu of Paul another child is buried. In keeping of the class distinctions so evident in this film, nothing is mentioned as to who that child might have been.
The night of his father's funeral Paul murders his long time guardian, the sympathetic Ernest Whitman, then escapes and for the first time in his life mingles with society. Dekker was a very talented yet unappreciated actor. His other roles include, Dr.Cyclops, The Killers, The Wild Bunch, Kiss Me Deadly, and the over looked B gem, The Pretender. In, Among The Living, Dekker gives both brothers their own unique persona and since Paul is schizophrenic it could be said Dekker is playing three roles. Dekker gives Paul enough amusing idiosyncrasies that are initially seen as harmless eccentricities until we learn about the viciousness behind them.
The tormented and violent Paul takes a cheap apartment near a factory owned by his family. The daughter of the landlady is Millie Pickens (Susan Hayward) I was knocked out by her performance. For those who are used to seeing Ms. Hayward as a hard-bitten, worldly woman this performance comes as a surprise. She was twenty-four when she made this film, and transits from a sweet, innocent, earnest teenager, to a money hungry, vindictive, teenager in less time than it took to write this sentence. I may be biased because I'm a big fan of hers and I find her extremely good looking, but her working class Millie is as sexy as a femme fatale in jewels and evening gown.
This excellent film blends noir, with horror, class differences, Southern Gothic, humor, psychological terror, child abuse, and does so effectively in sixty one minutes. The final ten minutes of the film take on a chilling aspect. It reminded me of mob scenes in old Frankenstein films, and the brutally realistic lynch mob of Sound Of Fury. I would be remiss if I didn't give kudos to Gordon Jones, the much beloved Mike the Cop of The Abbott and Costello TV Series.
This is a movie that will get better with a second and even third viewing. Detour is thought of as the best of B movies, but Among The Living is better developed, with fleshed out characters, better all around acting, darker in theme and several deep subtexts. It deserves a much better print, and I can give it no higher accolade than to say, it could have been at least ten minutes longer.
I definitely recommend this movie.
https://ok.ru/video/1821439363665
LURED
3.25/5 Stars
1947--1 Hr. 42 Min.
Dir. Douglas Sirk--Shockproof, All That Heaven Allows, Imitation Of Life.
Cinem. William H. Daniels-The Naked City, Brute Force, Camille, Winchester '73.
George Sanders-The Lodger, Hangover Square, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry.
Lucille Ball----The Dark Corner, Three Little Pigskins(3 Stooges).
Cedrick Hardwicke--The Lodger.
Alan Napier--Criss Cross, Ministry of Fear, Manhandled, Hangover Square.
Joseph Calleia--Gilda, Deadline At Dawn, The Glass Key.
Dir. Douglas Sirk--Shockproof, All That Heaven Allows, Imitation Of Life.
Cinem. William H. Daniels-The Naked City, Brute Force, Camille, Winchester '73.
George Sanders-The Lodger, Hangover Square, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry.
Lucille Ball----The Dark Corner, Three Little Pigskins(3 Stooges).
Cedrick Hardwicke--The Lodger.
Alan Napier--Criss Cross, Ministry of Fear, Manhandled, Hangover Square.
Joseph Calleia--Gilda, Deadline At Dawn, The Glass Key.
Lured is obviously not a noir. It is a veritable showcase for the talents of Lucille Ball. She is 100% wonderful in this movie. She is given the opportunity to exhibit her comedic skills which are obvious and an understated ability to command a scene. The fact that she shares the scenes with some of the finest actors of the time is no mean feat, but Ms. Ball is up to the task.
The film is not at all bashful about highlighting her physical beauty. Stunned by her beauty when they first met Desi Arnaz said of her, "That's a hunk o' woman." Costume designer Elois Jennsen does a fantastic job in dressing Ms. Ball throughout the entire movie. The viewer is treated to Ms. Jennsen's designs in literally every scene. It would be hard to find a movie where the lead is as fashionably attired as Ms. Ball, with Born To Kill and Laura the exceptions in the crime/mystery genre. The film has enough moments to remind the audience of her comedic talents that were evident as far back the 1934 Three Stooges short, Three Little Pigskins.
Unlike The Dark Corner where she carried Mark Stevens through the movie, there is a believable screen chemistry movie with uber-suave, self-admitted unmitigated cad George Sanders. I am a big fan of Sanders. There was no one who played an ammoral, self-centered cad/fop than Mr. Sanders. His onscreen persona of 'baby, I just don't care," was unmatched by anyone not named Robert Mitchum. In addition to the leads the viewer is treated to an all-star collection of seriously talented actors; there are Charles Coburn, Sir Cedrick Hardwicke, Boris Karloff, Alan Mowbray, Alan Napier, George Zucco and Joseph Calleia.
The film is not at all bashful about highlighting her physical beauty. Stunned by her beauty when they first met Desi Arnaz said of her, "That's a hunk o' woman." Costume designer Elois Jennsen does a fantastic job in dressing Ms. Ball throughout the entire movie. The viewer is treated to Ms. Jennsen's designs in literally every scene. It would be hard to find a movie where the lead is as fashionably attired as Ms. Ball, with Born To Kill and Laura the exceptions in the crime/mystery genre. The film has enough moments to remind the audience of her comedic talents that were evident as far back the 1934 Three Stooges short, Three Little Pigskins.
Unlike The Dark Corner where she carried Mark Stevens through the movie, there is a believable screen chemistry movie with uber-suave, self-admitted unmitigated cad George Sanders. I am a big fan of Sanders. There was no one who played an ammoral, self-centered cad/fop than Mr. Sanders. His onscreen persona of 'baby, I just don't care," was unmatched by anyone not named Robert Mitchum. In addition to the leads the viewer is treated to an all-star collection of seriously talented actors; there are Charles Coburn, Sir Cedrick Hardwicke, Boris Karloff, Alan Mowbray, Alan Napier, George Zucco and Joseph Calleia.
And the movie? Lured resembles the crime/mystery films of the thirties more than a noir or fringe noir. Lucille Ball plays a down on her luck (aren't they all?) dancer (Sandra Carpenter) who wants to find the murderer of her friend who has been 'lured' by a serial killer who gets his victims by luring them through personal columns. The twist is the killer leaves a poem by Baudelaire that contains evidence of his next victim. We're familiar with the line that there is no crying in baseball, so too should there be no Baudelaire in a noir. Carpenter goes to Scotland Yard and after a brief ten minute interview is hired as a female detective.
The movie runs for one hundred and two minutes, and that's at least twenty minutes too long. At least twenty of those one hundred and two minutes are devoted to two sub-plots that have nothing to do with the plot. There's an off-beat scene with Boris Karloff that was meant to be dramatic but instead ends up being silly. There is however a knock down ferocious fight between George Zucco and Boris Karloff. There is another sub plot about rich men offering young girls jobs in foreign countries and once there forcing them into the drudgeries of being a maid or a dancer in a shady night club. And therein lies another problem. Those two sub plots if developed and fleshed out had more possibilities than the main plot.
Each actor is given enough lines and screen time to show their skill. However, the cast is old, slow and lack any of the physicality we're accustomed to in our B movies. George Sanders at forty one, is the pup of the group. The average age of the other actors is fifty five. George Zucco, all 61 years of age, is the Scotland Yard detective assigned to protect Ms. Ball.
Is Lured a crime/mystery a romance/mystery/comic/psychological thriller? A film about a ham and cheese sandwich would be interesting to watch with this cast. It's not a bad movie, but it's certainly not a noir. It's a feel good movie and we all need that every so often.
I recommend it on the basis of Lucille Ball alone, but with a big assist from George Sanders.
The movie runs for one hundred and two minutes, and that's at least twenty minutes too long. At least twenty of those one hundred and two minutes are devoted to two sub-plots that have nothing to do with the plot. There's an off-beat scene with Boris Karloff that was meant to be dramatic but instead ends up being silly. There is however a knock down ferocious fight between George Zucco and Boris Karloff. There is another sub plot about rich men offering young girls jobs in foreign countries and once there forcing them into the drudgeries of being a maid or a dancer in a shady night club. And therein lies another problem. Those two sub plots if developed and fleshed out had more possibilities than the main plot.
Each actor is given enough lines and screen time to show their skill. However, the cast is old, slow and lack any of the physicality we're accustomed to in our B movies. George Sanders at forty one, is the pup of the group. The average age of the other actors is fifty five. George Zucco, all 61 years of age, is the Scotland Yard detective assigned to protect Ms. Ball.
Is Lured a crime/mystery a romance/mystery/comic/psychological thriller? A film about a ham and cheese sandwich would be interesting to watch with this cast. It's not a bad movie, but it's certainly not a noir. It's a feel good movie and we all need that every so often.
I recommend it on the basis of Lucille Ball alone, but with a big assist from George Sanders.
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF UNCLE HARRY
3.75/5 Stars
"People who love dogs shouldn't own them. They don't live long enough."
Universal
1945--80 Minutes.
Dir. Robert Siodmak--Criss Cross, The Killers,The Phantom Lady, The Spiral Staircase.
George Sanders--Lured, All About Eve, Picture of Dorian Gray, The Ghost And Mrs. Muir.
Ella Raines---Impact, Phantom Lady, Brute Force, Tall In The Saddle.
Geraldine Fitzgerald--Three Strangers, Watch On The Rhine, Dark Victory, Wuthering Heights.
1945--80 Minutes.
Dir. Robert Siodmak--Criss Cross, The Killers,The Phantom Lady, The Spiral Staircase.
George Sanders--Lured, All About Eve, Picture of Dorian Gray, The Ghost And Mrs. Muir.
Ella Raines---Impact, Phantom Lady, Brute Force, Tall In The Saddle.
Geraldine Fitzgerald--Three Strangers, Watch On The Rhine, Dark Victory, Wuthering Heights.
I approached this film with trepidation. The film is adapted from a play and it's difficult to find a good noir, or fringe noir/ taken from the stage. Also the film was bereft of familiar character and supporting actors that are usually essential for a good film. My wariness was reinforced when the movie began and the soft, dulcet tones of an elderly, pleasant sounding narrator informed us the story is about the once wealthiest family in this New Hampshire town that lost all but their family mansion during the Depression.
But, there was cause for optimism. The most important factor in my choosing an unseen movie is the quality of the actors. In this case the three stars in this unusual love triangle are George Sanders, Ella Raines and Geraldine Fitzgerald. Another reason was the producer was Joan Harrison, and the noir icing on this noir cake was Robert Siodmak as director. All three including older sister, Moyna MacGill give top notch performances. MacGill's name may not be familiar, but her daughter's, Angela Lansbury, certainly is.
But, there was cause for optimism. The most important factor in my choosing an unseen movie is the quality of the actors. In this case the three stars in this unusual love triangle are George Sanders, Ella Raines and Geraldine Fitzgerald. Another reason was the producer was Joan Harrison, and the noir icing on this noir cake was Robert Siodmak as director. All three including older sister, Moyna MacGill give top notch performances. MacGill's name may not be familiar, but her daughter's, Angela Lansbury, certainly is.
Harry Quincey (George Sanders) is the head designer in the factory that once belonged to the family. He lives with his spinster sister, Lettie (Geraldine Fitzgerald) and widowed sister Hester (Monya MacGill). Quincey is a quiet, shy reserved bachelor whose staid life is thrown askew by Deborah Brown (Ella Raines). She has come from the company's New York City office to work in New Hampshire. She is an urbane, free spirit literally opposite in personality to Quincy. She is the perfect counterpoint to his devious, obsessive, hypochondriac younger sister, and a competitor for Harry's attention, and his affection.
It would be rare to see a film where Sanders does not have on-screen chemistry with any of his leading ladies and the same can be said for Raines and her leading men. Quincey is smitten with Deborah, and she is curiously attracted to this tall, good-looking bachelor.
Ella Raines has played women more than capable of excelling in a man's world. She runs a ranch in Tall In The Saddle, a mechanic taking over for her husband lost in combat in Impact, and in The Strange Affair... is a successful business woman in the male dominated corporate world.
I'll let those who are more familiar with George Sanders judge where this ranks among his performances, but even with two strong, talented female leads this movie belongs to George Sanders. He accepts his position in life as the last of the Quincey males and takes his lonely lot as the price he must pay to care for his sisters and keep what little remains of the family's estate. His passion is astronomy where he is able to escape to the stars light years away but is unable or unwilling to escape from a life that binds him as tightly as a strait-jacket. We empathize, sympathize and we like him.
I really enjoyed the courtship between he and Ms. Raines. The dialogue is simple and on the surface seemingly innocuous. Deborah Brown does not want to scare him away. There is a very nice scene with a line that somehow got the past censors. They are looking up at the stars and Deborah wants to see Saturn's rings. He tells her;
"Well you can't see them with the naked eye."
"Harry, you're beginning to sound indecent."
"I only meant you have to have a very powerful telescope to see them."
"Oh, you have a telescope?"
"Yes, a nine inch one. I built it myself."
Everything in this film is bittersweet. He is proud of the telescope, and the observatory that he built himself then adds: "It took me five years to build that. Didn't have anything else to do." The tension and competition for Harry between Lettie and Deborah is brought to light the first time Deborah visits his house. Lettie lets her know that she and Hester knows what's best Harry and tells her:
"If ...Harry were to be observed leaving your hotel late at night it might be misinterpreted."
"Yes, I suppose it might."
"Well then that's settled. I’m so glad we had this little talk. ...I'm sure we're going to be very good friends now that we understand each other."
"We understand each other. But if Harry wishes to stop by my hotel at any time I'll always be glad to see him."
And Deborah with head cocked and condescending smirk leaves the room. This is the most important part of the scene and it's a joy to watch Ms. Raines and Ms.Fitzgerald verbally spar.
Ella Raines has played women more than capable of excelling in a man's world. She runs a ranch in Tall In The Saddle, a mechanic taking over for her husband lost in combat in Impact, and in The Strange Affair... is a successful business woman in the male dominated corporate world.
I'll let those who are more familiar with George Sanders judge where this ranks among his performances, but even with two strong, talented female leads this movie belongs to George Sanders. He accepts his position in life as the last of the Quincey males and takes his lonely lot as the price he must pay to care for his sisters and keep what little remains of the family's estate. His passion is astronomy where he is able to escape to the stars light years away but is unable or unwilling to escape from a life that binds him as tightly as a strait-jacket. We empathize, sympathize and we like him.
I really enjoyed the courtship between he and Ms. Raines. The dialogue is simple and on the surface seemingly innocuous. Deborah Brown does not want to scare him away. There is a very nice scene with a line that somehow got the past censors. They are looking up at the stars and Deborah wants to see Saturn's rings. He tells her;
"Well you can't see them with the naked eye."
"Harry, you're beginning to sound indecent."
"I only meant you have to have a very powerful telescope to see them."
"Oh, you have a telescope?"
"Yes, a nine inch one. I built it myself."
Everything in this film is bittersweet. He is proud of the telescope, and the observatory that he built himself then adds: "It took me five years to build that. Didn't have anything else to do." The tension and competition for Harry between Lettie and Deborah is brought to light the first time Deborah visits his house. Lettie lets her know that she and Hester knows what's best Harry and tells her:
"If ...Harry were to be observed leaving your hotel late at night it might be misinterpreted."
"Yes, I suppose it might."
"Well then that's settled. I’m so glad we had this little talk. ...I'm sure we're going to be very good friends now that we understand each other."
"We understand each other. But if Harry wishes to stop by my hotel at any time I'll always be glad to see him."
And Deborah with head cocked and condescending smirk leaves the room. This is the most important part of the scene and it's a joy to watch Ms. Raines and Ms.Fitzgerald verbally spar.
The past's relevance to the protaganist is a major theme in film noir. The Quincey home is a reminder of a time long gone. The home is expansively decorated, they use fine china, they have a maid but all were there prior to their economic downturn. Their true situation becomes apparent when for supper the maid serves what looks to be smattering of mashed potatoes spread on the dish topped with a rather small serving of meat. There was no appetizer or dessert. The past holds them all captive. Hester returns after the death of her husband. Harry 's filial and patriarchal duties demand him to stay. Lettie has rejected suitors to remain in the house where she is often sick and bed-ridden. She has shut herself off from society but not from Harry for whom she preens and maintains her glamour.
The conflict between Harry, Deborah and Lettie must be settled. At the forty seven minute mark the film takes a dramatic turn. There comes a few twists and turns with an ending that may not appeal to some people. It didn't bother me.
The conflict between Harry, Deborah and Lettie must be settled. At the forty seven minute mark the film takes a dramatic turn. There comes a few twists and turns with an ending that may not appeal to some people. It didn't bother me.
There is a Hitchcockian feel to this movie which shouldn't be surprising. Producer Joan Harrison was a long time collaborator of Hitchcock's. There are elements in this film that are also found in Shadow of Doubt: a quiet 'typical' American town, a sense of placidity, conformity, some humor, eccentric countrified Runyanesque characters, and behind it a sense of foreboding initiated by the appearance of a more experienced, worldly visitor. There are some major differences of course. The ending is controversial but it should not detract from the over all enjoyability of the film.
Two of the pleasures of this film was to see George Sanders relaxing with the 'boys' playing the piano and singing with the town's barbershop quartet. If the song was, "Sweet Adeline," or, "The Girl On The Flying Trapeze," the scene would be immortal. Another was Quincy and Deborah taking in a woman's softball game and George stuffing his face with cotton candy.
I did not expect a noir or anything close to a noir or cime/mystery and I was correct. What I did get was the enjoyment of watching a very good movie.
I recommend this movie.
I did not expect a noir or anything close to a noir or cime/mystery and I was correct. What I did get was the enjoyment of watching a very good movie.
I recommend this movie.
FOLLOW ME QUIETLY
3.25/5 Stars
"You've got imagination man, why don't you use it? You've been at it for months and the Judge has strangled six people."
1949--60 Minutes
Dir.-Richard Fleischer--The Narrow Margin, Amored Car Robbery, Violent Saturday.
William Lundigan--Dishonored Lady, The House On Telegraph Hill, Pinky.
Dorothy Patrick-711 Ocean Drive, House By The River, The High Wall.
Jeff Corey--The Killers, Home Of The Brave, Superman And The Mole-Men.
Cinem.-Robert DeGrasse-The Leopard Man, Born To Kill, The Men, The Body Snatcher.
Dir.-Richard Fleischer--The Narrow Margin, Amored Car Robbery, Violent Saturday.
William Lundigan--Dishonored Lady, The House On Telegraph Hill, Pinky.
Dorothy Patrick-711 Ocean Drive, House By The River, The High Wall.
Jeff Corey--The Killers, Home Of The Brave, Superman And The Mole-Men.
Cinem.-Robert DeGrasse-The Leopard Man, Born To Kill, The Men, The Body Snatcher.
Follow Me Quietly is a better than average low budget mystery/crime film about a serial killer who calls himself The Judge. His modus operandi we've been led to believe, is that he strangles his victims only from behind when it rains and for no apparent reason. He leaves cryptic letters cut and pasted from different magazines. He says he has been anointed to rid the earth of the vermin, the evil, or any reasonable facsimile thereof.
The film came out in 1949 and has the feel of a 1930's detective film with many of the themes we see in the transitional noir period of the early 40s. The lead female's role highlights one of the biggest changes from the detective films to that of film noir. Dorothy Patrick plays Ann Gorman who writes for a crappy tabloid exploitation magazine, but only because she was down to her last dollar and really wants to be a respected journalist. A film noir usually has a fatale or a less than pristine female and a "good" or bland female counter point. The pre-noir crime films usually have a female who will try to assist the male lead. She will be treated as a hindrance and a pest and more likely than not need the male to save her. (Ella Raines broke that mold in Phantom Lady. And for that film alone Ms. Raines deserves a lot of noir credit.) Ann Gorman attaches herself to the lead detective and follows him like a stray puppy while hoping for a scoop.
The film came out in 1949 and has the feel of a 1930's detective film with many of the themes we see in the transitional noir period of the early 40s. The lead female's role highlights one of the biggest changes from the detective films to that of film noir. Dorothy Patrick plays Ann Gorman who writes for a crappy tabloid exploitation magazine, but only because she was down to her last dollar and really wants to be a respected journalist. A film noir usually has a fatale or a less than pristine female and a "good" or bland female counter point. The pre-noir crime films usually have a female who will try to assist the male lead. She will be treated as a hindrance and a pest and more likely than not need the male to save her. (Ella Raines broke that mold in Phantom Lady. And for that film alone Ms. Raines deserves a lot of noir credit.) Ann Gorman attaches herself to the lead detective and follows him like a stray puppy while hoping for a scoop.
William Lundigan is Lt. Harry Grant the cop assigned to catch The Judge. He is assisted by Lt. Art Collins played by Jeff Corey. The only survivor of a Judge murder attempt lets us know The Judge is white, wears a fedora, a trench coat but didn't see his face! Not much of a help is it? Lt. Grant has a great idea. Under his direction they make a dummy Judge with a blank face.
There is one scene where Lundigan talks to the dummy judge who sits facing the window in a darkened room. When Lundigan leaves it turns out to be the real Judge and not the dummy Judge! Who knew? How did he get there? Who knows? There are a lot of who knows? Why does the Judge hate the rain? Who knows. How does he pick his victims? Who knows. When they catch him we never find out his reasons because he doesn't say a word. Not a word. Maybe they should have brought a bunch of magazines and had The Judge cut and paste his rationale.
There is one scene where Lundigan talks to the dummy judge who sits facing the window in a darkened room. When Lundigan leaves it turns out to be the real Judge and not the dummy Judge! Who knew? How did he get there? Who knows? There are a lot of who knows? Why does the Judge hate the rain? Who knows. How does he pick his victims? Who knows. When they catch him we never find out his reasons because he doesn't say a word. Not a word. Maybe they should have brought a bunch of magazines and had The Judge cut and paste his rationale.
It is an art form to make a good B movie and detail the suspects, the plot, the motives in sixty minutes. Low budget doesn't mean low quality and this film is proof. The acting is good all the way from leads to a good supporting cast. Richard Fleischer also directed The Narrow Margin, Armored Car Robbery, and Violent Saturday. Among cinematographer Robert De Grasse's credits are The Leopard Man, The Body Snatcher and Born To Kill. Anthony Mann was credited among the film's writers.
I found some things interesting. Ann Gorman wore a plastic mac that brought to mind the line, "I see right through your plastic Mac," from the song, Substitute by The Who. We see a Murphy Bed. As a former paper boy I appreciated her explanation of the abbreviations on the magazine which is a nice bit of lost Americana. Jeff Corey is Lundigan's partner and Douglas Spencer, the journalist in The Thing plays a Judge wannabe.
This is film should please fans of B movies.
I recommend this.
I found some things interesting. Ann Gorman wore a plastic mac that brought to mind the line, "I see right through your plastic Mac," from the song, Substitute by The Who. We see a Murphy Bed. As a former paper boy I appreciated her explanation of the abbreviations on the magazine which is a nice bit of lost Americana. Jeff Corey is Lundigan's partner and Douglas Spencer, the journalist in The Thing plays a Judge wannabe.
This is film should please fans of B movies.
I recommend this.
A CRY IN THE NIGHT
3.75/5 Stars
1956--75 Minutes.
Dir.-Frank Tuttle--The Glass Key, This Gun For Hire, Suspense.
Edmond O'Brien-Shield For Murder, The Bigamist, The Hitch-Hiker, Man In The Dark.
Brian Donlevy--The Big Combo, Kiss Of Death, Impact, The Great Gatsby.
Raymond Burr-Pitfall, Raw Deal, Red Light, Ruthless, Tomorrow Never Comes.
Natalie Wood-Rebel Without A Cause, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Splendor In The Grass
Richard Anderson--The People Against O'Hara, Paths of Glory, Tora, Tora, Tora.
Cin.-John F. Seltz-Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, The Big Clock.
Dir.-Frank Tuttle--The Glass Key, This Gun For Hire, Suspense.
Edmond O'Brien-Shield For Murder, The Bigamist, The Hitch-Hiker, Man In The Dark.
Brian Donlevy--The Big Combo, Kiss Of Death, Impact, The Great Gatsby.
Raymond Burr-Pitfall, Raw Deal, Red Light, Ruthless, Tomorrow Never Comes.
Natalie Wood-Rebel Without A Cause, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Splendor In The Grass
Richard Anderson--The People Against O'Hara, Paths of Glory, Tora, Tora, Tora.
Cin.-John F. Seltz-Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, The Big Clock.
A Cry In The Night is a film that can be said ushers out the old stars and films of the 40s and brings in the new. The old are represented by noir staples Brian Donleavy as Captain Ed Bates, Edmond O'Brien as Captain Taggart and Raymond Burr (Harold Loftus) The new are Richard Anderson and Natalie Wood as O'Brien's daughter, Elizabeth. This film acknowledges that the crime/police film, so dominant in cinema for three decades, is on the way out to be replaced by a kinder genre of film. We see O'Brien's character give a wink and a nod to the end of an era when he sits on the couch with a glass of beer turns on the TV, (television killed the cinema noir?) turns it off and says, "Another cop picture."
Elizabeth has been kidnapped by Harold Loftus (Raymond Burr) while she and boyfriend, Richard Anderson, were smooching on Lover's Loop. There are themes of teenage angst, sexual repression, and mean parents who are much too square to be hip. Donleavy does his best not to get in the way of the hell bent for destruction O'Brien who chews up the scenery. The film belongs however to Raymond Burr.
Burr made his mark as a bad guy in film noirs and he excels in this film. We learn that Loftus along with Elizabeth and millions of teens, have been victimized by their parents. In Burr's case it's his mom (Carol Veazie). The film draws a parallel between Veazie and O'Brien. When told his daughter has been kidnapped at Lover's Loop, O'Brien says, "My kid's not that kind." It is the same phrase used by Burr's mother when told her son may be a murderer. Carol Veazie wears a bathrobe throughout the movie that brings to mind Esther Howard in Born To Kill and Ann Ramsey in Throw Momma From The Train.
Any movie with a cast like this should be watched. It's a nice combination of a genre nearing its end and a genre geared for a younger audience. Brian Donlevy would finish his career with a nice transaction into television. His last major film would be the British sci-fi movie Quartermass. Richard Anderson is in the running for most under appreciated actor in cinema. He had 191 screen credits and was a staple on television as well as being in some very good movies. Natalie Wood made this movie after Rebel Without A Cause and The Searchers. No actor made a better transition from the movies to television than Raymond Burr, and he had to change persona from rotten, vile villain to the good guy Perry Mason and Ironside. His career stretched over 45 years and it's hard to find a more loveable television presence than Mr. Burr. From what I've read he was a gentleman, gracious and erudite and an all around good guy.
A Cry In The Night is not a bad movie. Raymond Burr's performance is enough reason to watch it and it is a fine example of the changing of viewing habits and tastes in the mid-50s.
I recommend it.
Elizabeth has been kidnapped by Harold Loftus (Raymond Burr) while she and boyfriend, Richard Anderson, were smooching on Lover's Loop. There are themes of teenage angst, sexual repression, and mean parents who are much too square to be hip. Donleavy does his best not to get in the way of the hell bent for destruction O'Brien who chews up the scenery. The film belongs however to Raymond Burr.
Burr made his mark as a bad guy in film noirs and he excels in this film. We learn that Loftus along with Elizabeth and millions of teens, have been victimized by their parents. In Burr's case it's his mom (Carol Veazie). The film draws a parallel between Veazie and O'Brien. When told his daughter has been kidnapped at Lover's Loop, O'Brien says, "My kid's not that kind." It is the same phrase used by Burr's mother when told her son may be a murderer. Carol Veazie wears a bathrobe throughout the movie that brings to mind Esther Howard in Born To Kill and Ann Ramsey in Throw Momma From The Train.
Any movie with a cast like this should be watched. It's a nice combination of a genre nearing its end and a genre geared for a younger audience. Brian Donlevy would finish his career with a nice transaction into television. His last major film would be the British sci-fi movie Quartermass. Richard Anderson is in the running for most under appreciated actor in cinema. He had 191 screen credits and was a staple on television as well as being in some very good movies. Natalie Wood made this movie after Rebel Without A Cause and The Searchers. No actor made a better transition from the movies to television than Raymond Burr, and he had to change persona from rotten, vile villain to the good guy Perry Mason and Ironside. His career stretched over 45 years and it's hard to find a more loveable television presence than Mr. Burr. From what I've read he was a gentleman, gracious and erudite and an all around good guy.
A Cry In The Night is not a bad movie. Raymond Burr's performance is enough reason to watch it and it is a fine example of the changing of viewing habits and tastes in the mid-50s.
I recommend it.
PLUNDER ROAD
4.0/5 Stars
1957--72 Minutes.
Dir.-Hubert Cornfeld--The Night Of The Following Day, Pressure Point.
Gene Raymond--The Locket, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Hooray For Love.
Jeanne Cooper--55 Steps To Danger, The Man From Alamo.
Elisha Cook, Jr.--The Maltese Falcon, Phantom Lady, The Big Sleep.
Wayne Morris--Paths Of Glory, Port Of Hell, The House Across The Street.
Dir.-Hubert Cornfeld--The Night Of The Following Day, Pressure Point.
Gene Raymond--The Locket, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Hooray For Love.
Jeanne Cooper--55 Steps To Danger, The Man From Alamo.
Elisha Cook, Jr.--The Maltese Falcon, Phantom Lady, The Big Sleep.
Wayne Morris--Paths Of Glory, Port Of Hell, The House Across The Street.
James Brown may have been the hardest working man in rock and roll but the crooks in Plunder Road are the hardest working criminals in crime films. The perpetrators in this film, to paraphrase Donna Summer, work hard for their money. The film clocks in at seventy two minutes and when it comes to B movies that's all the time a good director with a good cast needs.
A film about a heist can be time consuming. A crew has to be formed, a master-mind has to plan the heist and the characters need to be developed. Plunder Road eliminates all of that and gets right to the implementation of the audacious heist. The heist involves the commandeering of a train, stealing ten million dollars of gold bars from said train and high-tailing it 900 miles away to San Diego, where using false passports they will flee the country. In addition to the heist essentials as some explosive device and tear gas to neutralize the guards, there is also a crane with a winch to unload the gold bars.
Unlike The Asphalt Jungle, The Killing and Big Deal Madonna On Street, little time is spent on developing the characters. A lot of the action sequences take place off screen (another time saver). Exposition is handled through a fairly substantial use of radio broadcasts. We get to know a little about the perpetrators. Elisha Cook, Jr. wants the money so he can join his son in Brazil. Wayne Morris has been an actor, never married, but has a son. A third chews gum and drives another gang member, a former race car driver, nuts. But lack of character development doesn't matter. The film concentrates on the nuts and bolts of the heist. In addition to the actual heist we are given a tutorial on how to melt and mold gold into car bumpers and hub caps.
The leader of the heist is Gene Raymond and he is very good as the no nonsense college educated leader. Check out Raymond chain-smoking those coffin nails down to his finger tips. One can almost see the nicotine stains on his nails. Jeanne Cooper is Raymond's moll and proves she's more than a pretty face on a nice body as she works the mini-furnace. I will not spoil anything but there is one striking similarity to The Killing.
It's a good, fun movie.
I recommend it.
A film about a heist can be time consuming. A crew has to be formed, a master-mind has to plan the heist and the characters need to be developed. Plunder Road eliminates all of that and gets right to the implementation of the audacious heist. The heist involves the commandeering of a train, stealing ten million dollars of gold bars from said train and high-tailing it 900 miles away to San Diego, where using false passports they will flee the country. In addition to the heist essentials as some explosive device and tear gas to neutralize the guards, there is also a crane with a winch to unload the gold bars.
Unlike The Asphalt Jungle, The Killing and Big Deal Madonna On Street, little time is spent on developing the characters. A lot of the action sequences take place off screen (another time saver). Exposition is handled through a fairly substantial use of radio broadcasts. We get to know a little about the perpetrators. Elisha Cook, Jr. wants the money so he can join his son in Brazil. Wayne Morris has been an actor, never married, but has a son. A third chews gum and drives another gang member, a former race car driver, nuts. But lack of character development doesn't matter. The film concentrates on the nuts and bolts of the heist. In addition to the actual heist we are given a tutorial on how to melt and mold gold into car bumpers and hub caps.
The leader of the heist is Gene Raymond and he is very good as the no nonsense college educated leader. Check out Raymond chain-smoking those coffin nails down to his finger tips. One can almost see the nicotine stains on his nails. Jeanne Cooper is Raymond's moll and proves she's more than a pretty face on a nice body as she works the mini-furnace. I will not spoil anything but there is one striking similarity to The Killing.
It's a good, fun movie.
I recommend it.
Most people remember Wayne Morris as the cowardly Capt. Roget in, The Paths of Glory. His effectiveness in that role is a testament to his acting ability. He was out of movies from the end of 1941 to 1947. Morris saw combat in the Pacific theater as a F6F Hellcat pilot. Morris shot down seven Japanese planes and contributed to the sinking of five ships. He was awarded four Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Air Medals. Enough can't be said for his bravery and love of country.
He suffered a massive heart attack while touring an aircraft carrier and died at the age of 45. May he Rest In Peace.
He suffered a massive heart attack while touring an aircraft carrier and died at the age of 45. May he Rest In Peace.
SHOCKPROOF
4/5 Stars
1949--79 Minutes.
Dir.-Douglas Sirk--Battle Hymn, Captain Lightfoot, Sleep, My Love.
Cornell Wilde--Leave Here To Heaven, Road House, The Big Combo, Storm Fear.
Patricia Knight.
John Baragrey--The Creeper, The Colossos Of New York.
Dir.-Douglas Sirk--Battle Hymn, Captain Lightfoot, Sleep, My Love.
Cornell Wilde--Leave Here To Heaven, Road House, The Big Combo, Storm Fear.
Patricia Knight.
John Baragrey--The Creeper, The Colossos Of New York.
Shockproof begins with femme fatale Jen Marsh (Patricia Knight) released on parole after serving five years in prison for murder. Her parole officer is Griff Marat (Cornell Wilde). He gives her a 'honey don't do' list and first on the list is not to see former boyfriend Harry Wesson (John Baragrey). She breaks parole within a couple of hours. She is brought back with another of Griff’s paroles (King Donovan) who jumps to his death from a balcony in the Bradbury Building rather than go back to stir. If that’s not enough to watch this movie I don’t know what is.
Griff is love with Jen, but Jen is still wild about Harry and Harry’s wild about Jen. Who will win the battle for Jen? The second third of the film takes off on a different but effective path when they go on the lam. Patricia Knight is a bona fide beauty and not a bad actress. She was Wilde’s wife and too bad they couldn’t stay together and pair up in more films, especially, The Big Combo, that starred another Mrs. Wilde; Jean Wallace. John Baragrey is great as Harry Wesson. Stand-bys like Dick Benedict and James Flavin, Harold Russell and especially Esther Minicotti do their bit to make this a fine movie.
Samuel Fuller is the co-writer. This may be the first time he used “Griff” as a character. In a documentary he said Griff was a buddy in the 1st Division whose wounds left him a quadriplegic; a basket case he called him.
This is, IMO, a good noir, with a very interesting ending and deserves more attention. My opinion: I def recommend it.
Griff is love with Jen, but Jen is still wild about Harry and Harry’s wild about Jen. Who will win the battle for Jen? The second third of the film takes off on a different but effective path when they go on the lam. Patricia Knight is a bona fide beauty and not a bad actress. She was Wilde’s wife and too bad they couldn’t stay together and pair up in more films, especially, The Big Combo, that starred another Mrs. Wilde; Jean Wallace. John Baragrey is great as Harry Wesson. Stand-bys like Dick Benedict and James Flavin, Harold Russell and especially Esther Minicotti do their bit to make this a fine movie.
Samuel Fuller is the co-writer. This may be the first time he used “Griff” as a character. In a documentary he said Griff was a buddy in the 1st Division whose wounds left him a quadriplegic; a basket case he called him.
This is, IMO, a good noir, with a very interesting ending and deserves more attention. My opinion: I def recommend it.
MAN IN THE DARK
3.75 /5 Stars
1953--70 Minutes.
Dir.-Lew Landers--Inner Sanctum, The Black Arrow, Kill The Umpire.
Edmond O'Brien--White Heat, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Wild Bunch.
Audrey Totter--Tension, Women's Prison, Alias Nick Beal, Lady In The Lake.
Ted de Corsia--The Big Combo, The Killing, The Enforcer.
Dir.-Lew Landers--Inner Sanctum, The Black Arrow, Kill The Umpire.
Edmond O'Brien--White Heat, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Wild Bunch.
Audrey Totter--Tension, Women's Prison, Alias Nick Beal, Lady In The Lake.
Ted de Corsia--The Big Combo, The Killing, The Enforcer.
Edmond O’Brien plays Steve Rawley, Audrey Totter is his moll and Ted DeCorsia is his partner in crime. Lifelong criminal Rawley is the guinea pig for a surgical operation that eliminates the criminal element from the brain. This boon to society will save mankind from thugs, rehabilitate them and as an extra bonus find where he hid the money from a bank robbery. Could this be the forerunner to the Ludovico Treatment from A Clockwork Orange?
Steve Rawley can’t remember anything from the past. Not the bad, like a painful root canal surgery or the good, like making love to Peg Benedict (Audrey Totter). And to make matters worse his gang doesn’t believe he can’t remember where he put the stolen money.
The reformed (lobotomized?) Steve Rawley with no memory of his past is more than happy to stay at the hospital as a gardener. His gang has different ideas. They kidnap him and don't buy into his loss of memory excuse. Ted de Corsia smacks him around. Audrey Totter tries a kinder, gentler approach and neither approach work. This is an odd movie in that there are a lot of creative, often surreal scenes but moments of flatness that make the film better than average, but not quite into the very good quality.
The highlight of the film is a dream sequence that gives Rawley a clue as to where he hid the money. The dream is filmed at a long gone Los Angeles amusement park. O'Brien gets chased by what looks like half of L.A.'s finest shooting at him while riding what looks like saucer shaped bumper cars. There are good performances by de Corsia and O'Brien. Audrey Totter is okay, kudos to diminutive character actor Mike Dennis.
The stars of the show are the unknown stunt men and the scenes shot at the iconic Pacific Ocean Park (Gun Crazy was shot there as well) in Venice, California. There is a great roof top chase that has moments of danger. These guys do some fancy climbing on the High Boy Roller Coaster. The ride is thrilling and exciting and when you see how flimsy it looks it makes the entire scene down right scary. We can add Pacific Ocean Park along with the Bradbury Building, and Angel's Flight as iconic locations for L.A. noir. (for more info scroll down on the park and location here.
This is an enjoyable, film. The type of film where you sit on the couch in your robe, jammies, or boxers, eat popcorn, make a few jokes and belch if you must. When it’s finished you say, ‘Hey, this wasn’t so bad.” O’Brien never cheats the audience. He puts as much effort into this as he did in, D.O.A. Audrey Totter plays her character fairly subdued but there are splashes of the Audrey we know and love. Mike Dennis as gang member (Cookie) puts in a nice performance and does Ted DeCorsia (Lefty).
My recommendation? Watch it, don’t compare this film to some previous films by the two leads and enjoy it.
I recommend this movie.
Steve Rawley can’t remember anything from the past. Not the bad, like a painful root canal surgery or the good, like making love to Peg Benedict (Audrey Totter). And to make matters worse his gang doesn’t believe he can’t remember where he put the stolen money.
The reformed (lobotomized?) Steve Rawley with no memory of his past is more than happy to stay at the hospital as a gardener. His gang has different ideas. They kidnap him and don't buy into his loss of memory excuse. Ted de Corsia smacks him around. Audrey Totter tries a kinder, gentler approach and neither approach work. This is an odd movie in that there are a lot of creative, often surreal scenes but moments of flatness that make the film better than average, but not quite into the very good quality.
The highlight of the film is a dream sequence that gives Rawley a clue as to where he hid the money. The dream is filmed at a long gone Los Angeles amusement park. O'Brien gets chased by what looks like half of L.A.'s finest shooting at him while riding what looks like saucer shaped bumper cars. There are good performances by de Corsia and O'Brien. Audrey Totter is okay, kudos to diminutive character actor Mike Dennis.
The stars of the show are the unknown stunt men and the scenes shot at the iconic Pacific Ocean Park (Gun Crazy was shot there as well) in Venice, California. There is a great roof top chase that has moments of danger. These guys do some fancy climbing on the High Boy Roller Coaster. The ride is thrilling and exciting and when you see how flimsy it looks it makes the entire scene down right scary. We can add Pacific Ocean Park along with the Bradbury Building, and Angel's Flight as iconic locations for L.A. noir. (for more info scroll down on the park and location here.
This is an enjoyable, film. The type of film where you sit on the couch in your robe, jammies, or boxers, eat popcorn, make a few jokes and belch if you must. When it’s finished you say, ‘Hey, this wasn’t so bad.” O’Brien never cheats the audience. He puts as much effort into this as he did in, D.O.A. Audrey Totter plays her character fairly subdued but there are splashes of the Audrey we know and love. Mike Dennis as gang member (Cookie) puts in a nice performance and does Ted DeCorsia (Lefty).
My recommendation? Watch it, don’t compare this film to some previous films by the two leads and enjoy it.
I recommend this movie.
THE DARK PAST
3.25/5 Stars
1948--73 Minutes.
Dir.-Rudolph Mate-D.O.A., The Violent Men, Union Station, 300 Spartans.
William Holden-Sunset Boulevard, Union Station, Stalag 17, Golden Boy.
Nina Foch-Johnny Allegro, My Name Is Julia Ross, Escape In The Fog.
Lee J. Cobb-Thieves Highway, The Man Who Cheated Himself, Call Northside 777.
Adele Jergens-Side Street, Armored Car Robbery, The Sound of Fury.
Also with: Ellen Corby, Steven Geray, Robert Osterrich, Barry Kroeger.
Dir.-Rudolph Mate-D.O.A., The Violent Men, Union Station, 300 Spartans.
William Holden-Sunset Boulevard, Union Station, Stalag 17, Golden Boy.
Nina Foch-Johnny Allegro, My Name Is Julia Ross, Escape In The Fog.
Lee J. Cobb-Thieves Highway, The Man Who Cheated Himself, Call Northside 777.
Adele Jergens-Side Street, Armored Car Robbery, The Sound of Fury.
Also with: Ellen Corby, Steven Geray, Robert Osterrich, Barry Kroeger.
Police psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Collins (Lee J. Cobb) recalls his encounter with Al Walker (William Holden). Walker had escaped from jail and along with associates and girl-friend Betty (Nina Foch) invaded Dr. Collins' home. Walker takes the good Doctor, his family, and some friends hostage. Much of the movie is spent with Cobb psycho-analyzing Holden to find out what led him to a life of crime and murder. Nina Foch is classy, gracious and has a high society look. She is miscast as the tough as nails gun moll. Adele Jergens who plays the wife of a guest would have been the obvious choice.
The use of psychiatry as a means of understanding the criminal mind was relatively new so the theme had more relevance now than then. There is a dream sequence where we learn from Walker’s past that helps explain why he turned out the way he did. The good news is that Holden gets cured.
In his role as an erudite and well respected police psychiatrist about town, Cobb does not unleash his trademark temper and volatility. William Holden never seems right for roles that call for a working class, rough, ill educated character. It’s hard to outdo Cobb when it comes to overacting but Holden succeeds. A big kudo goes to Ellen Corby. She seems to make an impression in every screen appearance and The Dark Past is no exception.
Should you watch it or not? It has two good actors in a fairly mundane and forgettable film. It is a must for Ellen Corby fans. Watch if you have nothing better to do.
The use of psychiatry as a means of understanding the criminal mind was relatively new so the theme had more relevance now than then. There is a dream sequence where we learn from Walker’s past that helps explain why he turned out the way he did. The good news is that Holden gets cured.
In his role as an erudite and well respected police psychiatrist about town, Cobb does not unleash his trademark temper and volatility. William Holden never seems right for roles that call for a working class, rough, ill educated character. It’s hard to outdo Cobb when it comes to overacting but Holden succeeds. A big kudo goes to Ellen Corby. She seems to make an impression in every screen appearance and The Dark Past is no exception.
Should you watch it or not? It has two good actors in a fairly mundane and forgettable film. It is a must for Ellen Corby fans. Watch if you have nothing better to do.
JOHNNY STOOL PIGEON
3.20/5 Stars
1949--76 Minutes.
Dir. William Castle-Undertow, The Fat Man, Homicidal, Strait Jacket, House On Haunted Hill.
Dan Duryea-Too Late For Tears, Criss Cross, Scarlet Street, Black Angel.
Shelly Winters-Night Of The Hunter, Cry Of The City, He Ran All The Way, Larcency.
Howard Duff---Private Hell 36, While The City Sleeps, Shakedown.
John McIntire--The Asphalt Jungle, The Phenix City Story, Psycho.
Dir. William Castle-Undertow, The Fat Man, Homicidal, Strait Jacket, House On Haunted Hill.
Dan Duryea-Too Late For Tears, Criss Cross, Scarlet Street, Black Angel.
Shelly Winters-Night Of The Hunter, Cry Of The City, He Ran All The Way, Larcency.
Howard Duff---Private Hell 36, While The City Sleeps, Shakedown.
John McIntire--The Asphalt Jungle, The Phenix City Story, Psycho.
Johnny Stool Pigeon. Word on the street is a good copy is hard to find another word is that's only an average movie at best. Howard Duff plays a Fed tracking down a drug smuggling ring. He needs to infiltrate the mob but he needs help. Dan Duryea is the help but there's a problem as Duff was the cop who sent Duryea to the 'Q' a few years back. No surprise but Dandy Dan says forget it coppers.
Duff gets Dan to change his mind when he shows Dan's wife who had over-dosed on drugs. Dan will do it. They meet up with Shelly Winters who is svelte and hot looking as the female lead. This could have been a good movie. It's not a waste of time but neither is is it a film one should circle on a calendar as a reminder to watch. The film also has a burgeoning actor Tony Curtis, billed her as Anthony Curtis. He plays a mute so while his character doesn't say a word he does look real mean at times.
I tepidly recommend this movie.
Duff gets Dan to change his mind when he shows Dan's wife who had over-dosed on drugs. Dan will do it. They meet up with Shelly Winters who is svelte and hot looking as the female lead. This could have been a good movie. It's not a waste of time but neither is is it a film one should circle on a calendar as a reminder to watch. The film also has a burgeoning actor Tony Curtis, billed her as Anthony Curtis. He plays a mute so while his character doesn't say a word he does look real mean at times.
I tepidly recommend this movie.
CALLING DR. DEATH
3.6/5 Stars
1943--63 Minutes.
Dir.-Reginald Le Borg-The Mummy's Ghost, Dead Man's Eyes, Weird Woman.
Lon Chaney, Jr.--Ghostcatchers, The Wolfman, Pillow Of Death, Of MIce And Men.
Patricia Morrison--Dressed To Kill, Song Of The Thin Man, Sofia.
J. Carroll Naish--Blood And Sand, Beau Geste, Sahara, House Of Frankenstien, Black Hand.
Dir.-Reginald Le Borg-The Mummy's Ghost, Dead Man's Eyes, Weird Woman.
Lon Chaney, Jr.--Ghostcatchers, The Wolfman, Pillow Of Death, Of MIce And Men.
Patricia Morrison--Dressed To Kill, Song Of The Thin Man, Sofia.
J. Carroll Naish--Blood And Sand, Beau Geste, Sahara, House Of Frankenstien, Black Hand.
The first of the Inner Sanctum films Calling Dr. Death stars Lon Chaney, Jr., J.Carroll Naish, Patricia Morrison and the lovely Ramsey Ames. How can one go wrong? It runs for only sixty-three minutes which is another plus. Acid is used to commit murder but by who? Chaney who plays Dr. Steele an eminent neurologist who uses hypnosis to cure patients, is suspected by erstwhile police detective Naish in murdering his wife (Ms. Ames).
Lon Chaney projects the same type of ernastness and angst that he did as Talbot in The Wolfman. Ms. Morrison plays his love stricken nurse, book-keeper and confidant. Ms. Morrison is extremely attractive and certainly should have made a bigger mark in Hollywood. The bulk of mystery films on Saturday mornings for many boomers were films like Calling Dr. Death. It has all requisites; short running time, a cool title, hypnosis, good detective work, and that ol' reliable trope of more crime films than one can count, amnesia, along with some dream sequences along the lines of Stranger on Third Floor and Murder, My Sweet. It holds up well today as welcome, wholeome respite from the usual garbage on our screen.
I recommend this movie.
Lon Chaney projects the same type of ernastness and angst that he did as Talbot in The Wolfman. Ms. Morrison plays his love stricken nurse, book-keeper and confidant. Ms. Morrison is extremely attractive and certainly should have made a bigger mark in Hollywood. The bulk of mystery films on Saturday mornings for many boomers were films like Calling Dr. Death. It has all requisites; short running time, a cool title, hypnosis, good detective work, and that ol' reliable trope of more crime films than one can count, amnesia, along with some dream sequences along the lines of Stranger on Third Floor and Murder, My Sweet. It holds up well today as welcome, wholeome respite from the usual garbage on our screen.
I recommend this movie.
ROGUE COP
3.25/5 Stars
1954--1 Hr. 32 Minutes.
Dir.-Roy Rowland--Witness To Murder, Our Vines Have Tender Traps.
Robert Taylor--Party Girl, Devil's Doorway, High Wall, Johnny Eager.
Janet Leigh--Touch Of Evil, Act Of Violence, The Naked Spur, Jet Pilot, Psycho.
George Raft--Nocturne,Red Light, Johnny Allegro, Scarface, Night After Night, Bolero.
Ann Francis--Bad Day At Black Rock, Blackboard Jungle, Forbidden Planet.
Dir.-Roy Rowland--Witness To Murder, Our Vines Have Tender Traps.
Robert Taylor--Party Girl, Devil's Doorway, High Wall, Johnny Eager.
Janet Leigh--Touch Of Evil, Act Of Violence, The Naked Spur, Jet Pilot, Psycho.
George Raft--Nocturne,Red Light, Johnny Allegro, Scarface, Night After Night, Bolero.
Ann Francis--Bad Day At Black Rock, Blackboard Jungle, Forbidden Planet.
Rogue Cop is based on the novel by William McGivern, who also wrote The Big Heat, and Shield For Murder. Insofar as the movies go two out of three ain’t bad. Robert Taylor is a cop on the take. His brother, Steve Forrest, is a good cop not on the take who is witness to a gangland murder. The mobster, George Raft (who reminds me of my Uncle Augie ((May he Rest in Peace) wants Bob to bribe Steve and recant his previous statement. Things go wrong. Janet Leigh is wonderful eye-candy. Ann Francis, is the hot babe the mobster pulled out of the gutter who has a drinking problem.
If you're a fan of this genre, the sure why not watch it? If not then I'd pass.
If you're a fan of this genre, the sure why not watch it? If not then I'd pass.
DOUBLE DEAL
3.25/5 Stars
"Take a look, pal. I'm public domain."
1950--64 Minutes.
Dir.-Abby Berlin-----A slew of Blondie movies.
Marie Windsor--The Killing, The Narrow Margin, The Sniper, Force Of Evil.
Richard Denning--Seven Were Saved, Naked Paradise, The Glass Key.
Faye Baker--The House On Telegraph Hill, She-Devil, Black Midnight.
Taylor Holmes--Nightmare Alley, Kiss Of Death, Beware My Lovely, Quicksand.
James Griffith-- The Killing,
Dir.-Abby Berlin-----A slew of Blondie movies.
Marie Windsor--The Killing, The Narrow Margin, The Sniper, Force Of Evil.
Richard Denning--Seven Were Saved, Naked Paradise, The Glass Key.
Faye Baker--The House On Telegraph Hill, She-Devil, Black Midnight.
Taylor Holmes--Nightmare Alley, Kiss Of Death, Beware My Lovely, Quicksand.
James Griffith-- The Killing,
Double Deal. I went into this movie hoping for an enjoyable film and I was not disappointed. Marie Windsor is given the chance to be the lead and not a supporting actor and she is much more than adequate. Richard Denning is Buzz Doyle. There’s a convoluted story about oil wells and who owns it and who doesn’t. Marie Windsor, as Terry Miller, looks hot in tight dresses, she looks hot in plaid shirt and jeans, need I go on?
Fay Baker is Lily. She's a no-goodnikova who hates her brother Reno (Carleton Young) so much she won't let him have one measly oil well from their father's inheritance. There's a wonderful supporting cast of familiar faces; Thomas Browne Henry, James Griffith, Walter Burke and the wonderful Taylor Holmes as the town's lawyer who got robbed out of his oil wells and has added town drunk to his resume. Buzz calls him 'a walking gin mill.
Buzz gets beat up for being a snoop. He finds Reno dead and he doesn't have to read tea leaves to know it's good time to leave town. But Reno left the well in Terry's name and they decide to form a partnership. There’s a great scene where she stands toe to toe facing the other female lead, Fay Baker, that tastefully displays Ms. Windsor’s assets. If she’s the poor man’s Jane Russell then Lord make me poor. We also get the bonus of seeing Taylor Holmes getting into a fight and James Griffith oozing sleaze. It’s sixty four minutes which is another plus. I almost forgot but there's monkey in the film that plays a part in the film's exciting denouement.
I recommend this movie.
Fay Baker is Lily. She's a no-goodnikova who hates her brother Reno (Carleton Young) so much she won't let him have one measly oil well from their father's inheritance. There's a wonderful supporting cast of familiar faces; Thomas Browne Henry, James Griffith, Walter Burke and the wonderful Taylor Holmes as the town's lawyer who got robbed out of his oil wells and has added town drunk to his resume. Buzz calls him 'a walking gin mill.
Buzz gets beat up for being a snoop. He finds Reno dead and he doesn't have to read tea leaves to know it's good time to leave town. But Reno left the well in Terry's name and they decide to form a partnership. There’s a great scene where she stands toe to toe facing the other female lead, Fay Baker, that tastefully displays Ms. Windsor’s assets. If she’s the poor man’s Jane Russell then Lord make me poor. We also get the bonus of seeing Taylor Holmes getting into a fight and James Griffith oozing sleaze. It’s sixty four minutes which is another plus. I almost forgot but there's monkey in the film that plays a part in the film's exciting denouement.
I recommend this movie.
THE LINEUP
5/5 Stars
1958--1 Hr. 26 Minutes.
Dir-Don Siegel--Riot In Cell Block 11, Private Hell 36, Invasion of The Body Snatchers.
Eli Wallach--The Misfits, The Victors, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.
Robert Keith--Fourteen Hours, Edge Of Doom, Boomerang.
Mary LaRoche--Gidget, Bye, Bye, Birdie.
Richard Jaeckel--Sands Of Iwo Jima, Attack, 3:10 To Yuma, The Dirty Dozen.
Guy Way---Stunts( car driver in the exciting chase scene).
Dir-Don Siegel--Riot In Cell Block 11, Private Hell 36, Invasion of The Body Snatchers.
Eli Wallach--The Misfits, The Victors, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.
Robert Keith--Fourteen Hours, Edge Of Doom, Boomerang.
Mary LaRoche--Gidget, Bye, Bye, Birdie.
Richard Jaeckel--Sands Of Iwo Jima, Attack, 3:10 To Yuma, The Dirty Dozen.
Guy Way---Stunts( car driver in the exciting chase scene).
Nothing but high praises for The Lineup. directed by Don Siegel and scripted by Stirling Silliphant. This is an exciting, non-stop action movie that grabs the viewer by the throat and never lets go. The film starts fast and maintains that pace throughout. High praise for Eli Wallach who is fantastic as Dancer, the hitman. He and his associate, Julian (Robert Keith) travel to San Francisco to confiscate packages of heroin from unsuspecting 'mules' who have had heroin placed among their personal items. Dancer is soft spoken, laconic and often thoughtful hitman and Wallach’s performance elevates what might have been a typical crime drama into an excellent movie. Unlike the many psychopathic hit men we've come to know and despise, Dancer does not need a shtick while going about his business; he doesn't quote bible verses, swagger to a song on the radio or maniacally giggle. The guy is all business. In once memorable scene he disposes of a deadbeat in a way that would make Tommy Udo proud.
His associate is Robert Keith. Keith keeps his hands clean while Dancer does the dirty work. He tries to come across as a fatherly mentor to Dancer. Dancer is dangerous, Julian is loathsome. He has Dancer tell him the last words of his victims then jots them down in his pad for a book he intends to write. The film also has the almost ubiquitous Richard Jaeckel. He is a brash, bold, surfer type killer who is quickly taken down a few notches by Dancer and Julian. The LEOs are little more than, ‘the facts Ma’m, just the facts.” Emile Meyer, who we remember as the Priest trying to console Timothy Carey in The Paths of Glory, and as the rancher who who hires Jack Palance to take out Alan Ladd in Shane, is one of the two lead cops whose performances give a respite to the action.
Siegel gives the audience a wonderful tour of San Francisco as we follow Dancer and Julian from one mark to another. Julian tells Dancer the job is a piece of cake and they should be done by 4:30. But there are complications. Dancer takes a mom and her daughter hostage. We wonder not if Dancer will kill them but when, and what last words will be added to Julien's book in progress.
Siegel uses San Francisco locations as effectively as he would in Dirty Harry. As we travel around the city each stop, each change of scenery is used to develop the suspense and danger. As good as Wallach is, he is almost upstaged by a great car chase at the end of the film. It takes place on the then, unfinished Embarcadero Highway. The chase takes place a mere feet from a 50 foot straight drop to the ground and pushes the edge of the envelope.
Siegel uses San Francisco locations as effectively as he would in Dirty Harry. As we travel around the city each stop, each change of scenery is used to develop the suspense and danger. As good as Wallach is, he is almost upstaged by a great car chase at the end of the film. It takes place on the then, unfinished Embarcadero Highway. The chase takes place a mere feet from a 50 foot straight drop to the ground and pushes the edge of the envelope.
Don Siegel is an under unappreciated director and deserves more credit for his work. Films like The Verdict, The Big Steal, Riot in Cell Block 11. Invasion of The Body Snatchers, Private Hell 36, Madigan, Dirty Harry, Charley Varrick, The Beguiled, Escape From Alcatraz, and his influence on Sam Peckinpah and Clint Eastwood, among others, should be enough to include him as one of this country's top directors.
I strongly recommend this movie.
I strongly recommend this movie.
DEAD RECKONING
3/5 Stars
1947--1 Hr. 40 Minutes.
Dir.-John Cromwell-The Racket, Of Human Bondage, The Enchanted College.
Humphrey Bogart-The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, In A Lonely Place.
Lizabeth Scott--Pitfall, I Walk Alone, Dark City, Too Late For Tears.
Wallace Ford--The Set-Up, T-Men, Black Angel, The Breaking Point, Shadow Of A Doubt.
Marvin Miller--Forbidden Planet,(The voice of Robby the Robot), Intrigue.
Morris Carnovsky--Cornerd, Dishonored Lady, Thieves Highway.
Dir.-John Cromwell-The Racket, Of Human Bondage, The Enchanted College.
Humphrey Bogart-The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, In A Lonely Place.
Lizabeth Scott--Pitfall, I Walk Alone, Dark City, Too Late For Tears.
Wallace Ford--The Set-Up, T-Men, Black Angel, The Breaking Point, Shadow Of A Doubt.
Marvin Miller--Forbidden Planet,(The voice of Robby the Robot), Intrigue.
Morris Carnovsky--Cornerd, Dishonored Lady, Thieves Highway.
Dead Reckoning is Sam Spade goes to war. No cliché is left unsaid, no plot gimmick or scene trope unused in this film, and any resemblance to Sam Spade, Phillip Marlowe or The Maltese Falcon is purely intentional.
DR begs us to suspend our disbelief from beginning to end. Bogie plays Capt. Rip Murdock. He accompanies his buddy, Sgt. John Drake played by William Prince to Washington where Drake will receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. They have not been told about this and isn't it just like the War Department to keep these great public relation ceremonies a secret? Drake goes apoplectic when he finds out and hops off the train to board another. Bogie investigates where and why his buddy left the train. He heads to Drake's home in Gulf City which we've been told is a large city on the Gulf. Perhaps it's where residents of Gotham City and Metropolis vacation? Anyway. Drake is murdered and Marlowe, oops, Murdock wants to find out why.
Five script writers had a hand in this film and it shows. Each one has a go at what they believe is sufficiently effective tough guy/movie dialogue. Spade, oops, Murdock, can't utter a sentence without it being a wise crack or some attempt at cynical humor. The writers must have had their own drinking game predicated on the number of times 'sweetheart' was used. The perfunctory tough guy is played by Marvin Miller (Mike Mazurki must have been busy). Kudos however to George Chandler as Louis Ord the bartender who pays the ultimate sacrifice for helping Murdock. Kudos also to Liz Scott as "Dusty" Chandler the chanteuse with a secret past.
This film has no heart, no soul; it was meant to capitalize on the drawing power of Humphrey Bogart. In today's parlance it is a copy and paste pastiche of other Bogie films. I could say more but I’m getting upset. Dead Reckoning gives the appearance of the studio, the director and the writers going through the motions of making a film.
I do not recommend it.
DR begs us to suspend our disbelief from beginning to end. Bogie plays Capt. Rip Murdock. He accompanies his buddy, Sgt. John Drake played by William Prince to Washington where Drake will receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. They have not been told about this and isn't it just like the War Department to keep these great public relation ceremonies a secret? Drake goes apoplectic when he finds out and hops off the train to board another. Bogie investigates where and why his buddy left the train. He heads to Drake's home in Gulf City which we've been told is a large city on the Gulf. Perhaps it's where residents of Gotham City and Metropolis vacation? Anyway. Drake is murdered and Marlowe, oops, Murdock wants to find out why.
Five script writers had a hand in this film and it shows. Each one has a go at what they believe is sufficiently effective tough guy/movie dialogue. Spade, oops, Murdock, can't utter a sentence without it being a wise crack or some attempt at cynical humor. The writers must have had their own drinking game predicated on the number of times 'sweetheart' was used. The perfunctory tough guy is played by Marvin Miller (Mike Mazurki must have been busy). Kudos however to George Chandler as Louis Ord the bartender who pays the ultimate sacrifice for helping Murdock. Kudos also to Liz Scott as "Dusty" Chandler the chanteuse with a secret past.
This film has no heart, no soul; it was meant to capitalize on the drawing power of Humphrey Bogart. In today's parlance it is a copy and paste pastiche of other Bogie films. I could say more but I’m getting upset. Dead Reckoning gives the appearance of the studio, the director and the writers going through the motions of making a film.
I do not recommend it.
THE THREAT
3.5 /5 Stars
1949--61 Minutes.
Dir.-Felix E. Feist-Tomorrow Is Another Day, Donovan's Brain, The Devil Thumbs A Ride.
Charles McGraw--T-Men, Roadblock, Border Incident, Blood On The Moon.
Michael O' Shea--Jack London, Fixed Bayonents, It Should Happen To You.
Virginia Grey--Another Thin Man, This Island Earth, The Rose Tattoo.
Anthony Caruso--The Asphalt Jungle, Fort Algiers, The Steel Lady, Drumbeat.
Dir.-Felix E. Feist-Tomorrow Is Another Day, Donovan's Brain, The Devil Thumbs A Ride.
Charles McGraw--T-Men, Roadblock, Border Incident, Blood On The Moon.
Michael O' Shea--Jack London, Fixed Bayonents, It Should Happen To You.
Virginia Grey--Another Thin Man, This Island Earth, The Rose Tattoo.
Anthony Caruso--The Asphalt Jungle, Fort Algiers, The Steel Lady, Drumbeat.
The threat in The Threat is Charles McGraw. The guy had a face etched in stone and a voice that sounded like he gargled with lye dusted razor blades. This gem of a B-Movie clocks in at sixty-six minutes, which is within the range for effective and better than average B Movies.
The film was directed by Felix Feist who lists, Tomorrow Is Another Day, The Man Who Cheated Himself, and The Devil Thumbs A Ride among his credits. The Threat and, The Devil Thumbs A Ride star an intimidating lead actor; Lawrence Tierney in Devil...and McGraw in, The Threat. The film is rather short of action and is held together by the unpredictability of when and not if, Red Kluger (McGraw) will strike.
Kluger is a convicted killer who escaped from Folsom Prison. He vows to get revenge on the D.A (Frank Conroy).and Detective Williams(Michael O’Shea) who sent him away. Frank Conroy played the faux Confederate officer in, The Ox-Bow Incident. O’Shea seems miscast but then again Det. Williams is the most ineffective, defective detective in fringe noir. He spends much of the movie with his arm in a cast, then gets beat up by Kluger, tied up by Kluger, and has to be saved at the bell by a belle. Not to worry about O’Shea. At the end of the work day he went home to his wife, the gorgeous Virginia Mayo.
The movie would not have worked without McGraw. He gets his way with a stare, a look, or a growl. How intimidating is Kluger? He’s got fellow gang member and perennial tough guy Anthony Caruso jumping at his every command.
McGraw had previously been the tough guy in other films, notably, T-Men, and The Killers but always as a supporting character. The Threat proved he could be a leading man and his performance led to Armored Car Robbery, Roadblock, and the classic The Narrow Margin, where Marie Windsor proved capable of going toe to toe with him.
If you’re a McGraw fan you’ve probably seen this film, if not see it because it’s a good movie and you'll should come out with a better appreciation for Mr. McGraw.
With no reservations, I recommend this movie.
The film was directed by Felix Feist who lists, Tomorrow Is Another Day, The Man Who Cheated Himself, and The Devil Thumbs A Ride among his credits. The Threat and, The Devil Thumbs A Ride star an intimidating lead actor; Lawrence Tierney in Devil...and McGraw in, The Threat. The film is rather short of action and is held together by the unpredictability of when and not if, Red Kluger (McGraw) will strike.
Kluger is a convicted killer who escaped from Folsom Prison. He vows to get revenge on the D.A (Frank Conroy).and Detective Williams(Michael O’Shea) who sent him away. Frank Conroy played the faux Confederate officer in, The Ox-Bow Incident. O’Shea seems miscast but then again Det. Williams is the most ineffective, defective detective in fringe noir. He spends much of the movie with his arm in a cast, then gets beat up by Kluger, tied up by Kluger, and has to be saved at the bell by a belle. Not to worry about O’Shea. At the end of the work day he went home to his wife, the gorgeous Virginia Mayo.
The movie would not have worked without McGraw. He gets his way with a stare, a look, or a growl. How intimidating is Kluger? He’s got fellow gang member and perennial tough guy Anthony Caruso jumping at his every command.
McGraw had previously been the tough guy in other films, notably, T-Men, and The Killers but always as a supporting character. The Threat proved he could be a leading man and his performance led to Armored Car Robbery, Roadblock, and the classic The Narrow Margin, where Marie Windsor proved capable of going toe to toe with him.
If you’re a McGraw fan you’ve probably seen this film, if not see it because it’s a good movie and you'll should come out with a better appreciation for Mr. McGraw.
With no reservations, I recommend this movie.
HELL BOUND
3.75/5 Stars
1957--69 Minutes.
Dir.-Wm. J. Hole, Jr.-
Margo Woode--Somewhere In The Night, Moss Rose, Iron Angel, Bebop Girl Goes Calypso.
John Russell--Undertow, Rio Bravo, Hoodlum Empire, Fort Massacre.
June Blair--
Stanley Adams--Breakfast At Tiffany's, Hell On Frisco Bay, Hundreds of televison shows.
Dir.-Wm. J. Hole, Jr.-
Margo Woode--Somewhere In The Night, Moss Rose, Iron Angel, Bebop Girl Goes Calypso.
John Russell--Undertow, Rio Bravo, Hoodlum Empire, Fort Massacre.
June Blair--
Stanley Adams--Breakfast At Tiffany's, Hell On Frisco Bay, Hundreds of televison shows.
This under the radar B-Movie falls into that cutting edge of gritty 50s films that pushed the boundaries of film violence as, Kiss Me Deadly, Shield For Murder, and Private Hell 36. There are a number of characters and a complex plot, yet this fat free film comes in at sixty-nine minutes and that's due to the tight directing of William Hole. He would become a successful director and producer for many television shows. His high water mark was as the producer of 449 episodes and director of 39 episodes for, Peyton Place.
The plot centers on a complicated scheme to smuggle in drugs via a freighter docked at a port. It’s complex but not convoluted. The plan neatly unfolds and there is no problem in following it. Which is a very important trait in a B-Movie.
The film’s beginning and ending scenes are among the most imaginative and creative I've come across. I won’t say anymore. John Russell is the lead, June Blair (who was Playgirl of The Month for January 1957) is the femme in danger, Stuart Whitman is the caring guy who wants to save June, and the lovely Margo Woode is once again under-used as Russell's moll. Stanley Adams, in an example of casting against type, is the port’s Health Officer.
The fifties saw an increase in violence towards women. We see this when Jean Peters gets thrown around the room by Richard Kiley in, Pickup On South Street. In this film John Russell repeatedly slaps and beats June Blair. This is not Dan Duryea smacking someone once. Russell is a big guy and Blair is petite. The beating is enough to make one wince.
This is a good movie. It will hold up under subsequent viewings and might be more enjoyable the second time around.
With no reservations, I recommend this movie.
The plot centers on a complicated scheme to smuggle in drugs via a freighter docked at a port. It’s complex but not convoluted. The plan neatly unfolds and there is no problem in following it. Which is a very important trait in a B-Movie.
The film’s beginning and ending scenes are among the most imaginative and creative I've come across. I won’t say anymore. John Russell is the lead, June Blair (who was Playgirl of The Month for January 1957) is the femme in danger, Stuart Whitman is the caring guy who wants to save June, and the lovely Margo Woode is once again under-used as Russell's moll. Stanley Adams, in an example of casting against type, is the port’s Health Officer.
The fifties saw an increase in violence towards women. We see this when Jean Peters gets thrown around the room by Richard Kiley in, Pickup On South Street. In this film John Russell repeatedly slaps and beats June Blair. This is not Dan Duryea smacking someone once. Russell is a big guy and Blair is petite. The beating is enough to make one wince.
This is a good movie. It will hold up under subsequent viewings and might be more enjoyable the second time around.
With no reservations, I recommend this movie.
NOCTURNE
3.75/5 Stars
1946--1 Hr. 27 Minutes.
Edwin L. Marin--Tall In The Saddle, Christmas Eve, Sugarfoot, Raton Pass.
Lynn Bari--Shock, The Amazing Mr. X, Kit Carson, The Bridge Of San Luis Rey.
George Raft--Each Dawn I Die, The Bowery, Souls At Sea, Manpower.
Virginia Huston--Out Of The Past, Sudden Fear, The Racket.
Edwin L. Marin--Tall In The Saddle, Christmas Eve, Sugarfoot, Raton Pass.
Lynn Bari--Shock, The Amazing Mr. X, Kit Carson, The Bridge Of San Luis Rey.
George Raft--Each Dawn I Die, The Bowery, Souls At Sea, Manpower.
Virginia Huston--Out Of The Past, Sudden Fear, The Racket.
I wasn’t expecting much from Nocturne. There were several immediate reasons. The title didn’t do anything for me. The running time was ninety minutes and that's usually too long for a bona fide low budget B-Movie. The third was George Raft. Count me as one of those who minimized his acting ability and failed to recognize his charisma and understand his influence in Hollywood.
It came as a nice surprise to find that Nocturne is a good movie. The female lead is the lovely Lynn Bari. A bit of trivia is Ms. Bari’s pin-up was the second most popular among GIs, surpassed only by Betty Grable’s. Ms.Bari plays Frances Ransom one of the suspects in a murder. She is the older sister of another suspect of Carol Page, played by Virginia Huston. Noir fans will recognize Ms. Huston as Jeff Bailey’s girl friend in Out Of The Past.
The film begins in the living room of popular composer, Keith Vincent (Edward Ashley). He is at the piano, and in the background sits a woman on a couch. Her upper body covered in shadow. The camera pans down to show her lovely calves, and ultra fashionable high heels. On the wall beyond her are a row of portraits of pretty brunettes hung like a hunter's trophies. It’s the cad’s modus operandi to name all his lovers Dolores. When he's through with the current Dolores he pens an original composition as a token of his esteem and gratitude. With his newest Dolores he is shot dead before he can finish.
The next day Detective Warne (George Raft) arrives at the scene. Vincent's death is ruled a suicide. Warne's not buying it. The composer had everything to live for and had planned on a vacation the next day. And so the mystery begins.
It came as a nice surprise to find that Nocturne is a good movie. The female lead is the lovely Lynn Bari. A bit of trivia is Ms. Bari’s pin-up was the second most popular among GIs, surpassed only by Betty Grable’s. Ms.Bari plays Frances Ransom one of the suspects in a murder. She is the older sister of another suspect of Carol Page, played by Virginia Huston. Noir fans will recognize Ms. Huston as Jeff Bailey’s girl friend in Out Of The Past.
The film begins in the living room of popular composer, Keith Vincent (Edward Ashley). He is at the piano, and in the background sits a woman on a couch. Her upper body covered in shadow. The camera pans down to show her lovely calves, and ultra fashionable high heels. On the wall beyond her are a row of portraits of pretty brunettes hung like a hunter's trophies. It’s the cad’s modus operandi to name all his lovers Dolores. When he's through with the current Dolores he pens an original composition as a token of his esteem and gratitude. With his newest Dolores he is shot dead before he can finish.
The next day Detective Warne (George Raft) arrives at the scene. Vincent's death is ruled a suicide. Warne's not buying it. The composer had everything to live for and had planned on a vacation the next day. And so the mystery begins.
Joan Harrison who for decades worked closely with Alfred Hichcok was the producer which may account for the quality of the film. There are multiple suspects; several plot twists, some nice revelatory surprises and a macguffin. The movie held my interest. My low expectations were unfounded. I was so impressed by George Raft that I’ve begun to check out his early movies.
Raft displays the tough guy persona for which he's universally recognized. He also shows a softer side. Warne has a hard shell but inside he's a sweet heart. He plays the piano and the forty year old hard as nails detective still lives at home with his Mom. (Mabel Paige). Raft’s acting range is limited but Nocturne gives him the chance to play against type and allows him to kid his own legendary dancing skills. This occurs when he stumbles through rumba lessons. The exasperated teacher gives up and exclaims he's the worse dancer she's seen.
There isn't much noir to the film. The cinematography by Harry J. Wild is very good. Prior to Nocturne, Wild did Murder, My Sweet, Johnny Angel Cornered Till The End of Time Pitfall and The Threat. The dialogue is very good and every character gets his/her share of bon mots. Myrna Dell plays Susan, referred to as the "Tehachapi Debutante" who plays Vincent’s housemaid, and lets everyone know she turned down an offer to be a Dolores. She and Warne exchange witty repartee. Every film has a character who ‘makes’ the movie better, and Ms. Dell is that person. We’ve all seen Joseph Pevney, but can’t place him. He plays Fingers, the piano player at the club where Huston sings. In keeping with the light hardheartedness of the film even the big bad guy, Torp (Bern Hoffman) comes across as some big ol’ misunderstood grizzly bear.
I recommend this movie.
Raft displays the tough guy persona for which he's universally recognized. He also shows a softer side. Warne has a hard shell but inside he's a sweet heart. He plays the piano and the forty year old hard as nails detective still lives at home with his Mom. (Mabel Paige). Raft’s acting range is limited but Nocturne gives him the chance to play against type and allows him to kid his own legendary dancing skills. This occurs when he stumbles through rumba lessons. The exasperated teacher gives up and exclaims he's the worse dancer she's seen.
There isn't much noir to the film. The cinematography by Harry J. Wild is very good. Prior to Nocturne, Wild did Murder, My Sweet, Johnny Angel Cornered Till The End of Time Pitfall and The Threat. The dialogue is very good and every character gets his/her share of bon mots. Myrna Dell plays Susan, referred to as the "Tehachapi Debutante" who plays Vincent’s housemaid, and lets everyone know she turned down an offer to be a Dolores. She and Warne exchange witty repartee. Every film has a character who ‘makes’ the movie better, and Ms. Dell is that person. We’ve all seen Joseph Pevney, but can’t place him. He plays Fingers, the piano player at the club where Huston sings. In keeping with the light hardheartedness of the film even the big bad guy, Torp (Bern Hoffman) comes across as some big ol’ misunderstood grizzly bear.
I recommend this movie.
BEHIND LOCKED DOORS
4.35/5 stars
1948----62 minutes
Dir. Budd Boetticher--The Killer Is Loose, The Tall T.
Cinema. Guy Roe----The Sound of Fury, Armored Car Robbery.
Richard Carlson-- Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Amazing Mr. X,The Sound of Fury.
Lucille Bremer------Ruthless, Dark Delusion.
Douglas Fowley----Battleground, Cat-Women of The Moon.
Ralf Harolde---------I'm No Angel, Murder, My Sweet.
Dir. Budd Boetticher--The Killer Is Loose, The Tall T.
Cinema. Guy Roe----The Sound of Fury, Armored Car Robbery.
Richard Carlson-- Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Amazing Mr. X,The Sound of Fury.
Lucille Bremer------Ruthless, Dark Delusion.
Douglas Fowley----Battleground, Cat-Women of The Moon.
Ralf Harolde---------I'm No Angel, Murder, My Sweet.
There are several elements necessary for a B Movie and director Budd Boetticher addresses them all. One is brevity and this gem runs sixty one minutes. Another is employing a dependable cast of supporting and character actors. B movies give them a chance to show their talents in their expanded roles and they usually deliver. A competent, experienced director is required with no illusions about ‘art’, but neither should he treat the film as a tedious chore. Budd Boetticher is a top notch director. And let's not forget that any noir or fringe-noir should have the cinematography associated with the genre. I give kudos to Guy Roe for the great cinematography in Behind Locked Doors. Guy Roe makes wonderful use of shadows and darkness. I’ve included several stills as examples.
Intrepid reporter Kathy Lawrence (Lucille Bremer) has found the hiding place of the missing crooked Judge Finlay Drake (Herbert Heyes.) He is hiding in a sanitarium run by Dr. Porter (Thomas Browne Henry). She enlists the aid of rookie P.I. Ross Stewart (Richard Carlson). Her plan is for them to feign marriage where as his ‘wife’ she can have him admitted to Porter’s sanitarium. He doesn’t mind the prospect of marriage sans ring and commitment, but does mind the idea of being put away in a looney bin. She tells him there’s a $10K reward if they can get the judge. Stewart needs the money and Lawrence would love the scoop.
I had a bad feeling during the film’s first five minutes. Carlson came across like a very poor man’s Phillip Marlowe. He doesn’t have the attitude or delivery to make the wise cracks and ‘witty’ banter work. The required ‘flirting’ in this film comes across as lecherous, and he’s rather a jerk. The film picks up when Carlson is embedded in the sanitarium.
Intrepid reporter Kathy Lawrence (Lucille Bremer) has found the hiding place of the missing crooked Judge Finlay Drake (Herbert Heyes.) He is hiding in a sanitarium run by Dr. Porter (Thomas Browne Henry). She enlists the aid of rookie P.I. Ross Stewart (Richard Carlson). Her plan is for them to feign marriage where as his ‘wife’ she can have him admitted to Porter’s sanitarium. He doesn’t mind the prospect of marriage sans ring and commitment, but does mind the idea of being put away in a looney bin. She tells him there’s a $10K reward if they can get the judge. Stewart needs the money and Lawrence would love the scoop.
I had a bad feeling during the film’s first five minutes. Carlson came across like a very poor man’s Phillip Marlowe. He doesn’t have the attitude or delivery to make the wise cracks and ‘witty’ banter work. The required ‘flirting’ in this film comes across as lecherous, and he’s rather a jerk. The film picks up when Carlson is embedded in the sanitarium.
In films where much of the action takes place inside a sanitarium, or mental asylum, there is the danger of the director introducing one ‘crazy’ person after another. Often they distract from the plot, and worse opens the door for exaggerated displays of a particular neurosis and over-acting. Boetticher makes it a point to minimize the number and the screen time of the patients. One is a fire-bug for whom one match is too many and a hundred not enough. The others are the violent, ‘Champ’ (Tor Johnson) who is locked away and occasionally grunts, then there's a ten year old mute orphan and the two patients who share Stewart’s room.
Carlson shares a room with other inmates...oops..patients. It is a non-descript, plain set and with one brief exception they remain in bed throughout the film. They convey the danger and the cold, uncaring disposition of the sanitarium. One patient has no dialogue. He periodically wakes up screaming bloody murder and Carlson comforts him before the guard comes to beat him. The other patient lies in bed and bemoans the lack of care and warns Stewart of the dangers of the place. We see little of them. They are forgotten and anonymous. The owner of the place is a greedy bum and he's going to keep them there not until they are cured but until their money runs out.
The scenes at night are wonderfully photographed. Boetticher was able to make a threadbare set appear different with each scene. Roe’s cinematography covers up or gives another dimension to the bare bones sets. Guy Roe is not well known but his work in this film is top-shelf. He also did the cinematography for, Armored Car Robbery and Sound of Fury.
The supporting cast is excellent. Douglas Fowley is the sadistic guard. His meanness knows no boundaries as he often knocks around that cute ten year old mute who is played by Dickie Moore. But, don’t blink or you’ll miss him. You may remember Fowley from Battleground. He's the G.I. who continually clicks his false teeth. There is no mistaking Tor Johnson from Ed Wood’s stable of actors. We also see Raf Harolde who played Dr. Sonderborg in Murder My Sweet and the familiar face of Kathleen Freeman.
Oh, I almost forgot. Carlson finds the Judge and lickety split the bad guys catch on to Carlson. They throw him in the room with Tor Johnson who beats the bejabbers out of him. Carlson’s face shows the results of a beating as much as the censors would allow. We only get a quick glimpse but I don’t think you would see this type of ‘realism’ until some films of the early fifties. Stewart manages to contact Kathy Lawrence. She gets the cops and with the film about to end, rush in to save the day.
This was Lucille Bremer’s last role and it wasn’t due to lack of ability or looks. She married and retired from the movies. She was fine in this movie and easily could have handled larger and more challenging roles.
This is a great movie for any fan not only of B Movies but of films in general. It’s brevity, directorial craftsmanship, and wonderful cinematography make this an easy call:
With no hesitation I recommend this movie.
This was Lucille Bremer’s last role and it wasn’t due to lack of ability or looks. She married and retired from the movies. She was fine in this movie and easily could have handled larger and more challenging roles.
This is a great movie for any fan not only of B Movies but of films in general. It’s brevity, directorial craftsmanship, and wonderful cinematography make this an easy call:
With no hesitation I recommend this movie.
THE SOUND OF FURY
4.5/5 stars
1950---1 Hr. 31 minutes.
Dir.-Cy Endfield--Zulu, Hell Drivers, Sands Of The Kalahari.
Frank Lovejoy--In A Lonely Place, Home Of The Brave, The Hitch-Hiker, House Of Wax.
Lloyd Bridges— Sahara, A Walk In The Sun, Moonrise, Home Of The Brave, The Tall Texan.
Kathleen Ryan--Odd Man Out, Captain Lightfoot, Sin of Esther Waters.
Richard Carlson--Behind Locked Doors, Whispering Smith Investigates, The Last Command.
Art Smith--In A Lonely Place, T-Men, Ride The Pink Horse, Brute Force, Manhandled.
Dir.-Cy Endfield--Zulu, Hell Drivers, Sands Of The Kalahari.
Frank Lovejoy--In A Lonely Place, Home Of The Brave, The Hitch-Hiker, House Of Wax.
Lloyd Bridges— Sahara, A Walk In The Sun, Moonrise, Home Of The Brave, The Tall Texan.
Kathleen Ryan--Odd Man Out, Captain Lightfoot, Sin of Esther Waters.
Richard Carlson--Behind Locked Doors, Whispering Smith Investigates, The Last Command.
Art Smith--In A Lonely Place, T-Men, Ride The Pink Horse, Brute Force, Manhandled.
The Sound of Fury is based on Jo Pagano’s novel of the 1933 murder of Brooke Hart by Thomas Thurmond and John M. Holmes, and their subsequent arrests and lynching. Thurmond and Holmes are respectively played by Lloyd Bridges as Jerry Slocum and Frank Lovejoy as Howard Tyler.
This movie gives the background story that led the duo from committing penny ante robberies to the brutal murder of Donald Miller, the son of the town’s most prominent and beloved businessman. That part of the film is a success. Lloyd Bridges is chillingly efficient as Slocum who is dominant in the symbiotic relationship between the two men. Tyler meets him at a bowling alley. He orders a beer at the bar and ambles over to where Slocum is bowling. Slocum is a natural predator; adroit at identifying and exploiting a victim’s weakness. Slocum immediately asserts his dominance as he pokes Tyler's chest, has him get his shoes and hold his mirror while he combs his hair. Slocum invites him to his apartment where he preens before a mirror and regales Tyler with his sexual conquests. He flashes jewelry and even has Tyler feel his smooth silk shirt. Slocum offers the unemployed Tyler a chance to make money as a getaway driver while Slocum robs convenience stores. In a world of wolves Tyler is a sheep.
This movie gives the background story that led the duo from committing penny ante robberies to the brutal murder of Donald Miller, the son of the town’s most prominent and beloved businessman. That part of the film is a success. Lloyd Bridges is chillingly efficient as Slocum who is dominant in the symbiotic relationship between the two men. Tyler meets him at a bowling alley. He orders a beer at the bar and ambles over to where Slocum is bowling. Slocum is a natural predator; adroit at identifying and exploiting a victim’s weakness. Slocum immediately asserts his dominance as he pokes Tyler's chest, has him get his shoes and hold his mirror while he combs his hair. Slocum invites him to his apartment where he preens before a mirror and regales Tyler with his sexual conquests. He flashes jewelry and even has Tyler feel his smooth silk shirt. Slocum offers the unemployed Tyler a chance to make money as a getaway driver while Slocum robs convenience stores. In a world of wolves Tyler is a sheep.
A noir staple is that when choices are given to the protagonist he will invariably make the wrong one. Tyler agrees to cast his lot with Slocum. There are attempts throughout the movie to give a sympathetic bent to Tyler. His wife (Kathleen Ryan) is pregnant with their second child, his kid can't afford to go to ball games like other kids, and they don't have a television. But, the fact of the matter is that no one put a gun to his head and Slocum gave him a chance to back out. Tyler was given a choice and he chose wrong, such is noir. I found this attempt to evoke sympathy a weak point in the movie.
Lloyd Bridges owns this movie. This wasn't the first time he played a louse in a noir as he was Dane Clark's nemesis in Moonrise. Bridges’ portrayal of Slocum is as good as you’ll find. He can switch from a charming, affable nice guy to a mean, vengeful psychopath at the drop of a hat. We witness his mercurial temper when he pistol whips a customer at a convenience store and later bashes Miller’s head in with a cement block. His hatred toward Tyler, who in a drunken stupor revealed their culpability is surpassed only by his cornered animal ferocity when he confronts the lynch mob.
Lloyd Bridges owns this movie. This wasn't the first time he played a louse in a noir as he was Dane Clark's nemesis in Moonrise. Bridges’ portrayal of Slocum is as good as you’ll find. He can switch from a charming, affable nice guy to a mean, vengeful psychopath at the drop of a hat. We witness his mercurial temper when he pistol whips a customer at a convenience store and later bashes Miller’s head in with a cement block. His hatred toward Tyler, who in a drunken stupor revealed their culpability is surpassed only by his cornered animal ferocity when he confronts the lynch mob.
The murder of Donald D. Miller (Carl Kent) is brutal, and factual. They bind his hands and feet and gag him. Slocum pushes him down a gravel embankment and repeatedly smashes a concrete block on his head. Tyler protests. Slocum bullies. Tyler cowers and nothing is done. In real life the victim’s father was the owner of the largest store in town, and well known for his philanthropy. During the Depression it was his advertising in the town's paper that helped keep it afloat. I mention this because the director goes out of his way to convey the effect the murder has on Tyler's family, but we neither hear nor see anything from Miller's. Certainly a rich kid's mother can shed tears as well.
Slocum arranges a double date that illustrates the contrast between the two murderers. Slocum’s date is his main squeeze, Velma (Adele Jergens) and Lovejoy’s is Hazel (Katherine Locke). Slocum gives advice to Tyler as to how he can cheat on his wife and not get caught. Tyler lies about his marital status to Hazel. Tyler's uneasiness adds to his already guilt-ridden condition. Hazel is the opposite in looks, stature to the voluptuous Velma. She is saving herself for marriage, and as a professional manicurist, she gushes over Lovejoy's well kept nails. Tyler shows up at her apartment the next morning. She is surprised but happy, however any thought of Tyler being Mr. Right is dispelled when he blurts out the details of the murder.
Another plot line appears to be the role of the press, and for reasons known only to the director and/or the screen writer, the advocate for a gentler and kinder press is Dr. Simone; (Renzo Cesana) a visiting Italian professor whose English is barely intelligible. Dr. Simone makes his points as if he was lecturing a hall full of students. Better would have been Tito Vuolo who would have shown some passion for his beliefs.
Dr. Simone is friends with Gil Stanton (Richard Carlson) ace reporter for a paper run by familiar face, Art Smith. Both Stanton and Smith are exploiting the kidnapping and murder as much as they can to sell papers. In response to Simone’s suggestion to cool the rhetoric Smith tells him he's a businessman, he's supposed to make money. Simone understands, but tells him he has a responsibility to the community. Riiight.
Neither newspaperman is passionate about what they do and a little of the boisterousness exhibited by Broderick Crawford in Scandal Sheet, would have helped inject some life into a rather lifeless sub-plot. The exploitative reporting of the murder culminates when they cite reliable anonymous sources that lawyers for Slocum and Tyler intend to base their defense on mental incompetency. The possibility that the murderers might escape justice on a technicality exacerbates an already volatile situation. However, if the director was trying to inject social commentary he missed a bigger fish.
Another plot line appears to be the role of the press, and for reasons known only to the director and/or the screen writer, the advocate for a gentler and kinder press is Dr. Simone; (Renzo Cesana) a visiting Italian professor whose English is barely intelligible. Dr. Simone makes his points as if he was lecturing a hall full of students. Better would have been Tito Vuolo who would have shown some passion for his beliefs.
Dr. Simone is friends with Gil Stanton (Richard Carlson) ace reporter for a paper run by familiar face, Art Smith. Both Stanton and Smith are exploiting the kidnapping and murder as much as they can to sell papers. In response to Simone’s suggestion to cool the rhetoric Smith tells him he's a businessman, he's supposed to make money. Simone understands, but tells him he has a responsibility to the community. Riiight.
Neither newspaperman is passionate about what they do and a little of the boisterousness exhibited by Broderick Crawford in Scandal Sheet, would have helped inject some life into a rather lifeless sub-plot. The exploitative reporting of the murder culminates when they cite reliable anonymous sources that lawyers for Slocum and Tyler intend to base their defense on mental incompetency. The possibility that the murderers might escape justice on a technicality exacerbates an already volatile situation. However, if the director was trying to inject social commentary he missed a bigger fish.
The bigger fish was then Governor of California James Rolph who had publicly stated that should there be a lynching (rumors had been circulating of such a possibility) he would pardon anyone convicted. He also denied a request from local authorities to use the National Guard to protect them saying, "What! Call out the troops to protect those two guys?" This is the story that should have been told and told passionately by someone we could easily understand.
The storming of the jail needs to be seen. I have included a short clip. It was shot at night and I get the impression alcohol was involved as it seemed the horde of extras was getting out of control. The locals storm the jail as if the two actors had really murdered someone they loved. Once the jail doors are open Slocum rushes out to confront the mob. Tyler goes to the back of his cell his back turned to the mob and shivering in fear.
I would liked to have seen this exhibition of pure hatred and primordial bestiality extended further into the park where the men were lynched. I am not asking for graphic detail, but if the point of the movie was to show the brutal effect of mob justice then at least show some of it. A great example is The Ox-Bow Incident. Instead we get more talk, first from Carlson and Smith shaking their heads at the inhumanity of man as they watch the crowd and later the pontificating of Dr. Simone.
You know what I think? I think you give this movie to Anthony Mann. Give him the authority to make any changes to the script he wants, and to have it done in under eighty minutes, and in my opinion, you would have a classic.
The storming of the jail needs to be seen. I have included a short clip. It was shot at night and I get the impression alcohol was involved as it seemed the horde of extras was getting out of control. The locals storm the jail as if the two actors had really murdered someone they loved. Once the jail doors are open Slocum rushes out to confront the mob. Tyler goes to the back of his cell his back turned to the mob and shivering in fear.
I would liked to have seen this exhibition of pure hatred and primordial bestiality extended further into the park where the men were lynched. I am not asking for graphic detail, but if the point of the movie was to show the brutal effect of mob justice then at least show some of it. A great example is The Ox-Bow Incident. Instead we get more talk, first from Carlson and Smith shaking their heads at the inhumanity of man as they watch the crowd and later the pontificating of Dr. Simone.
You know what I think? I think you give this movie to Anthony Mann. Give him the authority to make any changes to the script he wants, and to have it done in under eighty minutes, and in my opinion, you would have a classic.
The story line with Bridges and Lovejoy is pure noir. There are many on location shots and the plethora of non-actors adds a feeling of cinema verite to the film. Guy Roe's cinematography is top notch. The attempt to make some sort of social commentary fails miserably. Despite its faults the movie is a must see if only for the great performance of Lloyd Bridges (as good as it gets) the dependable steady Frank Lovejoy, and the excellent re-creation of the mob scene.
I definitely recommend this movie.
I definitely recommend this movie.
I've added a few clips. The one to the right is Tyler meeting Slocum. The bottom left is Dr.Simone blabbering. The third is a segment of the mob scene.
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