In the mid-1950's, most of the big melodramas at Republic Studios went to. Vera Hruba Ralston, the heavily accented wife of the boss, and while she wasn't quite the Norma Shearer of the top B studio in the movie industry, she starred in at least three movies each year. If she was busy on another product, husband Herbert Yates looked elsewhere. There are two major female roles in this film-the money hungry Gale Robbins as the wife of the older Robert Armstrong (ending up dead possibly because he's been blackmailing John Litel) and Alison Hayes as Litel's daughter. I guess Ralston could have made a guest appearance as the nosy landlady, played comically by Minerva Urecal here, but she wouldn't have made the same impact eavesdropping on her tenants from the dumbwaiter.
The film starts off with great scenes between Robbins (best known for supporting singing performances singing in MGM musicals) and Armstrong, 22 years after going up against King Kong. Robbins is obviously having an affair with the younger Jack Kelly, so her declaration of her love for Armstrong isn't exactly on the up and up. It's up to Litel's attorney, Rod Cameron, to find out how Armstrong died when Litel is arrested for murder, and visits to Robbinsvare only aided by snoopy Urecal who allows Cameron to eavesdrop as long as she gets to join him. The plump and always jolly Dick Elliott is amusing as Kelly's boss. This is really good for a late era film noir, and really good for a Republic film, with a witty and sly screenplay, great performances and very fast pacing. Hayes gets to be the good girl for once, and Robbins is a terrific femme fatale. I love when B movies turn out to be just as good, and often better, then the big eight pictures. This one is a really fun surprise.
The film starts off with great scenes between Robbins (best known for supporting singing performances singing in MGM musicals) and Armstrong, 22 years after going up against King Kong. Robbins is obviously having an affair with the younger Jack Kelly, so her declaration of her love for Armstrong isn't exactly on the up and up. It's up to Litel's attorney, Rod Cameron, to find out how Armstrong died when Litel is arrested for murder, and visits to Robbinsvare only aided by snoopy Urecal who allows Cameron to eavesdrop as long as she gets to join him. The plump and always jolly Dick Elliott is amusing as Kelly's boss. This is really good for a late era film noir, and really good for a Republic film, with a witty and sly screenplay, great performances and very fast pacing. Hayes gets to be the good girl for once, and Robbins is a terrific femme fatale. I love when B movies turn out to be just as good, and often better, then the big eight pictures. This one is a really fun surprise.