DIPLOMATIC COURIER (1952)

There is potential to make this early Cold War story a noteworthy Tyrone Power career jump-starter. Though forgotten, it may surprise you how good it might have been. It was directed by Henry Hathaway and produced by Casey Robinson from his and Liam O'Brien's screenplay. The ninety-eight-minute crime drama was distributed by 20th Century Fox with music composed by Sol Kaplan. Of course, Power turns in a solid performance as a favored diplomatic courier of the state department. Almost as good as his stunt double in the sparse action scenes. But there are plot shifts of interest. Intriguing, if not thrilling, the poster does its best to convince this film is a real nailbiter.

Patricia Neal's character, not by pure happenstance, meets up with Power on a flight to Salzburg and her acting is just plain annoying. She seems to be doing her best Tallulah Bankhead impression. Slurred S’s and rapid, witty comebacks trying very hard to be attractive to Power. Her mink coat helps. But soon even Power finds her annoying as she turns up everywhere he goes. He wonders what her game is.

Power becomes involved with Hildegard Kneff, the actress with the tiny "afterthought" credit, playing a Russian spy. Perhaps. She works with Power’s good friend and courier connection, played by James Millican, who has no dialogue after thirty minutes into the film, revealing his fate. Power begins to realize he is also in danger. The never subtle Karl Malden plays a military MP lending backup protection for Power. His superior officer is played by Stephen McNally, in an actual good guy part.

Power rescues Kneff from a Russian agent just before the words "THE END" appears on the screen. How the studios time that so precisely when dialogue runs out has always fascinated me.

DESPERATE (1947)

This strong film is another Anthony Mann early noir effort that includes great camera angles and lighting by cinematographer George E. Diskant. It arises from a story by Mann and Dorothy Atlas. It is a dandy display of characters with an intelligent screenplay by Harry Essex. This seventy-three-minute RKO Radio Pictures release was produced by Michael Kraike with the ever-present Paul Sawtell composing the score.

Steve “B-movie” Brodie, not his usual bad guy here, and Audrey Long play newlyweds, expecting their first child after four months of marriage. Brodie is an independent trucker who unexpectedly reconnects with a svelte Raymond Burr. He puts the "hood" in childhood friend. Burr is now a mobster with plans to smuggle illegal merchandise using Brodie and his truck but he wants no part of it even after taking a beating. The swinging overhead lamp, back and forth over Burr’s face will be memorable. Believable makeup for Brodie’s beating and swollen cheek should also be noted. Burr threatens the wife if he does not go through with it. This hardly ever happens in films. Burr’s kid brother was captured during the film's opening heist and is set to be executed for killing a cop. Burr turns a bit psycho because of it and wants Brodie to confess to the shooting. His life for his brother’s. Brodie manages to escape on his second attempt. The only thing on his mind is his wife’s safety.

Perhaps because of the film’s fast pace, script logic takes a back seat. The elusive couple quickly takes the next train out of town. Switches to a bus then steal a car. They are not sure where they are going nor does the audience have any idea where they are coming from. I could not figure where the story opens but guess Chicago. Maybe I missed something. Never mind the couple’s increasing back rent and their inability to stop mail delivery. The couple decides to head for Long’s aunt & uncle's Minnesota farm.

Meanwhile, the police attempt to apprehend Burr and his gang. Burr escapes with a gunshot wound that puts him out of circulation for two months. However, the hole in Burr’s stomach is smaller than any hole in this script. The trail seems impossibly cold then Burr’s cop-on-the-take checks Brodie’s unopened apartment mail. Specifically the one with a Minnesota return address. Burr is roughly a twelve-hour drive away, perhaps confirming his Chicago location. The farm no longer a safe haven, Brodie puts his wife on a bus for California while he deals with Burr. Guessing the climax time frame, Long may have only made it as far as Kansas City before being sent back to Chicago.

Note: The brief performance by Jason Robards, Sr. should not go unnoticed. He plays the laid-back, wise detective who is more often than not filing his nails nonchalantly when in conversation. His unflappable performance is fun to watch. When Brodie attempts to turn himself in, Robards sees his confession as just convenient lies. But he lets him go simply to track him and capture the entire gang. I would think it not an easy task judging by Brodie’s earlier elusive transportation behavior. But Robards pops up at every turn. He soon discovers Brodie is on the level and both want to end Burr's criminal career.

-30- (1959)

This over-scripted box office flop would almost appear to be a television series pilot movie. Directed and produced by Jack Webb for his Mark VII Limited Company, this part sitcom, part drama, reveals the day’s happenings in the life of a competitive Los Angeles newspaper. Always a stickler for realism, Webb uses it here to a fault, with ingratiating dialogue slightly embarrassing as if you are an uninvited guest to a private party.

The somber opening with soap opera score under white titles against a stark black background quickly switches to a "cha-cha theme song" used occasionally throughout the film. Ray Heindorf's music score is certainly an odd mix. There is enough humor in the film, however, that the cha-cha tune starts to, strangely, make some sense. Webb appears to have taken "77 Sunset Strip," "Ben Casey" or "Lassie" themes of the period and suggested using them with select scenes. The film's portrayal of a big city newspaper is dated since every department head possesses the personal discernment to never politicize a story.

The film, set entirely in a newspaper office set, can be momentarily captivating with enough personal issues to tug at your heartstrings. One example, Whitney Blake plays the on-screen wife of Webb who wants him to accept the idea of adoption. Their past finds it difficult for him to make such a commitment. Another is the search for a small child who may have drowned. Both challenges weigh heavily on Webb's conscience.

Though respectably acted, there are enough uncomfortable moments to make you cringe as the occasionally corny scrip by William Bowers jumps from tearjerker to comedy. William Conrad's face fills the screen as he opens the film. He has been provided the most comedic dialogue. His performance is so over the top you may find yourself blushing as he chews up the office furniture. He berates copy boys, David Nelson specifically, throughout the eighty-eight-minute film making it a recurring amusing device. Conrad's delivery will probably make you chuckle. Still, his character is unnecessarily crude. Underlying all his toughness, though, is a large sensitive man with an enlarged heart. I will say, Webb gives his most animated performance with a full range of emotions and comes in a close second to Conrad's funny quips. He is fun to watch. Momentary humorous encounters include a young staffer, Richard Bakalyan, who has the honor to escort a prominent couple to view the newspaper's operation in full swing with all the limited experience he can muster. His run-in with "staff artist" Richard Deacon puts him in his place in comedic form. Look for William Bell, Howard McNear, and Joe Flynn. I found the closing credits, visually identifying the actors and their portrayed characters, not worthy of the style. It is an odd choice for something other than an epic historical film.

Note: The term "-30-" signified "the end," originating from several code tables for telegraph operators. The title was used at the end of this movie and explains its meaning. Ironically, it was the end to Webb's Warner Bros. contract. 

THE CROOKED WEB (1955)

Columbia Pictures released this Clover Production movie. The mid-20th century story and screenplay by Lou Breslow illustrate the reality of what the future Internet will be like. That not everything you see or read is true. It is a tale of clever deception so carefully planned that it has taken ten years to co-ordinate. Calling the premise a “con” is an understatement as seemingly everyone from America to Germany, on sea and land, has their role to play no matter how small, to capture Frank Lovejoy for his decade-old crime. Joining Lovejoy is handsome Richard Denning along with Mari Blanchard, California’s oldest carhop. This seventy-seven-minute drama was directed by Nathan Juran.

What the poster has to do with this film is a mystery. That lady is not in this movie. Lovejoy and Blanchard plan to wed and the audience is neatly strung along for thirty minutes until Denning shows up as her ne’er do well “brother,” establishing the crooked part. He has the scheme to unearth “buried treasure” left behind at the end of WW2, located within a current Army reservation. Just the amount of resources Lovejoy needs for a comfortable life in another country. Plenty of twists and deceptions to make this a pretty fun outing.

As trained government agents, Denning’s cleverness and Blanchard’s attractiveness come into play numerous times to regain Lovejoy’s confidence and quell his suspicions. Lovejoy comes off rather bland, to the point of almost being a bit dense. Hopefully, that was the way he wanted to play it. Logically, he never suspects anyone would spend a decade setting him up. He does fear a double-cross and at the last moment confesses to Blanchard of his past and seals his fate. Finding out who Blanchard really is offered him no encouragement, either.