The
less-than-famous Motion Pictures for Television, Inc. offered up this
sixty-two-minute, quintessential forgotten film, directed by Lambert
Hillyer and distributed by Monogram Pictures Corporation—known
after 1953 as Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. It had no chance
of garnering fans in a year of monumental productions. Hillyer chewed
through one movie after another, ending his career with the
successful television series, Highway Patrol. There is not much
to say about this budget-constrained, well-acted crime film except
that the plot is revealed in the first ten minutes. There is nothing
about the cinematography or music score that has not been seen or
heard before. Capitalizing on a Thirties trend, there may be scenes
between two characters explaining what has happened or what is about
to happen so the viewer will not be confused. But confusion is not an
issue with the obviously spelled-out screenplay by John Krafft.
THE
FIRST TEN MINUTES
Former
college football great, “Whizz Tyler,” played by Robert Kent, has
spent the last three years in prison for a robbery he did not commit.
Released on six-year parole, Kent is bent on finding those who
railroaded him like racketeer Sidney Blackmer, for starters—whose
secretary sounds like Betty Boop over the intercom. Blackmer bet
heavily on a crucial college game and lost a bundle. He hires the
parolee, an assured way of getting him out of his hair over the
slightest parole violation.
Speaking
of violations, Kent’s parole officer runs down his restrictions for
the next half dozen years. The usual, like not changing his
residence, associating with known criminals, driving without a
driver’s license, and no guns or boozing. No one ever said he was a
whizz at comprehension as he racks up more than enough violations to
send him back to the slammer. But the only witnesses are the
movie-goers. Finally—the real
stickler—he cannot marry
unless the potential bride is approved by the parole board.
ALL
YOU NEED TO KNOW AFTER TEN MINUTES
Blackmer
is loved by everyone who does not really know him. A criminal
manipulator, he does, however, have a beating heart. Anne Nagel
adores her older brother. Personally, I was annoyed by her occasional
monotonous pattern of pitch with words perfectly released as if she
is cognizant of over-enunciating. Her steely-bright “esses”
stinging her words. I digress. Blackmer’s first assignment for Kent
is to make a delivery to Nagel’s home and he takes a shine to her
right off the car's running board. There are inconsequential scenes
in the movie at this point then the film wraps up briskly as Kent
levels with Nagel about being framed. Being the gentleman he is, he
does not reveal the person responsible. Knowing how much his sister
loves the parolee, Blackmer tries to stop his bull-headed associate
from following through with the “Whizz” hit. Everyone gets
what and who they deserve in the end. Knowing the bloodline with a
known criminal, Nagel hopes she gets a good marriage approval rating
from the parole board.
Note:
There are two actors of note, though for different reasons. Maude
Eburne plays Kent’s landlady. An exhausted pessimist with a nasal
delivery. Her performance may be the only fondly remembered moment in
the film. She is the levity whether intentional or not. The other is
Ben Alexander, who plays Kent’s long-time friend and newspaper
sports writer. Alexander would later gain fame, and weight, as the
first television partner to Sgt. Joe Friday on, “Dragnet.”
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