How about a Noir called "Apology for Murder"(1945)? "Gee, we're awfully sorry about that murder. We just feel terrible about it, and we wanted to call and apologize". Except it's not so funny when you have Ann Savage plotting to kill her wealthy husband, and playing Hugh Beaumont for a sucker in the process. Savage, as you know, is the ultimate Film Noir bad girl. When she's in the lead, treachery is afoot. Here, she's "Toni Kirkland", married to the much older "Harvey" (Russell Hicks). Harvey Kirkland is a businessman, involved in a corporate transaction so huge it makes the news. Beaumont is a newspaper reporter who's editor sends him to Kirkland's mansion for an interview. While there, he catches the eye of Toni. Her look says "come hither" and a lot more. Before Beaumont knows it, he's inventing a reason to come back to the Kirkland house and see her - alone. The next thing you know, they're involved in a red hot affair. That's when Toni springs it on him : "My husband knows all about us. He says he wants a divorce".
Beaumont thinks that's great. "It's wonderful news, Toni. Now we can get married. We don't have to sneak around anymore". But Toni isn't as thrilled. "It isn't wonderful that I'll be completely cut out of his will".
"But surely you'll get a divorce settlement".
"Yeah.....and it'll be peanuts compared to what I would be getting if we stayed married".
Can you say "Double Indemnity"? "Apology" has a similar plot, so similar that the title was intended to be "Single Indemnity" before the "Double" producers sued. At any rate, Toni suggests a solution to the problem. "If he happened to meet with an accident.......do you get what I'm saying"? Beaumont isn't the type for rough stuff. "I'm not up for murder. I'm not interested in your husband's money, and we don't need it. It's you I want. I'm in this for love".
But as Mr. Howell said to Gilligan, when he told Mr. Howell that he wanted to give away his lottery winnings to help people and make the world a better place : "Well, that's all very nice, Gilligan. Very noble and generous........but stupid"! If Gilligan's Island were on the air in 1945, Toni Kirkland would agree with Mr. Howell. She wants all her husband's money and feels entitled to it. "I've had to put up with that old man for all these years, and I'm not getting any younger myself. What do you think I married him for? It wasn't love, I can tell you that".
"But you love me, right"? Beaumont is so naive. "Of course I love you, but we need that money". By now she's worn him down, and she's giving him that "look" again, the one that says more than "come hither". He agrees to her plan, and even devises the accident. "We can stage a crash. I've been up this road many times now. It's got so many hairpin turns, no one would question if his car went over the side". They set it all up. Toni drives her own car halfway down the hill, She lifts the hood to make it look like it broke down, then she goes to a nearby house to call her husband to pick her up. Hugh Beaumont is hiding in the bushes. When Harvey Kirkland gets there, Hugh conks him on the head. He and Toni put Harvey back in his car, and push it over the hillside. Goodbye, Mr. Spalding. Home run.
But there's a problem. Just before they pushed him, Harvey's gardener drove by. His truck got stuck in a rut. Did he see them? Well, don't worry about it now. At the moment, the news is good. The gardener has gone to the cops to accuse another man, the business partner of Harvey Kirkland. "I seen them two having an argument before he went over that cliff". The partner is tried, convicted and is facing the electric chair. This bothers Hugh Beaumont, but it doesn't worry Toni. "Oh come on. We can't be responsible for a miscarriage of justice"!
Now wait just a minute. Did I say "a" problem? Better make it two. All of a sudden, Beaumont's editor gets a bug up his rear. "I don't think that man is guilty. Kirkland was getting a divorce. I've seen the court papers. I think that wife of his has something to do with it". The editor wants Beaumont to dig in and get a scoop. He has to pretend to go along, but he says "I think it's a waste of time. That guy was found guilty in a court of law". When he deliberately produces no results in tracking down evidence against his gal Toni, Beaumont's editor takes it upon himself to get the story. He tells Beaumont : "You know, I went up that road myself. There's footprints up there that the cops must've missed. One of them is from a man's shoe. I think the wife did it, and I think she had some help". Now Beaumont is really sweating.
If that wasn't enough, he's now got competition. Toni has a lawyer who's promised to get her a full settlement. "You'll collect on the original will". She's very happy indeed about that, so happy that she has an affair with the lawyer, to make sure he'll deliver on his promise. Beaumont sees them in flagrante delicto, one night on an unexpected visit. Now he finally realizes Toni doesn't give a hoot about him and never did. All she wants is the money; she's a chiseler. This knowledge causes Beaumont to, at last, man up. He gets a gun, and........but that would spoil the ending. I can't tell you what happens except to say "Beaumont guts it out". You'll see what I mean when you watch, and you should. "Apology" may be a PRC production, but it's a good one, forget about the "Double Indemnity" comparisons. Ann Savage is positively savage as the amoral gold digger (what if her stage name had been "Ann Sweet" instead? It wouldn't have worked.) And, we're loving Hugh Beaumont as a Noir star. He's mild mannered in "Apology" compared to his turn in "Roaring City", but we think tough guys are his true calling, Ward Cleaver notwithstanding. Two Big Thumbs Up for "Apology for Murder", a minor gem of the genre. It's highly recommended though the picture is a little soft. /////
The previous night, in an effort to continue in our recent aviation vein, we chose a film entitled "Flight to Nowhere"(1946), expecting it to be one of those "forced down in the jungle" movies like the legendary "Lost Flight". Instead, it could have been titled "Plot to Nowhere". or "Flight to the Land of Confusion". If you can understand what's going on, you're a better motion picture fan than me. Still, I actually enjoyed it for that reason. The story was so impenetrable that I took to that aspect as it's strong point. "Give in to the utter ambiguity". Alan Curtis stars as a charter pilot, who's hired by a Countess to fly her to Death Valley. It's not every day that that happens. She doesn't state why she wants to go there and he's not up for it anyway. He tries to talk her into a romantic evening instead. But the Countess is all business. She needs to get to Death Valley in a hurry. When Curtis in the end agrees (for a hefty price), she shows up with four friends in tow. Curtis doesn't like it. "This wasn't part of the bargain. it was supposed to be just you and me". She explains by saying they are new friends who just happened to be going to the same place. "I just met them at the hotel". Yeah sure.
During the flight, they hit a storm. Curtis flies above it, but the passengers need oxygen masks. One of them (Evelyn Ankers) passes out. Someone disconnected her air line. She's wearing a ring with strange looking hieroglyphics on the face. When they arrive in Death Valley, Curtis is met by an FBI pal, who tells him to be on the lookout for a stolen map. It seems a Japanese guy was killed in Honolulu for a map of a uranium mine. The Countess and her "friends" may be international racketeers..........
or they may be actors who were simply in need of a buck. And who can blame them? At least they give it their all. What I've described is just the first ten minutes of the film. You still have another 69 to go. Most of that time you will be in a hotel, watching Curtis get conked on the head. One IMDB fan suggested he be placed in concussion protocol. At some point near the end, most of the gang will fly with Curtis to Las Vegas. One of them has been murdered, but you won't remember who, because two of the passengers are tall guys wearing suits who need money. One of them gets offed but it won't be important, because by that time you'll be enjoying the movie for what it is - a semi-stylish distraction. In that way, it exceeds all expectations.
I'm not joking, either. If you want a movie where you can turn off your brain, this is it. You still have to pay attention, but only in a meditative way. If you do that, you'll have a great time via the sheer bubbling monotony. Two Big Thumbs Up for "Flight to Nowhere". When it's over you'll agree with me. Give it a whirl - in fact don't miss it! - it's highly recommended and the picture is almost razor sharp. ////
That's all I know for tonight. I'm working on my book (I'm on the second draft), and I'm laying low so I don't catch Omicron. I hope you are well. Life is tough right now but we'll all get through it.
I send you tons of love, as always. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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