Last night we saw a crime film co-starring one of our fave gals, Beverly Garland ("Alligator People", the show "Decoy" and a ton of other stuff). Bev plays only a supporting role in "Sudden Danger" (1955), but it's an important one: the devoted girlfriend to "Wallace Curtis" (Tom Drake), a blind man who comes home one night to his L.A. apartment to find his mother dead of natural gas asphyxiation, an apparent suicide. After turning off the stove, he calls police, but the detective who interviews Curtis immediately suspects him of murdering his mom, even though he's blind. Elements of his story aren't adding up, and when "Detective Andy Doyle" (Bill Elliott) sees "Phyllis Baxter" (Garland) run into Curtis's arms in the aftermath, he thinks they both may have colluded in the murdalization. Det. Doyle becomes more convinced after talking to the apt. building manager (Minerva Urecal), a tough old broad who swears she heard Curtis and his mom arguing over a proposed operation to restore his eyesight.
Mom was a high-powered CEO of a swimwear company, with a bevy of top models to test-wear her bathing suits (remember when they were called that?). The executor of her will is interviewed by Detective Doyle, and he reports that she only had 4 gees in her bank account; not the expected tens of thousands of dollars and safe full of jewels as was rumored. Doyle rides hard on Wallace Curtis, hounding him about his alibis. He's sure Curtis killed his Mom, either over the eye operation (which Mom wanted but son didn't), or just because he thought she had more money than she did. The clincher comes when Det. Doyle finds out that mom's "suicide" note was written on Phyliss Baxter's office typewriter. Could Phyliss have killed her, to remove her influence over Wallace? Also, there's a secret about how Wally became blind in the first place. He's maintained it was an accident: "I put the wrong drops in my eyes," he tells Doyle. Could happen, right? But Doyle doesn't believe it for a minute. This guy makes Colombo look like a slacker, boy is he persistent. He thinks Mom put the drops in Wally's eyes that blinded him, and that Wally was out for revenge. But Phyliss stands by Wally, and then he does get that eye operation, and it's a success!
Now he has his sight back, but instead of revealing the news to everyone, he tells only Phyliss, so he can "remain undercover" as a blind man, and watch what people do when they think he's still blind. He knows Doyle is trying to nail him for what is certainly now a murder rather than a suicide, but he swears he didn't do it. His dog believes him, which was good enough for me. The real star of the movie is Bill Elliott as Detective Doyle. You wouldn't want him on your tail, and in checking his IMDB, I see he was a Western star (known as "Wild" Bill Elliott), so we'll be looking for him as a cowboy. When the murder suspects are narrowed down, the plot becomes somewhat telegraphed, but that's a minor complaint in a movie that's all about the acting, the context, and characters. Two Big Thumbs Up for "Sudden Danger". It's highly recommended and the picture is razor sharp. ////
The previous night, we found an early film from Tom Tyler with the hefty title of "God's Country and the Man"(1931). Tom plays "Tex Malone" a Texas Ranger assigned to stop a gun-running operation on the Mexican border, a mission he may not return from. The odds are against him, his Captain says, and advises he take along a partner, chosen for sheer ruthlessness from a group of convicted murderers. Tom selects "Stingaree Kelly" (Gabby Hayes), who is offered his freedom if they come back alive. The mission is to go down to the border town of Davinia, where gun running is fomenting the Mexican Revolution. Working in tandem with the Rangers are the Mexican Federales, who send "Lt. Jose Romero" (Ted Adams, of all people), as an undercover agent to infiltrate the army of the Revolutionary Generale, who is said to be A Champion of the Poor (yeah right). Adams - can you believe he's playing a good guy? - poses as a peasant, eager to join the Revolution.
When they get to Davinia, Tex and Stingaree stop in at the local cantina, owned by one "Mr. Livermore" (Al Bridge). They discover right away that he's a honcho, after overhearing him bragging about owing the whole town. Livermore has a girlfriend half his age, a French dancer named "Rose" (Betty Mack), who's at his beck and call. But Rose is a liberated woman (and this is a pre-Code film) and in turn, she has tough guy Livermore on a string. She uses her sexuality to toy with him, even though he owns her, and when the handsome - and much younger - Tex Malone shows up, she uses him to make Livermore jealous.
Meanwhile, Ted Adams has been successful in joining the Generale's gang. He's now his top assistant, in charge of rooting out spies. It's an ironic position, because the Generale trusts no one, and Livermore doesn't trust the Generale. Such is the honor among thieves, or in this case gun-runners and phony baloney men of the people. But back to the movie, after Rose dances with Tex, to make Livermore jealous, he spies on the two, and hears Rose speaking without her French accent. She confides to Tex that she's an American agent too, also sent to stop the Revolution. Livermore overhears this, and traps her into riding on a delivery run with the Generale. Now, we experience some heavy-duty pre-Code innuendo, as the Generale tells Rose he's glad she's coming on the trip, because his men "have been so lonely" for such a long time. The implication is pretty grim.
Of course Tex and Stingaree come to her rescue, so not to worry. In an unusual conclusion, two of the good guys die. I won't tell you who, but you'll see for yourself because "God's Country and the Man" is highly recommended. Filmed in part at Garden of the Gods in the Santa Susana Pass, it gets Two Big Thumbs Up, and in a side note, the actor Al Bridge ("Livermore") wrote the screenplay. Good stuff all around. The picture is soft but watchable. ////
I also finished "Adventures of Captain Marvel", which, with 12 episodes clocking in at 3 hours 36 minutes total - qualifies as a genuine blockbuster, and was the first superhero film ever produced, according to Wiki. I thought it was table-poundingly tremendous, and it gets our highest rating, Two Gigantic Thumbs Up. I'm gonna see if Tom Tyler made any more chapter serials because he's great in this one, as is the entire cast. Beyond highly recommended! I'm listening to "Siegfried" by Richard Wagner, conducted by von Karajan, and also "Ne Plus Ultra" by Bill Nelson. Finally, I'm reading a biography about Black Sabbath by Mick Wall that is startling in its revelations. It's a wonder any of those guys are alive, good grief.
On that cheery note, I bid you a good evening, wish you a Happy Sunday tomorrow, and send you Tons of Love as always! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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