TRADER TOM OF THE CHINA SEAS

Harry Lauter and Aline Towne

TRADER TOM OF THE CHINA SEAS (12 chapter Republic serial/1954). Produced and directed by Franklin Adreon. Colorized.  

Tom Rogers (Harry Lauter of The Louisiana Hussy) is a trader in Asian territories who is willingly signed up by Major Conroy (Robert Shayne of The Neanderthal Man) to help ferret out a gang that is smuggling out weapons, including light bulbs containing a poison gas, to foreign agents who are arming rebel natives so as to turn their country into a satellite. Vivian Wells (Aline Towne of Radar Men from the Moon) is the feisty daughter of a doctor who was targeted by evil forces, and Mr. Barent (Lyle Talbot), is the representative of his country's forces and the chief architect behind Trader Tom's troubles. Victor Sen Yung is Wang, a friendly associate of Rogers. 

Lauter and Towne with Lyle Talbot

Barent's helpmates include the nasty Kurt Daley (Fred Graham of The Giant Gila Monster), the mute Gursan (an unrecognizable Tom Steele), the psychotic Gorth (Richard Alexander), the rebel leader (Richard Reeves), and others. Tom gets some help from Kahn (Jan Arvan), who is fighting off the rebel forces in his country. Tom and Vivian have to deal with landslides, being trapped on a sinking freighter, being trapped underwater with a cut air hose, a train collision, angry rebels with big knives, and so on. Tom thinks nothing of burning these would-be killers to death, and nearly falls off a cliff into the fire in chapter seven. In chapter six a killer is placed inside a mailbag so he can take care of the engineer. 

Vivian and Tom escape from one doom only to face another

A nice aspect of the serial is that Vivian is depicted as being just as brave, plucky, and competent as Tom. She is no mere decoration, but an important player in the story. Lyle Talbot gives his usual professional but utterly bland portrayal, as he usually did in these serials. Fred Graham, on the other hand, emerges as a very credible and distinctly unpleasant bad guy. Trader Tom of the China Seas is a late Republic serial, one that is much more down to earth than the studio's sci-fi and superhero cliffhangers. For many, that may be the serial's weakness, but it has to be said that Trader Tom is fast-paced and full of action, with plenty of interesting death-traps, and a charismatic lead performance by Lauter. 

Verdict: Decent, often exciting serial if perhaps not as much fun as others. **3/4. 

THEM!

Joan Weldon about to face a humongous man-eating ant!

THEM! (1954). Director: Gordon Douglas. Colorized. 

Gigantic mutant ants, due to radiation from the first atomic test, have come into being in the deserts of New Mexico. These creatures are not only humongous, but are man-eaters. Sgt. Ben Peterson (James Whitmore), who came across a traumatized little girl (Sandy Drescher), and FBI agent Robert Graham (James Arness), team up with two professors from the Department of Agriculture: Dr. Medford (Edmund Gwenn); and his daughter, Pat (Joan Weldon). They find the nest in New Mexico but then discover that two flying queens have escaped and may have started new nests -- but where? Humankind is facing extinction if they don't find out -- and soon!

Edmund Gwenn and James Whitmore

Despite the fact that their previous monster movie, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, was a tremendous hit, Warner Brothers was nervous about Them! and canceled plans to have it released in color and 3-D. It is still an extremely effective picture, and nowadays it's easy to forget that this was a completely fresh idea back in the day -- Them! ushered in a flood of movies about outsized insects and arachnids of varying quality. The film is bolstered by the performances of James Whitmore and Edmund Gwenn, and Arness and Weldon are professional enough, if a cut below. Other cast members include Onslow Stevens [The Couch], Ann Doran [It, The Terror from Beyond Space], Leonard Nimoy (in a bit), Olin Howland [The Blob], and Sean McClory [Valley of the Dragons]. 

Stevens, Gwenn, Weldon, Arness

When Whitmore notes at the opening that the walls of both a trailer and general store were not pushed inward, a viewer might wonder how the giant ants could get inside these places to push the walls outward. But Whitmore says that the walls were pulled out -- by the giant ants' pincers. However, it's less easy to explain why it's made clear in New Mexico that the ants leave the nest at night to forage, but are inside the storm drains of Los Angeles at night during the climax. One could explain the inconsistencies away by saying these big bugs are mutations, so who knows what they may be up to. One has to assume there were lots of missing persons in L.A. after the ants moved in. The citizenry of Los Angeles certainly take it comparatively calmly -- and accept much too readily -- that the ants exist and are on the loose. No mass exodus? In any case, the Internet Archive has a beautifully  colorized print of Them! As usual, the color adds a new and exciting dimension to the picture. The second half of the film seems a little dragged out, but the climax is eerie and suspenseful. NOTE: You can read more about this movie and others in my book Creature Features: Nature Turned Nasty in the Movies. 

Verdict: Excellent big bug movie is chilling and very effective as both horror and science fiction. ***1/2. 

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON

Stunning portrait of the Gill Man

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954). Director: Jack Arnold. Colorized.  

A group of scientists go the Amazon to search for more fossils from a presumably extinct creature, possibly the missing link. Dr. Reed (Richard Carlson), his girlfriend, Kay (Julie Adams) Dr, Maia (Antonio Moreno), Dr. Thompson (Whit Bissell), and the ambitious project head Dr. Williams (Richard Denning) should have known something was up after they find the torn bodies of Maia's crew, but they proceed to the "black lagoon" where this creature hangs out anyway, upon the advice of ship's captain, Lucas (Nestor Paiva). Williams wants to capture the creature and bring it back to civilization for study, but as this clawed and dangerous animal begins to decimate the members of the party, this seems more and more unlikely ... 

the gill man is fascinated by Kay swimming above

Creature from the Black Lagoon gets points for being something decidedly different from the other Universal monsters. Although at times the creature looks perhaps more comical than frightening, he is still a formidable figure. Creature is often illogical -- and forget about the "science" of the piece -- but that doesn't matter up against the tension and atmosphere that the film often generates. The best scene has the lonely gill man (why does no one wonder if he has a mate or if there are others of its kind in the vicinity?) swimming underneath Kay and reaching out to nearly touch her, a strangely erotic moment. 

Denning, Paiva, Adams, Carlson

The acting is credible even if no one in the film has much of a reaction to the horrible deaths of the hired men, and the characters only seem to show emotion towards the end when one of their number is mauled. The colorization process is generally good on the version I watched, giving the film a new dimension, and helping with the often murky underwater scenes. The blasting musical score, from a variety of sources, helps put over some of the slower sequences. There were two sequels to this film, although neither were as good, and a projected remake never materialized. Originally shown in 3-D.

Verdict: Entertaining classic horror flick with a very lively and unusual monster. ***. 

SERPENT ISLAND

Mary Munday and Sonny Tufts

SERPENT ISLAND (1954). Written and directed by Tom Gries. Produced,  photographed, and edited by Bert I. Gordon. 

Pete Mason (Sonny Tufts) is a laid-back sailor who knows a lot about Haiti, and is importuned to sign on as a crew member for the dyspeptic Kirk Ellis (Tom Monroe). He is doing this at the request of Ricki Andre (Mary Munday), who insists that there is a treasure in Haiti that belongs to her family  -- all somebody has to do is find it. The three set sail and have a number of arguments, even as different people keep trying to steal a letter that has clues to the treasure's location. Pete suggests that the treasure is not on Haiti, but on a nearby island, where he re-encounters a woman named Ann Christoff (Rosalind Hayes) and her sinister, machete-wielding companion Jacques (Don Blackman). But then there's also a malevolent boa constrictor to deal with.

Ricki "struggles" with a boa constrictor

Be forewarned that the above synopsis makes Serpent Island sound more interesting than it actually is. In fact for most of its length it's an indifferently photographed (by Bert I. Gordon) travelogue with scenes of supposed Haitian ceremonies that seem to go on forever. The sequence when Ricki wrestles with a large boa is unintentionally hysterical. The acting is actually okay, with a feisty Munday going on to have many more credits. Don Blackman has a striking presence and also had several future credits. Tufts, who became better-known for his off-screen drunken shenanigans than for his acting, is perfectly convincing as the laconic Pete. Bert I. Gordon switched from photography to directing and helmed quite a few movies that are much more entertaining than this. Munday and director Gries were married after filming. 

Verdict: A real stink bomb. *.

THE BIG CHASE

THE BIG CHASE (1954). Director: Arthur Hilton. 

Peter Grayson (Glenn Langan of The Amazing Colossal Man) is a new police officer and his wife, Doris (Adele Jergens of Blonde Dynamite) is expecting their first baby and fears complications to her pregnancy. Pete's buddy, Lt. Ned Taggert (Douglas Kennedy of Rockabilly Baby), hopes that his pal will try to become a detective but he has other plans. Meanwhile Brad Bellows (Jim Davis) is planning a payroll robbery before he even gets out of prison. When the day comes for the attack on an armored car, Bellows is accompanied by his wife (uncredited), Kip (Lon Chaney Jr.), and others. Just as Doris goes on the operating table, Pete and his partner are off in pursuit of Bellows and his confederates. This results in a chase sequence that is certainly not as exciting as the film's poster would indicate (someone jumps out of a copter at one point, but no one falls to their death). 

The Big Chase looks cobbled together from TV outtakes, and the two storylines -- Peter and his wife, and the robbery -- never quite jell. The acting is fine, however, and the pace is swift enough so that the running time -- less than an hour! -- doesn't seem padded. Lon Chaney hasn't a line of dialogue and his scenes -- along with half of this movie -- were lifted from an earlier film, a color 3D short entitled Bandit Island. Joe Flynn, the exasperated commander from McHale's Navy, plays a reporter to whom Kennedy tells the story. Langan and Jergens were married for many years in real life. 

Verdict: Not much to recommend in this soggy suspenser. *1/2. 

KILLERS FROM SPACE

Peter Graves and John Frederick (Merrick)

KILLERS FROM SPACE (1954). Produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder. Colorized.

 After disappearing in the desert after a plane crash, atomic scientist Dr. Doug Martin (Peter Graves of Beginning of the End), suffering memory loss, is viewed with suspicion by his colleagues. Under the ministration of sodium pentothal, Doug remembers being held prisoner by aliens from Astron-Delta with ping pong eyeballs. The claim they brought him back from death, and need his help in their plans to take over the earth, which they need after their own sun expired. Deneb (John Frederick) and his buddies plan to unleash monstrously enlarged animals and insects upon earth's helpless inhabitants. Will Doug's desperate plans be enough to save the world and destroy the creatures and would-be invaders? 

Man meets Lizard!

Killers from Space is about on the level of one of those sci-fi serials from Republic that played in theaters during this period, if not quite as much fun. Graves gives as little extra as possible to his performance in this, but the supporting cast is a bit more enthusiastic: James Seay of Heartaches as Colonel Banks, Steve Pendleton as Investigator Briggs, Frank Gerstle as Dr. Kruger, Shepard Menken as Major Clift, the base doctor, and Barbara Bestar as Doug's wife. The best scene in the movie has Doug trying to escape via huge caverns and encountering gigantic spiders, grasshoppers, horned toads, lizards, roaches, beetles, and the like, all via back projection. (As usual the unnerving sound FX make this sequence work.) The notion that the aliens want to use outsized carnivorous beasties to devour all of mankind is a trifle unsettling. 

Verdict: Passable comic book sci fi. **1/2. 

THE LIE

Lee Bowman

THE LIE (1954). Director: Harold Young.

John Hamilton (Lee Bowman) has a night on the town with his friends, an aerialist called "The Great Wilhelm"(Harald Maresch), and Philip (Joachim Brennecke), who is the brother of John's girlfriend, Marlene (Ramsay Ames of G-Men Never Forget). While drunk and nearly passed out, he is confronted by a threatening man who is later found murdered. John is arrested for the murder, and during the trial is astounded when both Wilhelm and Philip lie about going with him to the apartment where the murder took place -- they claim to know nothing even though he knows they were there. John is convicted and the only one who goes to bat for him, eventually getting him out of prison, is Margot (Eva Probst), Philip's former fiancee, who knows something is rotten in Germany. Now John decides to confront his former friends, as well as Marlene, and discover who the real killer is.

Brennecke and Maresch

If The Lie seems like a TV production, it's because it is, filmed in a studio in Germany with mostly German actors. The acting is good, with Ramsay Ames, surprisingly, being more of a stand-out than usual with her unsympathetic role. Viennese Maresch appeared in a number of international productions while Brennecke appeared primarily in German productions. The Lie has a very slight degree of suspense, but there isn't much surprise when it comes to the identity of the murderer, and the whole thing is relatively routine. 

Verdict: Doesn't amount to much. **

GOG

Richard Egan and Herbert Marshall

GOG (1954). Director: Herbert L. Strock. Produced by Ivan Tors. 

Two scientists at a top-secret underground research facility in the desert are horribly killed in their lab when locked into a chamber with a freezing gas. Security man David Sheppard (Richard Egan) is called in to investigate the murders and other incidents of sabotage. Old girlfriend Joanna Merritt (Constance Dowling) is on hand and is also an undercover security agent. Their suspects include virtually everyone in the complex, such as Dr Elzevir (Philip Van Zandt) and his wife (Valerie Vernon); radiation expert Dr. Carter (Byron Kane); and Dr. Zeitman (John Wengraf), who is in charge of the computer, NOVAC, which runs the complex, as well as the two robots, named after the biblical legends Gog and Magog. Project head Dr. Van Ness (Herbert Marshall) tries to help Sheppard and Merritt figure out what's going on before there are even more murders. 

Gog has an excellent premise but the execution is far from perfect. Herbert L. Strock both directs and edits and does a mediocre job in both instances. The first half of the film is much too talky, with a lot of lectures, although it eventually has several exciting scenes: a laser attack on Mrs. Elzevir, and a scene when a spinning contraption in a pressure chamber runs amok, as well as the robotic attack at the climax in which the whole place is nearly blown to smithereens. Egan and Marshall, romantic heroes, at first seem out of place in the film but are assets to the production, as is Constance Dowling, although this was her last theatrical feature (she had two more TV credits than retired when she married Gog's producer, Ivan Tors, with whom she had five children. She died young at 49.) Michael Fox and William Schallert have smaller roles. 

Verdict: Despite the clumsy direction, this does work up some suspense and is entertaining and well-acted. ***. 

THE GOLDEN MISTRESS

THE GOLDEN MISTRESS (1954). Director: Joel Judge (Abner Biberman). 

In Haiti Bill Buchanan (John Agar of Bait) is behind in payments for his boat. He is beloved by some of the people for bringing an anti-toxin to them and saving lives. A scoundrel named Carl Dexter (Abner Biberman) has stolen an idol from natives and wants to team up with Bill to find a lost treasure. Carl sends his daughter, Ann (Rosemary Bowe), to talk to Bill and he winds up dumping her in the ocean. Eventually, after her father's death at the teeth of a shark, Ann and Bill do team up to see if they can find the treasure on a mysterious island that may not even exist. But there's no guarantee that either of them will come back alive. 

John Agar and Rosemary Howe (Stack)

The Golden Mistress is a 99 cent item filmed in Haiti, and for much of its length it resembles a travelogue with some interesting locations. Soaking up local color is one thing, but Mistress doesn't know when to end a scene and move on to something more entertaining. The picture meanders -- it's full of incident but the story isn't told in a compelling fashion, and after awhile you may lose patience. There's a brief flurry of excitement at the very end, but this doesn't last long.  John Agar gives a charismatic and solid performance as the captain, who like most men in these old adventure movies, is chauvinistic. Rosemary Howe was a former model who in this is barely passable as an actress. (She has trouble showing emotion when her father is eaten by a shark.) She gave a much better performance in The Big Bluff but wisely married actor Robert Stack the following year and left the business. 

The supporting cast is of more interest. Jacques Molant is Ti Flute, a likable teen native who is the cabin boy or first mate, depending on who's asking. Andre Narcisse is Iznard, the Houngan or high priest whose son, Christofe (Kiki), is saved by Bill when the boy's foot is caught inside a clam. Abner Biberman, who plays Carl Baxter, also directed the film under a pseudonym. His credits were mostly in television. Considering the location, some of the native cast members and other elements, it's a shame that Golden Mistress doesn't emerge as a more memorable motion picture. 

Verdict: Not much more exciting than a bad Jungle Jim movie. **. 

JESSE JAMES' WOMEN

Don "Red" Barry

JESSE JAMES' WOMEN (1954). Director: Don Barry. 

Jesse James (Don 'Red" Barry) and his gang are hiding out in a small western community where Jesse calls himself Mr. Woodsen. Jesse has an amazing ability to charm the ladies, but he also fleeces and cheats on them with abandon. This time he's juggling several gals: Waco Gans (Peggie Castle of Beginning of the End), who co-owns a saloon; the sexy singer, Delta (Lita Baron of High School Hero); Cattle Kate Kennedy (Betty Brueck), who wants money for her herd but may have a hard time keeping it away from Jesse; and Caprice Clark (Joyce Barrett), the daughter of the banker whose establishment Jesse robs with her complicity. While his brothers and fellow gang members argue with him and amongst themselves, Jesse may have trouble keeping all the ladies from killing each other and himself. 

Lita Baron, Barry, Peggie Castle

Jesse James' Women is actually a fun movie if you don't take it seriously. It borders on the edges of comedy and occasionally steps over, but that's perfectly okay in a movie of this nature. Barry doesn't exactly look like a lover boy, but he's fine in the role, and Peggie Castle makes her mark as the tough saloon gal who doesn't want any other women encroaching into her territory. Michael Carr and Jack Buetel score as, respectively, gang members Bob Ford and Frank James. An interesting aspect of the film is the fact that the protracted fight scene between Waco and Delta, which rivals the one in Destry, is longer than any of the fights between the guys. Waco and Cattle Kate even have a gun dual -- however, brief -- which is something the men never do. Lita Baron warbles a couple of tunes, including "Careless Love" by George Antheil!

Verdict: Surprisingly flavorful comedy-western-musical. ***. 

IMPULSE

Constance Smith and Arthur Kennedy

IMPULSE (1954). Director: Charles de Latour (Cy Endfield.)

Alan Curtis (Arthur Kennedy) is an American real estate man with a British wife named Elizabeth (Joy Shelton). Alan feels that his life is in a rut, and asks Elizabeth to forget her plans to go see her mother and go off for a second honeymoon in Paris on impulse. Elizabeth refuses, making Alan more susceptible to the charms of a pretty songstress with car trouble named Lila (Constance Smith), whose brother, Harry (Bruce Beebe), is in some kind of dire straits. Alan keeps doing whatever Lila asks and he gets wound up in some crooked business Involving diamonds, police inspectors asking questions, and a few bad guys who are up to no good. 

Constance Smith

Impulse features a typically good performance from Kennedy but the movie -- another bad British so-called suspense film with an American lead -- never really catches fire. As I've said before, this is the kind of movie that fades from memory even while you're watching it, and nothing of great import and excitement ever happens even when Alan becomes convinced that he's killed someone. A scene that almost becomes amusing occurs when the nosy, horse-faced neighbor, Miss Birchington (Jean St. Clair), comes calling when Lila is parading around Alan's house in a towel. The life of Constance Smith, who showed much promise in the beginning but wound up being thrown in jail more than once and tragically died an alcoholic, would undoubtedly been more interesting than this mediocre picture. Smith also appeared in Otto Preminger's 13th Letter. 

Verdict:  The very definition of "minor." **. 

PROFILE

Thea Gregory, Kathleen Byron, John Bentley

PROFILE (1954). Director: Francis Searle.

Margot (Kathleen Byron) is married to an older man, Aubrey (Stuart Lindsell), who decides to publish a new magazine called Profile. He hires Peter (John Bentley of Calling Paul Temple) as the editor, a situation which is all to Margot's liking as she has a decided yen for Peter. Things get even more complicated when Aubrey's daughter, Susan (Thea Gregory), comes to work in the office -- where Margot hangs out every day -- and she and Peter begin falling for each other. Margot is not about to stand for that. Before long Peter is being accused of embezzlement and Margot is insisting he was actually framed by her husband. But is this really the case?

John Bentley and Kathleen Byron

Frankly, it's hard to care, because Profile is a dull picture. Had this same basic plot been employed by, say, Hugo Haas at an American studio, and a bit more melodrama and sexiness instilled in it, it may have amounted to at least an entertaining timepasser. Instead this just lumbers along without ever igniting. Other characters include Margot's sleazy ex-husband, Charlie (Gerard Green), the jealous artist Jerry (Ivan Craig), and Michael, the  butler (Lloyd Lamble). There's some very minor excitement when one of them falls into a printing press. The acting in this is professional but no one is really given a chance to shine. Francis Searle also directed The Gelignite Gang. 

Verdict: Another bad British nominal mystery. **.

FINAL APPOINTMENT

John Bentley and Eleanor Summerfield

FINAL APPOINTMENT (aka The Last Appointment/1954). Director: Terence Fisher. 

Reporter Mike Billings (John Bentley of Calling Paul Temple) tries to investigate when he learns that a solicitor, Hartnell (Hubert Gregg), has been getting threatening letters. Hartnell wants no part of this even when he is later reminded by Billings and Inspector Corcoran (Liam Redmond) that he was the lead prosecutor for a court-martial and is also told that three other men who served on the panel have been murdered -- on the same date over three years; Hartnell is certainly next. Now you would think most people would take the threat to their life seriously under the circumstances, but as this is a mediocre British mystery Hartnell instead acts like an ass. 

No concerns: Hubert Gregg

There are a couple of other suspects, of course, including two co-workers of Hartnell's who embezzled funds and are paying the money back to avoid a scandal. The man who was court-martialed is apparently dead, but his brother is still among the living. Final Appointment is briskly-paced under Terence Fisher's direction, and there's even a bit of suspense, although there are no big surprises at the finale. Billings has an irritating lady reporter girlfriend, Jennie (Eleanor Summerfield), who gets jealous at the drop of a hat, even going so far as to check out a secretary, Laura (Jean Lodge), that he is only trying to get information from; this leads into Jennie nearly getting taken hostage at the climax. Sam Kydd scores as another court-martialed soldier who comes to an unfortunate end. Fisher, of course, was at his best in the horror field [The Gorgon]. 

Verdict: So so British thriller without too many thrills. **1/4. 

BAIT

An interesting but atypical shot from Bait

BAIT (1954). Director: Hugo Haas. 

Marko (Hugo Haas) teams up with young Ray Brighton (John Agar) to find a lost gold mine and agrees to split everything fifty-fifty with him. But Marko is supposedly tempted by the Devil (Cedric Hardwicke!) to want all of the gold for himself, so he cooks up a scheme involving sexy and allegedly immoral waitress Peggy (Cleo Moore) in which he hopes to murder Ray without consequence. Marko makes Peggy his wife, and they all stay in the same small cabin together, while Marko watches the two younger people like a hawk, hoping they will eventually succumb to their obvious attraction to one another ... 

John Agar has gold fever

Bait is one of several films that director Haas made with his favorite leading lady, Moore, but this is not one of the better ones. The plot makes it sound like this might at least be entertaining, trashy fun, but be forewarned that it isn't. Moore and Agar both seem too old for their roles, and as for their performances, they hardly work up a sweat trying to act. Haas is much better, as usual, but not as good as he has been in other films directed by himself or others. Worse, the movie moves slowly -- very slowly -- and nothing much happens until the last few minutes, where there's just a slight bit of irony in play. Somehow Haas inveigled Sir Cedric Hardwicke to play the Devil in a prologue -- he's terrific -- and to add some observations in voice-overs throughout the movie. Bruno VeSota has a small role.

Verdict: A misfire on virtually all levels. Haas and Moore fans would be better off with the far superior Hit and Run with Vince Edwards. *1/2. 

THEY WERE SO YOUNG

Johanna Matz and Scott Brady

THEY WERE SO YOUNG (aka Mannequins fur rio/1954). Written and directed by Kurt Neumann. 

In a prologue, a young woman's body is found washed up on the beach. Then we meet Eve Ullmann (Johanna Matz), who has emigrated from Germany to South America, and winds up working for a fashion house in Rio. It isn't long, however, before she realizes that she and the other women will have to do "favors" for male clients, and that they won't be able to leave their employ no matter what. After an initial disagreement with mining engineer Richard Lanning (Scott Brady), Eve comes to him in desperation for help. Richard takes Eve to the estate of Jaime Coltos (Raymond Burr of Bride of the Gorilla), for whom he works, for safekeeping, but later Lanning discovers that he may have tossed Eve out of the frying pan and into the fire ... 

Raymond Burr and Scott Brady

They Were So Young downplays the prostitution angle but makes it pretty clear that the bad guys in this are running a white slavery racket. The lead actress Johanna Matz, was Viennese and made virtually all of her movies in Germany, including Otto Preminger's German-language version of The Moon is Blue, in which she played Maggie McNamara's role. Matz is cute and charming in this, and plays well with Scott Brady, who offers one of his most winning and charismatic performances. Unfortunately, although the film has a modicum of suspense, the promised climax never quite materializes, and the story is wrapped up quickly and without much excitement. Burr was saved from movies like this by being signed to star in Perry Mason, but he plays Coltos with just the right amount of restrained menace. The premiere of this film did not lead to Matz having any kind of American career, but as the film was released by bargain basement Lippert Pictures, it probably was never intended to. Gert Frobe plays a henchman in this but I didn't spot him, probably because his signature title role in Goldfinger was ten years later. 

Verdict: Low-budget film noir of sorts has an interesting cast but never really catches fire. **1/4.