Some things I liked some I did not.
... View MoreThere is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.
... View MoreIt's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
... View MoreThe movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
... View MoreA lawyer defends a migrant worker falsely accused of two murders.What is interesting, first of all, is how the defendant is described as a "migrant worker". That is not incorrect, but I think perhaps the connotation in 1953 is different than in 2017, because now the term would almost exclusively be referring to a Latino employee. In fact, the United Nations defines a migrant worker as "a person who is engaged or has been engaged in a remunerated activity in a State of which he or she is not a national." This, more often than not, would be Mexican farmhands in the case of the United States.Anyway, the film is quite good. I don't know if it was a feature or a B-movie, as it does give the impression of not having big names attached and perhaps a smaller budget. But for entertainment purposes and a but of suspense, it does the job. In retrospect, it also serves as a great example of early work from director Don Siegel.
... View MoreDirector Don Siegel's Cynicism is on full Display in this Underseen Minor Work that fits in the Film-Noir Category quite Firmly. Siegel once Again Displays some of the Seedier aspects of the Human Condition. Quick on the Trigger Law Enforcement, an Attorney who has a Dual Nature willing to Help the Helpless but Not Adverse to Seducing an Unwilling and slightly Dim Female, and a Court System with some Serious Flaws.Director of Photography John Alton Adds much Atmosphere to the limited Budget, and Jack Elam is a Standout mentally Disturbed Criminal. The much Hated Theremin inclusions are Misplaced but can be Ignored because of the better Touches used by Siegel, Alton, and a good Trio of Actors, MacDonald Carey, Theresa Wright, and Jack Elam. The other Actors Strain for Credibility. Overall, a Minor Film-Noir but Worth a Watch for sure. It's Odd enough and Tense throughout thanks to the Creative Hands of Siegel and Alton.
... View MoreTeresa Wright is an actress whose performances I almost always enjoy, although here she was past her prime as an actress. Nevertheless, I enjoyed her acting here.This is a pretty decent B picture. In addition to the starring role of Teresa Wright, there's also MacDonald Carey as a lawyer.The story is simple. A farmer is murdered, and the fruit picker living in a shack next door is accused of the murder. His wife, Teresa Wright knows he is innocent, but she throws his gun in a lake out of panic, and the case may hinge on that.There are several scenes here that are just plain "cheap", and that is the blame of director Don Siegel, who also directed the original "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers". Of course, Sigel also went on to direct "Dirty Harry". Additionally, the supporting actors here are second rate. His background music is very inappropriate.Overall, it's a decent B film. Nothing to write home about.
... View MoreThis is far from the best Don Siegel movie. But, despite flaws in writing and acting, it's gripping and moves along, keeping the viewer on the edge of his or her seat.Nothing is really credible. Theresa Wright as an itinerant farmer's wife? Actors with pronounced New York accents as menacing rednecks? And something about the script seems truly sub-par. The dialogue is not grammatical and this is not a matter of simulating regional speech or signifying class. The dialogue is just not well written.The music, too, is strangely self-contradictory. At first it is pure schmalz, and Don Siegel is not the man for romance, even if it's romantic noir. Then a theramon is introduced and it sounds better.Despite quibbling on my part, it's an engrossing movie. Believable? Not exactly. But, if one cuts it some considerable slack, it works well as a suspenseful kind-of noir.
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