Jack-of-all-Hollywood-trades William Conrad: radio star/GUNSMOKE; tv star/CANNON; in-demand supporting heavy at major studios; ROCKY & BULLWINKLE narrator; director/producer mostly for tv. This twisty thriller, a rare feature, opens when computer whiz Jeffrey Hunter comes across a locked car, parked on a railroad crossing. Driving it off the tracks just in time, he saves the life of drugged/drunk/despondent would-be suicide Anne Francis. After that, things get very stupid very fast. Turns out, our sleepy car occupant is unhappily married to Dana Andrews, the rich, controlling owner of Hunter’s company among many other Fortune 500 companies. So when the inevitable affair between Hunter & Francis turns serious, Andrews starts to ‘gaslight’ and sabotage their lives. Only murder will stop this psychopath Just the thing for Hunter to take care of, working up a perfect crime and a perfect insanity defense. His twist? He’ll plead guilty by insanity! At this point, you realize you’re not the only person in the room who’s seen Samuel Fuller’s SHOCK CORRIDOR/’63, where a newspaper reporter goes undercover into the loony bin to research a story only to come out loony. But where Fuller is sui generis; Conrad is a competent hack.
WATCH THIS, NOT THAT: As mentioned, SHOCK CORRIDOR/’63.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Likable, handsome, Jeffrey Hunter’s career never seemed to recover after playing Jesus for Nicholas Ray in KING OF KINGS/’‘61. He kept working till his early death at 42 in 1969, including starring in the STAR TREK pilot, but his A-list days had been crucified.
No comments:
Post a Comment