Lawyer Zachary Scott (Walter Colby) is fed up of defending gangster boss Douglas Kennedy (Hap). He agrees to one last case before he intends to collect payment and start a new life with girlfriend Virginia Mayo (Flaxy Martin). Uh-oh. Not a good idea. Mayo is also Gangster boss Kennedy's girl. She's two-timing him and she will go with whoever is the more successful. It's not Scott.
The story has a ridiculous premise in that lawyer Scott puts himself up as a murderer in a crime he did not commit so that he can get himself off with his lawyer self-cleverness and then be with Mayo forever. However, Virginia Mayonaise has no loyalty to him whatsoever. The film follows Scott as he realizes what has been going on and we discover whether or not he can receive the justice he deserves.
Or doesn't! What a knobhead he is. The film is made interesting by the female roles - Mayonaise, and Dorothy Malone (Nora) as the librarian love interest for Scott once he escapes from custody and sets out to prove his innocence. These 2 women show strength of character to be applauded with Mayo getting the juicy nasty role to play - and she plays it well. The men don't fare so well. I'm afraid Zachary Scott is completely unlikeable as demonstrated by his reactions to both Mayo (I just don't believe his stupidity) or Dorothy Malone (he's just an obnoxious you-know-what to her). The film also contains that ultimate pipsqueek hard-man Elisha Cook Jr (Roper). He is as annoying and unconvincing as always. He really must have been well connected to get the amount of work that he did!
I liked the way that enemies Douglas and Scott had to work together at the end to try and get the better of bad girl Mayo when all 3 were in the same room at the film's end. A high point in an otherwise disappointing effort. Started well, but no real significance anywhere with a lead who isn't easy to relate to. The film is called Flaxy Martin - maybe we should have concentrated more on her and less on the very poor Zachary Scott.
The story has a ridiculous premise in that lawyer Scott puts himself up as a murderer in a crime he did not commit so that he can get himself off with his lawyer self-cleverness and then be with Mayo forever. However, Virginia Mayonaise has no loyalty to him whatsoever. The film follows Scott as he realizes what has been going on and we discover whether or not he can receive the justice he deserves.
Or doesn't! What a knobhead he is. The film is made interesting by the female roles - Mayonaise, and Dorothy Malone (Nora) as the librarian love interest for Scott once he escapes from custody and sets out to prove his innocence. These 2 women show strength of character to be applauded with Mayo getting the juicy nasty role to play - and she plays it well. The men don't fare so well. I'm afraid Zachary Scott is completely unlikeable as demonstrated by his reactions to both Mayo (I just don't believe his stupidity) or Dorothy Malone (he's just an obnoxious you-know-what to her). The film also contains that ultimate pipsqueek hard-man Elisha Cook Jr (Roper). He is as annoying and unconvincing as always. He really must have been well connected to get the amount of work that he did!
I liked the way that enemies Douglas and Scott had to work together at the end to try and get the better of bad girl Mayo when all 3 were in the same room at the film's end. A high point in an otherwise disappointing effort. Started well, but no real significance anywhere with a lead who isn't easy to relate to. The film is called Flaxy Martin - maybe we should have concentrated more on her and less on the very poor Zachary Scott.