Tight Spot (1955) User Reviews

A Rough Little Noir With A Fine Cast

[Handlinghandel · 7/10 · 27 August 2006]

Ginger Rogers is good as the tough-talking woman sprung from prison to testify in a trial. What a strange career she had! Best known for her movies with Fred Astaire, she was also a delightful comedienne. She did some serious work in her prime, winning an Oscar for an only-OK soap opera. But she's good in "Primrose Path." She turned tough in many of her fifties outings, and she looked tough too. Here she has sort of a pixie haircut that doesn't quite work with the character and isn't flattering to her. But she's excellent.

Edward G. Robinson, billed second to her, is superb. He always was. That man was incapable of giving a bad performance, no matter how oddly cast he might have been at times. Brian Keith, whom many know for sunny outings in later television, is exceptional as a very tough cop. He really is the focus of this movie, though the Rogers character is the lead.

Who in the world was Lucy Marlow, who got fourth billing? It says prison girl. Hmm. The woman playing the matron, Katherine Anderson, is important to the plot. She is very touching as well.

Lorne Green is another actor who played some mean hombres before he became the benevolent dad on TV's "Bonanza." His character is less nuanced than the one he plays in "Autumn Leaves." But he does well by it.

Phil Karlson was an excellent director, who had some of the nastiest, darkest, roughest noirs of the fifties under his belt. This is among the best of them.

Stagey drama given life by gutsy Ginger.

[David-240 · 7/10 · 22 November 1999]

Ginger Rogers gives one of her best performances here, as a tough gangster's "moll" turned state witness. Her gutsy, strong and sexy performance carries the conventional plot. Robinson and Keith are fine, but they don't have much to do except get dazzled by Ginger - and who wouldn't be. It is a little hard to believe that Keith, at 34, would fall for Ginger, at 44, but that's all part of the illusion of glamourous Hollywood. Ginger looks great, but she does look her age.

The main problem here is the inadequate adaptation from a stage play - the action is too confined in the one room, and there is too much dialogue. But this is worth catching for the original Ginger Spice in full fireworks' mode.

Another "heart of gold" moll

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 14 October 2004]

Ginger Rogers, who was usually more glamorous in her movie roles, invades territory normally occupied by Claire Trevor or Veda Ann Borg. She's a good time gal who happens to be on a pleasure cruise with mob boss Lorne Greene and Greene has smuggled another gangster into the country. U.S. Attorney Edward G. Robinson is seeking to deport Greene.

Greene's enemies have a habit of ending up dead. And our story begins with conflicted cop Brian Keith assigned to protect Ginger as Robinson tries to convince her to testify.

Rogers's career was on the downside here, but she's still a dynamite presence on the screen. Robinson and Keith are solid here and who would have thunk of Ben Cartright as a mobster.

Nice film, tightly edited, not a wasted frame in it.

Some defects but a good film.

[MargsMom · 19 June 1999]

As a big fan of Ginger Rogers', I think this film, although late in her career, is rather good. Of course with Edgar G. Robinson as the district attorney, there's no way this could be bad. The opening prison laundry scenes are more than a little hard to believe (after all, when was the last time you were in prison with perfectly manicured nails). Over all, drama and comedy nicely balanced.

All we need now is a well dug grave.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 11 June 2013]

Tight Spot is directed by Phil Karlson and adapted to screenplay by William Bowers from the play "Dead Pigeon" written by Leonard Kantor. It stars Ginger Rogers, Edward G. Robinson, Brian Keith, Lorne Green and Eve McVeagh. Music is by George Duning and cinematography by Burnett Guffey.

Sherry Conley (Rogers) is offered a way out of her prison term if she agrees to testify as a witness in the trial of mobster Benjamin Costain (Green). Holed up in a hotel room under police protection, Sherry starts to form a close relationship with Lt. Vince Striker (Keith). Just as Costain's hit-men start to close in...

Is it noir or not? That's a question that has cropped up quite a bit since Columbia released it as part of their Film Noir Classics III Collection. The presence of Karlson (Kansas City Confidential), Guffey (In A Lonely Place), Bowers (The Mob) and Robinson (Scarlet Street) certainly gives it strong noir credentials on the makers front. What transpires is more crime melodrama than noir, but Tight Spot does feature noir traits. From Guffey's shadows and half lights photography, to the characterisations portrayed by Rogers and Keith, there's enough here to keep the noir faithful replenished.

Rogers' performance (casting) has also been much cause for debate, which is understandable as it is a role that could quite easily have been given to better femme fatale actresses of the time. Yet although she takes some getting used to, and that hair cut is just bizarre, Rogers does a nice line in sharp tongued sass, even putting some sexy sizzle in to the bargain during a slow dance sequence with Keith. She does fine work, a bit over theatrical maybe? But she nestles in nicely alongside the strong turns from Keith, Green and Robinson to lift an average story to better heights.

Much of the film is set within the confines of one hotel room, which is both a blessing and a curse. At times it works in the film's favour because Karlson is able to wring out some claustrophobia, a real sense of impending threat is evident at times. However, at other times the picture feels just too stage bound, stripping away some of the realistic atmosphere the makers strive for. There's also a problem of tonal shifts as comedy sticks its oar in at regular intervals, including a frequent visit to a hillbilly television show that serves no purpose other than to annoy Keith's increasingly agitated detective.

A mixed bag without doubt, and at the half way point some may be wondering what they have let themselves in for? But the cast and makers come through in credit once the second half arrives. Because then we get action, twists and a grand finale. 7/10

Enjoyable Vehicle for Ginger

[terry_knapp · 7/10 · 7 September 2008]

Ginger Rogers' performance (straight out of "Roxie Hart") makes this film. Others have found Ms. Rogers to be too old for the film. I think that the fact that she is a bit "past her prime" adds to her character, which has (let's face it) been "around the block" a few times. She and Brian Keith (doing his patented tough-as-nails copper) make a potent team. It is a pity that they did no more work together. The film itself is a strange mixture of Rogers' comic sass and Karlson's brand of hard-hitting melodrama. Ultimately, the film is sunk by an unbelievable plot contrivance that leaves the audience feeling betrayed. However, the performances (including, of course, Robinson's) make this a worthwhile experience.

A past-her-prime Ginger Rogers sinks otherwise competent thriller

[bmacv · 6/10 · 13 August 2001]

Tight Spot purports to be a tense drama about protecting a gangster's moll pulled out of prison to testify for the prosecution. They picked a tough, no-nonsense director, Phil Karlson, whose offbeat rhythms and offhand brutality made movies like 99 River Street, Kansas City Confidential and The Phenix City Story such memorable installments in the noir cycle. But somehow Tight Spot turned into a quick-and-dirty "return" vehicle for its star, Ginger Rogers.

She was the wrong choice. Quite visibly beyond the first flush of youth -- not to mention the second or the third -- she plays a slangy diamond-in-the-rough but can't bring it off (an ingenue like Jan Sterling would have been perfect in the part). In consequence, we're locked in a hotel suite with Rogers and Brian Keith, a police detective assigned to protect her, while Rogers develops her "character" at tedious length.

Meanwhile, a vital plot development gets postponed, disastrously skewing the movie's arc of tension (even the solidly reliable Edward G. Robinson can't get it taut again). Karlson can be depended on to deliver some swift thrills, but Rogers, who 15 years earlier could have tossed off a cool, expert performance, ends up sinking the whole enterprise.

A Well-Acted Crime Drama

[seymourblack-1 · 7/10 · 23 September 2014]

"Tight Spot" is a crime drama about the events that take place during the period in which a district attorney tries to persuade a female convict to testify against a ruthless gangster in a deportation case. The woman's life is constantly under threat and the attorney is desperate or her to co-operate because, if she doesn't, he knows he won't be able to do anything else to curtail the activities of the notorious mobster.

Lloyd Hallett (Edward G Robinson) is the D.A. who arranges for Sherry Conley (Ginger Rogers) to be removed from prison and transferred to a heavily guarded hotel room where Detective Lieutenant Vince Striker (Brian Keith) takes charge of ensuring that she remains alive long enough to be able to testify in the case against Ben Costain (Lorne Greene).

Sherry had been on Costain's yacht with her friend Pete Tonelli (Alfred Linder) somewhere in the West Indies when another foreign gangster that Costain had illegally brought into the U.S. was also on board. Costain had been very smart in ensuring that he couldn't be directly linked to any of his various crimes and so the opportunity to get him deported for breaching the terms under which he was allowed into the country, was the best option open to Hallett. Sherry, however, isn't open to persuasion and her decision not to cooperate is reinforced when she learns that Tonelli had been gunned down by Costain's men after he'd agreed to testify.

During her time in the hotel room, Sherry survives a couple of attempts on her life and also enjoys ordering expensive food as well as flirting with Striker who's also attracted to her. The extremely determined Lloyd Hallett attempts to get Sherry to change her mind by conscripting the assistance of her sister but this approach also fails badly. Will the offer of having her sentence commuted finally be enough to induce Sherry to testify or will some other development be critical in enabling Hallett to achieve his objective?

"Tight Spot" was based on the play "Dead Pigeon" by Leonard Kantor and looks stagy as most of the action takes place in one location (the hotel room). The advantage of this type of presentation, however, is that it emphasises very naturally, how trapped Sherry remains even when she's out of prison and makes her situation seem even more dangerous because she can neither avoid the attentions of those who want to kill her or escape from her surrogate prison cell.

The best feature of this movie is the quality of its cast who through their performances elevate a rather ordinary story into something more entertaining than it would otherwise have been. Ginger Rogers is very brash and loud-mouthed as the ex-model and gangster's moll who fell foul of the law through being a "chump" and Edward G Robinson has a great on-screen presence. Lorne Greene looks very imposing and dynamic in his role and Brian Keith does a great job as Striker, who is cynical, corrupt and conflicted and eminently more interesting than any of the other characters. When he starts to unravel, the torment that he goes through is palpable.

Although it's not one of the best movies of its kind, "Tight Spot" is still very enjoyable, primarily because of its talented cast.

Tight Spot-Excellent Film Position to Be In ****

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 25 July 2008]

Ginger Rogers sheds her usual movie ways and portrays a girl surviving a sentence for hiding a criminal. She is offered her freedom if she will testify against someone who the government is trying to get. Problem is that her ex-boyfriend has already taken a fatal bullet on his way to testify.

Edward G. Robinson is the D.A. here in this exciting film. There is a marvelous supporting performance by Brian Keith, as the cop, assigned to watch her. Naturally, romance blooms and there is quite a surprise waiting for viewers when we realize who he really is in this film.

Here is a girl telling those in prison to keep their mouths shut and do as little as possible. "Never volunteer" is her motto. How quickly the situation and her beliefs change.

As Sherry Conley, Rogers depicts a girl whose environment led her astray. The film is well worth catching.

Ginger sprung from prison to testify against a mobster

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 17 July 2008]

Ginger Rogers is in a "Tight Spot" in this 1955 film directed by Phil Karlsen and also starring Edward G. Robinson, Brian Keith and Lorne Greene. Rogers plays Sherry Conley, in prison for harboring a fugitive. When the big witness against a mobster (Greene) is killed, she's asked to be a witness against him so that he can be deported. She realizes the danger, but stalls in making her decision because she's in a hotel and can order room service and take private showers. Also, one of her guards, Vince (Keith) is attractive and there appears to be a chemistry there. After a couple of murder attempts, she wants to go back to prison.

"Tight Spot" isn't exactly an "A" movie; it's more like a B+ - it's filmed in black and white and fits into the noir genre. However, it's based on a play, and it's obvious - the scenes aren't opened up at all, and there's a ton of dialogue. It doesn't appear that Karlsen directed either Rogers or Eve McVeagh very well. Both actresses approach their roles as if they're doing them for stage; the effect is over the top.

Ginger Rogers was a wonderful actress and a very versatile one. Like all female film stars, the roles became a little less interesting after she turned 30 and all but disappeared when she turned 40. She's 44 here, playing someone younger, and she is very effective if a little overdone in parts. Robinson is great as usual, and a young Keith gives a relaxed performance. Greene was cast as a villain often until he played Pa Cartwright. At the age of 45 when the show started, he was 13 years older than Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts). After that, he played fathers, and producers didn't care whose father -Ava Gardner's, for instance, in Earthquake. He was seven years older than Ava. He does a good job here in a fairly one-dimensional role.

All in all, okay.

Rogers and Keith don't click; play-adaptation talky and drab

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 29 December 2002]

Talky adaptation of Leonard Kantor's play "Dead Pigeon" stars Ginger Rogers as a wisecracking jailbird sprung from the pokey by police so she can testify against ruthless mobster at a high-profile murder trial. Somewhat confined, claustrophobic piece really needs Ginger's overacting to kick it into gear, and she's more than adept at chewing the scenery. The star, looking great in a short, ducktail bob, manages to create sparks playing opposite everyone in the picture except for Brian Keith as troubled cop Vince Striker (they just don't click). Drably filmed, mostly underwhelming, but Ginger's fans might want to take a look. ** from ****

"There's Never Been a Gal Like Sal From Texas Valley!"

[the_old_roman · 9/10 · 24 August 2001]

Tight police drama with D.A. Edward G. Robinson trying to protect witness Ginger Rogers from the clutches of evil crime lord Lorne Greene. Rogers and Robinson are both marvelously vulnerable beneath their complementary tough exteriors. The direction is tense throughout. The film makes excellent use of its claustrophobic environs. Brian Keith is also very good as a tough cop.

Judy Holliday?

[DaveSFV · 7/10 · 16 July 2008]

I'm surprised that no one thought that Ginger Rogers was a bit like Judy Holliday in that she plays a rough and dumb blonde that says some wise and intelligent things. I thought the excellent dialogue kept you interested in the movie since most of it took place in a hotel room. Although I'm a big fan of Brian Keith, I thought his roll was too "Hollywood" in that in the beginning of the film he and Ginger Rogers intensely disliked each other only to then fall for each other. How many films has that happened? Bunch! Robinson was just excellent as always, no surprise there. Very good movie with excellent dialogue but no real surprises in how it ends.

A competent vehicle for Ginger Rogers, with a solid performance by Edward G. Robinson

[Terrell-4 · 5/10 · 15 March 2008]

Tight Spot has a potentially taut story going for it, as well as some noirish photography, a skilled performance by Edward G. Robinson and a solid, conflicted performance by Brian Keith. Unfortunately, it also is primarily a vehicle for a big star who was facing age and a new generation of movie goers. The film also was adapted from a stage play. Much of the movie feels declarative, with far too many opportunities for Ginger Rogers to "act."

A key witness who can send vicious crime boss Benjamin Costain (Lorne Greene) into the slammer and then have him deported is shot down on Gotham's courtroom steps. Government lawyer Lloyd Hallet (Edward G. Robinson) discovers another possible witness who could incriminate Costain if she'll testify. She's Sherry Conley (Ginger Rogers), a feisty, smart-mouth con who is in prison doing a five-year term for a crime she says she had nothing to do with. Hallet pulls her out of prison and installs her in a fancy hotel. He assigns police detective Vince Slater (Brian Keith) and a team of officers to protect her. And then he tries to convince her to testify against Costain. He promises to cancel the rest of her sentence. He describes how bad a guy Costain is. He appeals to her sense of justice. But Sherry knows the other witness was gunned down. She's tough and no one's patsy. While this is going on, Costain has been busy. He's learned which hotel she's at, even the room. We know anyone staying in 2409 at the St. Charles Hotel is going to be in for an upsetting night. The hotel's lobby is dark and lonely. The hallways are empty and seem to go on forever. Sherry and Vince, who initially is tense and disdainful toward her, begin to warm up to each other. We learn Sherry isn't the playgirl her reputation would have us believe. When the first assassination attempt takes place, windows are smashed, a gunman almost breaks in and bullets go flying. Sherry and a police woman she has come to like are wounded, the woman seriously. It takes a death to convince Sherry that a man as ruthless as Costain must be put away. Despite another assassination attempt, we last see her sitting in the witness box, staring at Costain, as Hallet begins his questions.

Rogers was 44 when she made this movie. She looks great but it's obvious she's playing below her age. She also has a tendency to chew the scenery. Her wise-guy persona simply doesn't ring true. We know it's Ginger Rogers acting. There are far too many opportunities for her to have dramatic moments...Sherry telling us about herself...Sherry and her sister arguing...Sherry describing her life when she was just 16. None of it seems authentic. The movie is a vehicle for an aging star who could still command above-the-title roles, but where those roles were more and more often in second-rate movies.

Rogers might make us a little uncomfortable, but Edward G. Robinson made me really sad. Here was this great actor, placed unfairly and unofficially on the Hollywood blacklist at the start of the Fifties, unable to get roles worthy of him in first-rate films, having to take work in stuff like this. Remember films of his like Vice Squad, The Big Leaguer, The Glass Web and Black Tuesday? Didn't think you did. They were all scarcely more than programmers made by Hollywood journeymen. They were all from this period. Robinson, as far as I'm concerned, never turned in a bad performance despite all this. With Tight Spot he effortlessly dominates all the scenes he's in. He doesn't try to steal any glory from Rogers, but it is his performance which seems the most authentic and interesting.

Tight Spot is at best a competent film tailored to the needs of Ginger Rogers. It's not bad; it's just workmanlike. If you like old films, Tight Spot may be worth a watch.

Ginger Gets a Revival

[dougdoepke · 12 September 2010]

I love it when Mississippi Mac bangs out a tune on his head using a rubber mallet, a clever touch getting comedy relief from a TV parody of a country and western telethon. Otherwise, it's a pretty somber movie and extended showcase for Rogers then coming off a reverse blacklist of Hollywood right-wingers.

As it is, Rogers gets ninety minutes of snappy dialog with more brass than spent cartridges on a rifle range. But, frankly, all the tough talk and attitude does get tiresome despite her spirited effort. The fact that she's 40-something and starting to bulge strikes me as just right for the aging party-girl part. Remember, Sherry (Rogers) is supposed to have been around the block more than a few times and is now looking back over what she suspects is a misspent life. That's what makes her otherwise hardened character rather poignant and vulnerable.

What a shrewd piece of casting to pair the high-key Rogers with the low-key Bryan Keith. At this career stage, Keith was one of the more subtle actors around, able to convey a lot by doing very little. Director Karlson apparently liked him too, casting him also in his 5 Against the House (1955). And for Robinson and Rogers, it must have seemed like old home week at Warner Bros.

But truth be told, cult director Karlson is wasted in a crime drama that any one of a dozen lesser directors could have handled. At the same time, I didn't see the major plot twist coming which strikes me as the most memorable part of a too-stagey film; although, like other reviewers, that family spat with sister Clara (McVeagh) is a real barn burner and high point. Anyway, the film's an okay crime story that really serves as a vehicle for a Ginger Rogers career revival.

Good luck getting past Ginger's hairdon't

[mollytinkers · 6/10 · 29 November 2021]

Once you wade through the cliches, the story is not half bad. There's a nice twist thrown in, just to keep you interested. Unfortunately, the chemistry between Keith and Rogers is basically nil.

Personally, I prefer Rogers in her dramatic roles, though none of the pictures are considered classics. Storm Warning, Teenage Rebel, and Perfect Strangers are excellent examples of her potential. She feels not miscast but over-cast in this role.

Recommended for Rogers fans only who haven't seen it.

Good Film Noir with intrigue and tense dialog interspersed with bursts of action

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 20 October 2023]

After a quarter century of ruling the underworld, Ben Costain (Lorne Greene) is going to be tried in federal court. The prosecution's main witness has been murdered and public accuser Lloyd Hallett (played by Edward G. Robinson), tries to get a woman to testify against a mobster. The prosecutor turns to the testimony of an inmate (Ginger Rogers) he only one who can put an end to the gangster, and she's protected by a tough police inspector (Brian Keith). She: "Is that blood?" He: "I took two bullets through the chest, ma'am. Just routine."Out to make a killing - even if Ginger has to die for it. The word is out!. The word is great !.

This is a small film to not be forgotten, a low-budget production that actually did not have much impact at the time, but over time it has become a minor classic of film noir. A nice drama interspersed at just the right intervals with bursts of intrigue and violence. Starting from the play "Dead Pigeon" by Leonard Kantor, the story was inspired by Senator Estes Kefauver's tactics in coercing Virginia Hill to testify in the Bugsy Siegel prosecution and with interesting, terse script by William Bowers . Director Karlson proposed the story in which the prevalence of justice over the hidden power of the mafia is at stake, developing it in very scenic sets and in the style of a television movie . Thanks to terse dialog and a script full of unexpected twists, turns and shocks, the plot develops little by little with increasing tension through its 97 minutes. The film has ended up being well regarded by critics despite its initial ignorance. She also learned about one of Ginger Rogers's last important roles, an interpretation far removed from the musicals with Fred Astaire that had made her famous. Rogers is in a very dynamic form as the vulgar woman convict pressure to testify against a gangland czar and Brian Keith is terrific in his best acting of an undervalued career, playing the detective assigned to protect her. Katherine Anderson is also pretty good in a supporting role. To highlight, of course, the ineffable Edward G Robinson as state prosecutor giving a discreet acting in his usual style, and of course Lorne Greene, the good father of Bonanza, who here steals the show as a tremendous villain with always murderous objectives and who will not stop at anything .

It packs atmospheric cinematography in black and white by Burnett Guffey. Likewise, evocative and agreeable musical score by George Duning. The motion picture was professionally directed by Phil Karlson. This movie was intented to be a stylish Film Noir but failed at boxoffice. Phil ensures that the claustrophobic suspense engendered by the movie becomes almost unbearable towards the end. There were no half measures in this filmmaker . He would make adventure movies or violent and noir films. As he directed Westerns as ¨Gunman's walk¨ , ¨They rode west¨, ¨Texas rangers, ¨Iroquois trail¨; a passable spy movie: ¨The Silencers¨ and Gansters genre or Noir films as ¨Phoenix city story¨ and ¨Scarface mob¨. Failure alternated with hits through his career, though Karlson's direction was more than successful in ¨ Walking tall¨ with invaluable help of Joe Don Baker. And this Tight Spot (1955) rating: 6.5/10 . The flick will appeal to Ginger Rogers, Brian Keith and Edward G. Robinson fans. Thrilling and moving at once, this was one of the most obscure crime films of the its year .A thriller that will have you rooted to your armchair for nearly two hours .

Ginger Rogers is surprisingly hard boiled playing a prisoner being asked to turn on the mob in this film noir.

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 10 January 2024]

A slightly older Ginger Rogers plays a very hard boiled character named Sherry Conley, who is transported out of a women's prison for the district attorney to convince her to testify against the mob...specifically Lorne Greene's character Beniamin Costain. Almost the entire film takes place inside the hotel room where Sherry is being held as the mob first tries to find her location and second tries to prevent her from testifying. There are two guards employed to be in the room with Sherry and many more to guard the hallway and lobby, but we spend the most time with Vince Striker (Brian Keith) and Mrs. Willoughby (Katherine Anderson). These three spend a little too much time cooped up in a hotel room as a highly annoying western entertainer shamelessly begs for donations on a television telethon.

There is a lot of tension between Vince and Sherry as he offers her some pretty harsh treatment and judgment which comes into question later as a twist is revealed. My favorite scene is when Sherry explains to Vince how she became a "swimsuit model".

Great Ginger Rogers quote in this movie "Men! They ought to trade themselves in for something a girl really needs."

Not my favorite noir, nor my favorite Ginger Rogers film, it was still a fun watch and for that reason I think I would recommend it. It was interesting seeing Ben Cartwright play a mobster, personally I enjoyed the tv personality and I appreciated the little twist thrown in.

Stagey and talky drama rather than a noir - but decent writing, strong acting and some ahead-of-its-time camera work make it just about worthwhile.

[declancooley · 6/10 · 5 February 2023]

The title makes it sound like it's going to be a tension-laden, explosive movie but this is more like a playhouse two-hander and a sort of intimate character study of Rogers' jailbird, Sherry Conley, than a noir; nonetheless, there is a smattering of dimly-lit shots and hints of dark intrigue here and there, aided by a dastardly crime boss {Lorne Greene} who, behind the scenes, is plotting to remove anyone testifying against him. As others have noted, the lack of chemistry between the leads takes away from the overall effect, but there is some effective writing here as Sherry lays out the story of her life as a poverty-stricken good-girl-turned-bad-turned-good-again - and it is finely acted all round. Still, sorry to say, they needed more of a femme fatale type here to create more sparks, and Rogers, though she has the dramatic chops, does not have the pizzazz, glamor or volatility to really carry the part off. There are lulls in the pacing but this is alleviated in the final third with an unpredictable twist; however, it feels like too little too late. Better casting and a more dynamic adaptation would have helped this movie enormously but it is still a solid flick, worth a little time.

An unexpected pleasure of a film noir

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 9 September 2017]

Lloyd Hallett (Robinson) has developed a case against the murderous Mafia kingpin Benjamin Costain (Lorne Greene, in his second film) to have him deported, because they can't get him indicted for any of his other crimes. Trouble is, all his other witnesses who could have testified against Costain have been killed. Sherry Conley (Rogers) who is serving a prison term, is their last chance to get him deported. She is offered a carrot - commutation of her sentence and a comfy hotel room with food much better than she had in prison. Will that be enough to get her to go through with testifying? If she lives? Watch and find out.

Rogers is excellent as an aging model/gangster's moll who was too softhearted in the past, and is paying for her decisions. Whether she's being sarcastic or dodging bullets, Rogers gives one of her best performances.

Robinson is matter of fact and businesslike in his role. Hallett's job is his life, and Robinson gets that across to the viewer. It's close to the role he played in "Double Indemnity" (1944), but Robinson makes the cardboard role human.

Brian Keith is very good in his role as the Fed who's at first disgusted with Sherry, then starts to care for her.

Lorne Green is one great menacing scumbag. Who knew the future wise papa of the Ponderosa had it in him? The shadowy cinematography is by Burnett Guffey, who also did the photography for "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967). The taut script was by William Bowers. Absolutely a hidden gem of noir, done by that economical studio, Columbia, which was full of good surprises such as this one, during the studio system era.

No Dancing or Singing for Ginger

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 9 September 2008]

Never viewed this film and greatly enjoyed the acting of Ginger Rogers, (Sherry Conley) who played a rough and tough gal who was serving a prison term and she was involved with a big named mobster in New York City. Edward G. Robinson, (Lloyd Hallett) plays a law enforcement officer and his sidekick is Vince Striker, (Brian Keith). Lloyd is trying to find a witness he can use against the mobster, Ben Costain, (Lorne Greene) in order to send him to prison for life. Lloyd discovers that Sherry was his girl friend, so he arranges to get her out of prison in order to testify. However, many witnesses have been killed already, so they hide her in a hotel room and try to protect her. The entire story is about protecting Sherry and Ginger Rogers gives an outstanding performance. Good Film.

Karlson Misses On This One

[Bucs1960 · 5/10 · 21 August 2008]

Phil Karlson, that auteur of the tight little b/w crime film, misses the boat with this one. I am probably going against many of the reviewers on these boards but I just didn't see much to like here.

Ginger Rogers who could act (and obviously dance)was usually an asset to any film in which she appeared. She is so damn annoying in this role as the tough-talking jailbird and former girlfriend of a famous crime boss, that I hoped they would succeed in killing her off before she got to testify at the trial. She talks and talks and talks, ad infinitum and is just a little too "tough" to be believed. The claustrophobic setting in a single hotel room didn't help. You just couldn't escape that voice. However, I'll admit she looked great and she was coming up on 50 years of age

Edward G Robinson, who never gave a bad performance, again wove his magic as the DA determined to get Ginger to the stand. Brian Keith, gets a passing grade for his appropriately named cop.....Vince Striker. Lorne Greene, as the mob boss, is surprisingly menacing and is a long way from Pa Cartwright.

This isn't a bad film but it's not a good film. If it weren't for the stars, it would fall into the "B" category. That's not always bad since there are some fantastic movies in that category. This would not have been one of them.

Taut film noir with excellent performances

[aromatic-2 · 10/10 · 21 March 2003]

Ginger Rogers holds court as Mafia bigwig Lorne Greene's brassy ex-moll. Edward G. Robinson is ideal as her police protector. But, a young and ruggedly handsome Brian Keith steals the movie as a cynical police officer. The tension is very real in the stuffy hotel room. All the while, an absurd country-western singer croons the same song on a telethon over-and-over again. This is a classic.

Surprisingly good

[jacobs-greenwood · 7/10 · 17 August 2017]

I must have had some expectations about this one since I DVR'd it when it was on TCM. Not sure if it was just a title I didn't recognize, or the fact that it featured Edward G. Robinson, who's always good. In any case, even though it doesn't really cover any new territory, it does contain some fine performances by Eddie G., its other headliners Ginger Rogers and Brian Keith, and also its supporting cast which includes Lorne Greene, Katherine Anderson, Doye O'Dell, and Eve McVeagh as Rogers's estranged sister.

Rogers plays streetwise and sassy Sherry Conley, who's in prison where she's serving the last 11 months of a 5-year sentence until government prosecutor Lloyd Hallett (Robinson) has her moved to a luxury penthouse apartment the weekend before his big case to export gangster Benjamin Costain (Greene). The well-connected gang leader had successfully eliminated all previous witnesses to his criminal activities, the last just before his extradition trial, hence Hallett's desperate and expensive enticements to get Sherry to testify. She's treated to room service meals, hot showers, her own room and even gets to watch television, though there's only a telethon with a goofy cowboy (O'Dell) on the air.

While each of the aforementioned characters is in a "tight spot", it's then revealed that Vince Striker (Keith) is perhaps in the "tightest" spot of all. He's the cop assigned to protect Sherry, even though he's been on the take from Costain for 10 years. Vince, who's initially dismissive of Sherry calling her "sister", becomes more and more attracted to her as they hole up in the apartment over the weekend. Both are lonely and rough edged individuals who find a mutual physical attraction as well. Vince not only buys Sherry a dress, he actually protects her from one of Costain's thugs, killing him in the process but not before Sherry and prison matron Willoughby (Anderson) are wounded in the process.

It's Willoughby's subsequent death from her injuries that enrages Sherry so much that she agrees to testify, forcing Vince to make a fateful decision.

tight spot

[mossgrymk · 5/10 · 20 December 2021]

Pretty flaccidly paced noir, especially with a title like that. Slow, talky and dull as befits a movie based too slavishly on a none too original play. As for Ginger Rogers' performance, it starts at noisome and proceeds to excruciating. And that just takes in her hairdo! As the wise Eddie Muller said, shoulda gone with Gloria G. Give it a C.