Chain of Evidence

After making his last western in 1954, Wild Bill Elliott made five excellent hard-boiled police films as Lt. Andy Doyle (Flynn in one). They were low-budget, streamlined films that hold up well today, and Elliott's stoic, tough persona works very well in the police genre. This one features James "Strange Illusion" Lydon as a prisoner getting out of jail for a minor offense, someone who is vouched for by Elliott as an honest man. Obviously, things DO NOT work out well for him! The supporting cast besides Lydon is excellent, including Timothy Carey as (of course) an abusive punk and Meg Randall as a cafe operator who's itching for romance. There's an amnesia-related plot, but I'll let you find out for yourself. It plays a lot like a 50s syndicated tv crime show, and like the others in this series it's got enough noir atmosphere and hard-boiled grit to satisfy the dedicated crime-film fan. It's hard to find, but if the description interests you, you'll find it worthwhile. I've now seen four of the five films in this series and all so far are great!