dougdoepke
Catch that hair-raising car chase as Geary (Kennedy) escapes prison. It's a dilly, but the crash is not one you walk away from. The movie's a 60-minute gangster programmer from the specialists, Warner Bros. Nothing memorable here, but there are highlights—the great Howard de Silva as a cruel prison guard (I'd rather serve my time in heck); battle-axe Florence Bates in an actual sympathetic role; and the race between fleeing car and speeding train. Okay, I kept a notepad so I could keep up with the maze-like plot. Seems cop Geary goes undercover to get goods on city corruption. But things don't go as planned. Meanwhile characters come and go, which is where the notepad comes in. Then too, there're more than the usual plot contrivances, but they go down easily, since director Lederman keeps things moving in typical Warners fashion.Can't help noticing the work party scenes were filmed at all-purpose Bronson Canyon. Despite appearances, it's plumb in the middle of LA, next door to the studios. That's why it turns up in so many cheapo films, especially from the sci-fi 1950's. And get a load of leading lady Perry (Alice). No wonder Columbia's ogre Harry Cohn grabbed her off as his wife. Looks like she had a knack for marrying rich guys, so no surprise she left the business. Anyhow, it's a decent little slice of thick-ear, with a good chance to catch one of Hollywood's best actors honing his skills, the great Arthur Kennedy. Besides, who can resist a name like 'Fido Durkin'.
MartinHafer
When the film begins, an informer is about to turn evidence on the mob. Soon, however, he is murdered and the cops catch the man responsible. But, the murderer is found hung in his cell--and the leads as to who is in charge of the mob have all dried up.The scapegoat for this 'accidental suicide' is Sgt. Joe Geary (Arthur Kennedy). When he's confronted for this, Geary shows he's a hot-head and slugs his superior--and is thrown off the police force for insubordination. However, in one of the oldest plot devices known to gangster films, it turns out Geary has done this in order to work undercover for the police Chief. And, in the second oldest plot device known to gangster films, the Chief is killed--and no one can prove that Geary is working undercover as the Chief neglected to leave any evidence to this effect (oops!). Even worse, Geary is assumed to be guilty for the killing and is sentenced to life in prison. What is next for the mug? See the film.The big plot hole is that anyone would go this far undercover and not have some sort of backup plan for if the ONLY one who knows he's undercover dies! This is pretty silly, though fortunately the film, despite some clichés, is pretty exciting. Much of it is that Warner Brothers had a real knack for these sort of films--even if it only had a B-movie budget like "Strange Alibi". Worth seeing even if the plot is less than brilliant because it is fast-paced, exciting and slickly produced.
bkoganbing
Arthur Kennedy stars in this film from Warner Brothers B picture unit where he plays a cop gone undercover to get the goods on a gambling syndicate. What he doesn't know is that the top cop brass Stanley Andrews and Cliff Clark are the head of the syndicate. After testifying in court Kennedy's framed for murder and sent to prison.What a predicament, to the crooks he's a stool pigeon and he's now a criminal as well.In only 63 minutes running time this B film goes at a rapid pace as Kennedy works out a situation that even Franz Kafka couldn't conceive.Some mighty good performances characterize this film besides those mentioned. Florence Bates as the owner of a lakeside roadhouse, Howard DaSilva as a sadistic prison guard, Jonathan Hale as the governor, and John Ridgely as one of the few convict friends Kennedy makes in the joint.There's a slam bang chicken run with a freight train during Kennedy's prison break. And his gimmick for clearing himself with the governor, absolutely inspired.Good product from the Brothers Warner.
Eric Chapman
Often ridiculous but breathlessly paced and mostly entertaining. It's got all of the Warner Brothers staples: quick pace, lots of gun play, average looking leading man with above average acting ability (in this case a very young Arthur Kennedy) and a convincing rough and tumble feel. (You sometimes fear for the actors' safety.) It also has the great Howard Da Silva stealing every scene he's in as a sadistic prison guard.Sacrifices logic for speed. Hey, plausibility slows things down. A standard undercover-cop-stuck-in-prison flick, though a bit more interesting because of its cast.
AD
