judy t
Because it's only 68 minutes and has no Big stars or director, it's a B film, but it's better than many an A film that it shared billing with. The story, though lacking suspense, is engrossing, and Lynn, Scott, and Morgan are superb. The best part of the movie for me was seeing suburban family life in 1949. Lynn and Scott are happily married and have 2 happy children. Scott volunteers at church and Lynn says grace before meals. But their happy home is threatened because Lynn's salary is insufficient to support a wife and 2 school-age children. Scott tells Lynn to ask for a raise, after all, he's been with the company for 12 years (he didn't serve 4 years in WW2?) The option of Scott getting a job occurs to neither of them, but then, this was years before the feminist revolution.The script is excellent. Dialogue supports characterization so that we 'know' all of these people. I liked Lynn. He's a decent man, one who on the spur of the moment makes the wrong choice. His mistake in judgment ensnares him in a tightening web of trouble. I liked Scott, who exemplifies the perfect mate. I liked Morgan, who always gets his man, but who makes sure that he gets the right one. The ending is a surprise, though once revealed, seems obvious. I liked the director's touch at the finish of having Morgan's cane disarm the murderer just in the nick of time. In fact, I liked everything about this little B film.
Alex da Silva
Richard Gaines (Jarvis) really sucks at running a company. Not only that but he has also blown his inheritance. Now he's feeling guilty and is prepared to kill himself in order to provide for his wife Katherine Emery (Mrs Jarvis) and his son. He hatches a plan to kill himself but it must look like murder if his family is to benefit from his life insurance, so he asks employee Jeffrey Lynn (Sam Wilson) to help him with his pre-planned actions. Lynn gets reluctantly caught up in the plan but is all as it seems? Harry Morgan (Lt Webb) arrives on the scene with his cane to sort things out.The best part of the film comes near the beginning as Jeffrey Lynn politely asks his boss Gaines for a pay rise and is promptly told that he is sacked. Wow. That was pretty harsh. But pretty funny. The story moves along at a good pace but it does, unfortunately, involve an annoying child in the form of Michael Chapin (Roddy), who demonstrates everything that is annoying about children - his language "Gee this" and "Gee that" and "Dad, you're a card" - aaaargh, shut up you brat. Martha Scott (Mrs Wilson) also has a peculiar character. She starts off as a homely mother who suddenly undergoes a character change to become a busy-body who wants to poke her nose and interfere in the lives of others that she doesn't know. It doesn't ring true and she definitely does not merit top billing in the film.Overall, there is enough of a story to keep you watching and it's quite enjoyable trying to work out who-dunnit.
David (Handlinghandel)
Picture Ward Cleaver or the Robert Young character in "Father Knows best" in deep trouble. That's what we're shown here, with always handsome Jeffrey Lynn as the suburban dad.The title bargain is his boss's asking him to help him make a suicide look like murder so that he (the boss) can leave insurance money for his family.Hey! This doesn't figure in the softball and charity meetings of this town! Nor does Lynn's having, before this, been laid off by the boss.Katherine Emory is excellent as the not so very grieving widow. Harry Morgan is just fine as a police detective who walks leaning on a cane. And Martha Scott is superb as Mrs. Jeffrey Lynn: She's most famous for her touching portrayal of Emily in "Our Town." but she had fa greater depth, as shown most notably in her magnificent performance in "So Well Remembered" a couple years before this little charmer came out.Ah, for the days when local television showed low budget movies like this to fill up time. Now we have to wait fore them to appear out of nowhere on Turnwer Classics or be programmed at places like the Film Forum here in New Yiork. After all: What self-respecting person what want to waste a plasma TV on a black and white movie?!
jbrickwood
For any Murder She Wrote fans, this movie may be familiar. It was the main feature for an episode entitled 'The Days Dwindle Down', aired in April of 1987. Jeffrey Lynn, Harry Morgan and Martha Scott resurrected their roles for the episode. I have yet to see the movie, however after seeing this episode, I am now intrigued to see what the movie was actually like.
AD
