KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL

John Payne

KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952). Director: Phil Karlson. 

Joe Rolfe (John Payne) is trying to rebuild his life after a brief stir in prison, but he has no idea that a certain individual has gathered together three desperate criminals to help him pull off a bank job. Rolfe, who drives a flower delivery truck, becomes the patsy in this scheme and winds up being questioned by police. Then the action switches to Mexico, where Rolfe tries to infiltrate the gang, which consists of Boyd Kane (Neville Brand), Peter Harris (Jack Elam), and Tony Romano (Lee Van Cleef of The Big Combo). Rolfe romances Helen (Coleen Gray of Kiss of Death), daughter of retired cop Tom Foster (Preston Foster of I, the Jury), while trying to uncover the identity of the mysterious leader and clear his name.

Lee Van Cleef with Payne

Kansas City Confidential is an excellent piece of film noir, with Payne in top form, and everyone else giving top-notch performances. Lee Van Cleef certainly makes his mark in this as the sinister Tony Romano, and it's easy to see why his formidable screen presence eventually had him hitting it big overseas; this is one of his best performances in an American flick. Jack Elam is effective in a different way, less menacing and more on a perpetual verge of panicking. Coleen Gray makes a feisty and credible leading lady, and Dona Drake of Beyond the Forest saunters sexily and brazenly through her scenes as resort employee Teresa. The film is well photographed by George E. Diskant, and Paul Sawtell, never quite considered in the league of the great film composers, contributes an evocative and exciting score.

Payne with Coleen Gray

Of course Kansas City Confidential mustn't be examined too closely. The leader of the gang wears a mask to hide his identity, but when he shows up later in the movie it's hard to believe that his associates wouldn't recognize his voice and physical shape, nor that they wouldn't recognize each other. I watched this on Amazon Prime where they were offering a colorized version, but the next day when I went to finish it, the color version had disappeared and I watched the rest in black and white. Strange. Vivi Janiss, who played one of the members of the "Ladies Fang and Claw Society" on I Love Lucy, has a small role as a resort guest. John Payne was involved romantically with Coleen Gray in-between his last two marriages.

Verdict: Suspenseful, with an intriguing plot and some impressive acting. ***. 

EDGE OF ETERNITY

Victoria Shaw and Cornel Wilde

EDGE OF ETERNITY      (1959). Director: Don Siegel. 

Near the Grand Canyon, Deputy Les Martin (Cornel Wilde of The Naked Prey) pursues a pretty if reckless driver, Janice (Victoria Shaw), distracting him from preventing the horrible murder of an unknown man marked for death. As Les and Janice begin a romance, there are other murders as well, and the County Attorney expects action. Sheriff Edwards (Edgar Buchanan of Lust for Gold) may be forced to ask Les to turn in his badge if he doesn't come up with something. Then Janice innocently gives Les a clue to the first dead man's identity, meaning that her family might even be involved ... 

Dashing Wilde

Edge of Eternity has Wilde adeptly playing a less dynamic, more laid-back kind of individual who nevertheless will eventually get his man -- and woman. His co-star, Victoria Shaw [The Eddy Duchin Story], is also quite adept and thoroughly winning. Also notable is Rian Garrick, who plays Janice's half-drunken brother, Bob; this handsome actor had only a few credits. Mickey Shaughnessy, Dabbs Greer, Jack Elam, and Edgar Buchanan, among others, are old reliables who give solid performances. 

Edge of Eternity also benefits from a score by (Mr.) Daniele Amfitheatrof and Burnett Guffey's CinemaScope photography of those sweeping grand canyon vistas. When a cable car that travels high over the canyon is first introduced, you know that it will figure in the thrilling climax, which it does, although the deputy's actions are a bit too foolhardy to be believed -- still it makes for a rousing sequence. The stunt work at the end -- the long shots reveal no nets and no FX work -- is not only amazing but almost horrifying! This is probably the only movie ever made in which the producers offer thanks to the U. S. Guano Corporation! Australian-born Victoria Shaw was married for a few years to Roger Smith before his marriage to Ann-Margret; Shaw and Smith had three children. 

Verdict: This movie is no guano! ***.

TARZAN'S HIDDEN JUNGLE

Cute but tough: Gordon Scott

TARZAN'S HIDDEN JUNGLE (1955). Director: Harold Schuster.

Dr. Celliers (Peter van Eyck of The Wages of Fear) is bringing medicine to members of a certain lost tribe across the river who "fanatically worship animals" and who kill anyone who harms one. Burger (Jack Elam of Lure of the Swamp), DeGroot (Charles Fredericks) and Reeves (Richard Reeves) are hunters masquerading as movie photographers. The doctor's nurse, Jill (Vera Miles), importunes him to allow the "photographers" to travel with them so as to spread the message of his work, but she is unaware that Tarzan (Gordon Scott) already knows that these men have injured a baby elephant in an attempt to kill the pachyderm. Jill gets caught in quicksand, with a boa constrictor sliding down a tree towards her for added measure, and she and the doctor are nearly fed to a pride of lions when the natives blame the couple for the hunters' intrusion. There's the usual elephant stampede with the bad guys' heads falling conveniently under some mighty big feet at the climax. As Tarzan, Scott is strong, mostly silent, and cute; and a pre-Psycho Miles is fine as Jill, with adept supporting performances from the others, but the script is so weak that it reminds one of a lesser Bomba or Jungle Jim programmer instead of a true Tarzan movie. "Cheta" -- yet another spelling of the chimp's name -- is played by a talented fellow named Zippy, and seems to have an even more adorable girlfriend with whom he smooches at the end. Speaking of romance, Tarzan seems to give Jill some lingering looks throughout the movie which may be why Scott and Miles got married soon after. This was Scott's first appearance as Tarzan.

Verdict: Essentially unmemorable Tarzan movie but it led into a four year marriage for Gordon Scott and Vera Miles. **.

LURE OF THE SWAMP

Joan Vohs and Marshall Thompson

LURE OF THE SWAMP (1957). Director: Hubert Cornfield.

Simon Lewt (Marshall Thompson), who takes people out for boat rides in the swamp, is suddenly meeting all sorts of strangers. There's Lister (Willard Parker), who takes a suitcase into the swamp with him and later turns up dead; Steggins (Leo Gordon), who is looking for Lister; Henry Bliss (Jack Elam), a creepy type who wants Simon to help him find loot from a robbery; and Cora (Joan Vohs), who claims to be a photographer doing a story on the swamp. Then we've got Simon's nutty gal pal, Evie (Joan Lora), who is fond of taking shots at him when she's upset -- no wonder he wants to get out of the swamp! Lure of the Swamp is an odd low-budget affair (in Regalscope) that seems to exist in another universe. The performances are professional, with a vivid and interesting Jack Elam [The Girl in Lover's Lane] and Willard Parker [What a Woman] taking top honors. Former model Vohs mostly did television work; ditto for Lora. As usual, Thompson [Fiend without a Face] is an appealing performer.

Verdict: Ersatz film noir set in a swamp. **1/2.

THE GIRL IN LOVERS LANE

THE GIRL IN LOVERS LANE (1960). Director: Charles R. Rondeau.

Bix Dugan (Brett Halsey of Return of the Fly), riding the rails from town to town, encounters a young runaway named Danny (Lowell Brown) who has just been mugged by a gang. The two disembark in a small town where they run into waitress Carrie (Joyce Meadows of The Brain from Planet Arous), her friend Peggie (Selette Cole), and the truly creepy Jesse (Jack Elam), who has a crush on Carrie, a situation that develops into tragedy. There's an interesting scene in a whorehouse, and Bix and Carrie become quite attracted to one another. This has very underwritten characters and a mediocre script, and the acting is merely serviceable, although an uncredited actress makes a slight impression as the hooker, Sadie. Del Monroe, "Kowalski" on the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV show, plays one of the muggers.

Verdict: Skip this and go to Lover's Lane instead. *1/2.