I have always liked the acting of Chester Morris. While he was never a huge name in Hollywood and usually made B-movies, he managed to make these films a bit better than they should have been considering their often ridiculous plots. A good example are his Boston Blackie films--all formulaic but also strangely enjoyable. Another example is "I Live on Danger"--a film with a plot that is often hard to believe but which works nevertheless.
Jeff Morrell (Morris) is a crusading radio reporter. He'll do just about anything for a story--even pick at the bones of survivors from a shipwreck. However, through the course of this film, he proves to be a decent guy down deep--though he has trouble proving it until late in the film.
It seems that among the folks who were rescued from the shipwreck was a young lady (Jean Parker) who Morrell immediately realizes is the sister of a man wanted for murder. So, he takes her home and treats her kindly--all just so he can get a story. However, over time, he is really smitten by her and is torn between getting the big story and his love for her. When she learns why he brought her home and nursed her back to health, she's naturally furious and their budding love is dead. Later, when her brother is captured, Morrell sees a possibility that the guy was framed. Can he prove this and get the girl back or is the seemingly innocent man destined for execution? There are many coincidences and watching a reporter solve a HUGE criminal conspiracy is a bit far-fetched. But it also is pretty exciting and Morris once again does a very professional job. Worth seeing and far better than you might expect from a B.
By the way, the plot to this film seemed very, very familiar and I'd swear I'd seen it before but IMDb does not indicate that "I Live on Danger" is a remake. If you can help me with this, I'd appreciate it.
