Sleepers West

Lloyd Nolan is back as Mike Shayne, Private Detective. This time he's escorting Mary Beth Hughes from Colorado to San Francisco. She's a moderately hard-boiled showgirl, and her testimony will make all the difference in a trial. There's a wide variety of characters aboard the train, like reporter Lynn Bari, who's sometimes Nolan's fiancee, now engaged to high-powered attorney Donald Douglas, whose boss is running for governor. There's also Edward Brophy, who's supposed to be a detective, Don Costello, who looks rather suspicious, and Louis Jean Heydt, who claims to be running away from a dull life. But not everyone is who they claim. Some of them are looking for Miss Hughes, hoping to stop her from testifying.

Seems familiar? Yes, it's a remake of 1934's Sleepers East -- sounds like they didn't think too hard about the title. It's based on a story by Frederick Nebel, and the basic situation has been used many times with many variations. This one is pretty good, with Brett Halliday's character slipping right into the proceedings, thanks to Nolan's typically solid performance. There are also a large number of supporting actors that 20th Century-Fox's B division could summon forth, like Oscar O'Shea, Harry Hayden, Ferike Boros, and Mantan Moreland. Just right for a snappy second feature!