Ajouter une intrigue dans votre langueA drifter is bailed out of jail by a lawyer, who hires him to impersonate a millionaire until the man can be declared legally dead and the estate settled. However, the man soon finds out tha... Tout lireA drifter is bailed out of jail by a lawyer, who hires him to impersonate a millionaire until the man can be declared legally dead and the estate settled. However, the man soon finds out that things are not exactly how they seem.A drifter is bailed out of jail by a lawyer, who hires him to impersonate a millionaire until the man can be declared legally dead and the estate settled. However, the man soon finds out that things are not exactly how they seem.
- Réalisation
- Scénaristes
- Vedettes
Edgar Dearing
- Cop
- (uncredited)
Michael Mark
- Vagrant
- (uncredited)
Forbes Murray
- Bailiff
- (uncredited)
Edward Van Sloan
- Judge
- (uncredited)
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Avis en vedette
A resentful brother, a seductive sister-in-law, a reluctant wife and a sinister lawyer...but the best character in this noir is Angel the dog!
This noir begins with a man trapped in a cistern berating himself. We learn that he is David Cummins (Kent Smith), a self proclaimed drifter, who was picked up by the police and subsequently bailed out of jail by a lawyer who he didn't know. The lawyer explains that he wants to hire him to impersonate his wealthy client for an inheritance case. It would be for just a short period of time and he would make $5,000, but he can't ask any questions.
David must fool the man's brother, sister-in-law, and wife...oh! And his dog, Angel. Angel is a beautiful dog too, who is only kept at bay by the smell of her owner's clothing and the non-threatening nature of David.
It's clear from the minute he sets foot on the property that things aren't as they seem...this is both a missing person and a murder mystery, but the biggest question is can David get out alive?
I enjoyed this mysterious noir. I appreciated that they answered all the questions in the end. This is a recommendation to noir fans. It may not be in the top tier but it was a great house and a good watch.
David must fool the man's brother, sister-in-law, and wife...oh! And his dog, Angel. Angel is a beautiful dog too, who is only kept at bay by the smell of her owner's clothing and the non-threatening nature of David.
It's clear from the minute he sets foot on the property that things aren't as they seem...this is both a missing person and a murder mystery, but the biggest question is can David get out alive?
I enjoyed this mysterious noir. I appreciated that they answered all the questions in the end. This is a recommendation to noir fans. It may not be in the top tier but it was a great house and a good watch.
Well, well, well....
Get out of that of you can. Kent Taylor (David) is at the bottom of a covered well at the film's beginning. We go to flashback to tell the story of how this has come to pass. The story develops gradually so that you are not given all the information as to what is really going on. We learn what is happening as our lead man Taylor discovers things. Lawyer Robert Douglas (Cagle) holds the strings as to what is really happening and reveals things when necessary. It is his plan to have Taylor turn up at an Estate and pretend to be the long-lost owner so that the Estate's money does not get passed on to any undesirable characters who currently live on the premises.
It's an entertaining film with a good cast and scenery that gives you a spooky vibe. It's well filmed and keeps you guessing at the mysterious relationships and who is colluding with who. It's a small cast with a special mention to Janis Paige (Nadine) as my favourite character who plays the not-so-dumb relative of Taylor.
One reviewer has focused on the cliff aspects of the film and makes a good contribution. A good cliffy location for this film to play out. An enjoyable film with a good technique for getting out of a well should you ever fall into one.
It's an entertaining film with a good cast and scenery that gives you a spooky vibe. It's well filmed and keeps you guessing at the mysterious relationships and who is colluding with who. It's a small cast with a special mention to Janis Paige (Nadine) as my favourite character who plays the not-so-dumb relative of Taylor.
One reviewer has focused on the cliff aspects of the film and makes a good contribution. A good cliffy location for this film to play out. An enjoyable film with a good technique for getting out of a well should you ever fall into one.
Really, really tough to believe...but enjoyable.
"This Side of the Law" is a noirish film with mostly unknown or second-tier actors...but it is quite enjoyable and worth your time. It's just that the plot is REALLY tough to believe...and you must suspend disbelief to get through it.
Kent Smith plays a drifter who is up on vagrancy charges. However, a lawyer plays his fine and offers him a proposition...pretend to be someone else for a few days and earn $5000! The difficult to believe things are that the drifter could look like the long-lost Malcolm AND that he'd ever agree to such a preposterous plan. Plus, it seems pretty clear who the villain is in all this. But, it IS interesting and is well acted. Smith, in particular, was a very good actor and despite being a minor leading man, he's very good here.
Overall, it's a neat film with noir elements (such as the narration, some of the camera work and the bleak nature of the story) and one that is very good but mostly unknown. Well worth seeing...and I found a copy of this on HBO Max.
By the way, Warner Brothers evidently had little confidence in the film, as after they completed it, it sat on a shelf for about 18 months...a sure sign they thought they'd wasted their money on this one.
Kent Smith plays a drifter who is up on vagrancy charges. However, a lawyer plays his fine and offers him a proposition...pretend to be someone else for a few days and earn $5000! The difficult to believe things are that the drifter could look like the long-lost Malcolm AND that he'd ever agree to such a preposterous plan. Plus, it seems pretty clear who the villain is in all this. But, it IS interesting and is well acted. Smith, in particular, was a very good actor and despite being a minor leading man, he's very good here.
Overall, it's a neat film with noir elements (such as the narration, some of the camera work and the bleak nature of the story) and one that is very good but mostly unknown. Well worth seeing...and I found a copy of this on HBO Max.
By the way, Warner Brothers evidently had little confidence in the film, as after they completed it, it sat on a shelf for about 18 months...a sure sign they thought they'd wasted their money on this one.
Fun Thriller
This Side Of the Law is a rather fun thriller from the early fifties and concerns a man hired to impersonate someone else, a greedy family and other unwholesome things. The cast is decidedly of the second-string variety; however that doesn't make it bad. Kent Smith and Viveca Lindfors were both talented performers and play their starring roles well. It's particularly nice to see Smith in a leading role for a change, as he was a decent actor who never quite made the cut in Hollywood. Character actor John Alvin does nicely in a showy supporting part. I wouldn't quite call the movie film noir, though it's close. It plays somewhat like an episode of the Perry Mason TV series, as it's full of similar plot twists and surprises. If one likes dark mysteries this is a good one to look for.
Solid Little Noir
A vagrant is bribed into impersonating a millionaire as part of an inheritance scheme. The trouble is he gets more than he bargained for.
I'm not sure why this little noir-- and it is a noir (hand of fate, a web of intrigue, a spider woman, & dark atmosphere)-- remains so obscure. This Warner Bros. entry may not be top-flight, but it is respectable. That opening scene with the pin-light on Cummins' (Smith) ravaged face is a grabber. Several other moody scenes emerge along the way, plus a neat plot twist, that makes this thriller an entertaining 70-minutes.
I'm guessing one reason for the film's obscurity is the cast, especially the lead, Kent Smith. He performs well enough. The trouble is he lacks screen presence, almost fading into the background at times. On the other hand, Lindfors and Paige split the women's time, such that neither is able to establish much presence of her own. John Alvin, however, comes across vividly in the thankless role of the weakling brother. Also, I'm surprised director Bare manages the dark material as well as he does, given that his previous career was exclusively with comedy shorts. (Note, for example, how Cummins has to work at getting a name off the ID bracelet—a good realistic touch.)
Nothing memorable here, just a solid little noir.
I'm not sure why this little noir-- and it is a noir (hand of fate, a web of intrigue, a spider woman, & dark atmosphere)-- remains so obscure. This Warner Bros. entry may not be top-flight, but it is respectable. That opening scene with the pin-light on Cummins' (Smith) ravaged face is a grabber. Several other moody scenes emerge along the way, plus a neat plot twist, that makes this thriller an entertaining 70-minutes.
I'm guessing one reason for the film's obscurity is the cast, especially the lead, Kent Smith. He performs well enough. The trouble is he lacks screen presence, almost fading into the background at times. On the other hand, Lindfors and Paige split the women's time, such that neither is able to establish much presence of her own. John Alvin, however, comes across vividly in the thankless role of the weakling brother. Also, I'm surprised director Bare manages the dark material as well as he does, given that his previous career was exclusively with comedy shorts. (Note, for example, how Cummins has to work at getting a name off the ID bracelet—a good realistic touch.)
Nothing memorable here, just a solid little noir.
Le saviez-vous
- AnecdotesProduced in October and November of 1948, but not released until June of 1950.
- GaffesPatience is a virtue - unless you killed a guy for his $3 million dollar fortune (worth $40 million in 2025) and are just waiting out the 7 years till the "missing man" can be declared legally dead. And then what...? Kill some more folks? As crooked lawyer Philip Cagle was going to have to, as no way *he* was the beneficiary of Malcolm's will, nor was anyone just going to endorse the inheritance check over to him with a "Thanks for thinking about Malcolm all these years! You're a pal. You can have it all!" Exactly what was his plan? In one more week the widow Evelyn would have gotten the money (as the seven years waiting period would have been up). She was not about to just hand the whole wad over. The spineless shrew of a brother (Calder) and his malicious wife (Nadine) were only going to get whatever crumbs either Malcolm or shystering Cagle would have left for them in Malcolm's will. What did Cagle need Nadine (who was having an affair with Malcolm, and never knew Cagle had murdered him) for? Why would he be splitting the take with her? And Cagle was going to have to kill off hired impostor Cummins (as if he was really a bad apple afterall he'd immediately blackmail Cagle to death, and if he was a good one he'd turn him in to the cops). So Cagle would have had to have killed Malcolm to get the ball rolling (and clock ticking), killed Evelyn to make sure she didn't get the money, killed Calder (so he didn't inherit it once both Malcolm and Evelyn were dead), then killed Calder's wife Nadine (since she'd've been next in line). That only would have left the dog standing. Maybe the whole thing seemed like a good idea when Cagle first dreamt it up, but realistically, it's just not very practical.
- Citations
Philip Cagle: [encountering Cummins as he has just been released from jail for vagrancy] Better out here, isn't it?
David Cummins: You paid my fine.
Philip Cagle: You're abrupt, Mr. Cummins, but true.
David Cummins: Is there any reason I should thank you?
Philip Cagle: I talk better over a cup of coffee, how 'bout you?
David Cummins: That depends on what I have to talk about.
Philip Cagle: I paid fifty dollars to get you out here, the least you can do is let me tell you why I did it.
Philip Cagle: Fifty dollars for me? Inflation's here to stay.
[gets into the car]
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Détails
- Date de sortie
- Pays d’origine
- Sites officiels
- Langue
- Aussi connu sous le nom de
- El que no volvió
- Lieux de tournage
- société de production
- Consultez plus de crédits d'entreprise sur IMDbPro
- Durée
- 1h 14m(74 min)
- Couleur
- Rapport de forme
- 1.37 : 1
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