Inside Job

Eddie Norton has a job in a department store as a living mechanical man, attracting customers in the store window. His wife Claire (Ann Rutherford) is a store model. Eddie has a record, unknown to his employer. One day his old partner in crime, Bart Madden (Preston Foster) recognizes Eddie and tells him if he doesn't help him rob the store he'll tell his employer about his prison record and that he'll probably be fired. Eddie has been fired once before because of his record, so he's sure this will happen.

Eddie goes home and tells his wife both about his criminal past and the threat from his old associate. And then he says that he intends to rob the store himself - along with his wife's help - and keep the money for himself. That way both his employer and his old criminal partner will no longer be a problem.

After the heist, the two hide out in their apartment waiting for the heat to blow over as they are identified as the thieves immediately. This is where the film bogs down. The whiny annoying little boy across the hall befriends the couple, and the boy's father turns out to be a policeman! Suddenly this is a human interest film set at Christmas complete with the policeman's housekeeper telling Christmas stories to the little boy. Complications ensue, but they lead to a grim and unforgiving ending.

This film is a B film for sure, but it is incomprehensible at points as well as losing its way. For one, why did the store cashier, when he is trying to flirt with Claire, give her the one picture in his wallet with all of the store safe combinations on the back? Why didn't he say something to the police when he realized what happened? Did he realize what he'd done or was he that forgetful and incompetent?

The film elements are not good at all in this one. It is so very dark at points where it might as well be called "imagination theater" because it's impossible to see anything on the screen. You have to use your imagination. With Milburn Stone (Doc Adams on Gunsmoke) in a rare feature role as the DA.