The term 'cut to the chase' is redundant in this fast paced crime thriller. Within seven minutes Robert Lowery has been railroaded into driving the getaway car from a bank robbery, having been suckered into believing that gang member Lola Lane wanted to buy the vehicle. A few shootings and some erratic motoring later, Lowery finds himself unconscious behind the wheel of the crashed automobile, gun in hand. The gang?....Nowhere to be seen.
Grim, granite faced, gruff voiced D. A., Paul Harvey has little time for Lowery,s plea of innocence and when witness Byron Barr (himself under suspicion) dies in hospital, Lowery's determination to resolve the matter alone reveals a ruthless streak. It's one thing to overturn a bed to foil pursuers, but one occupied by a man who passed away moments earlier? Can't a man die with SOME dignity? Seconds later, his boundless desperation results in an uncooperative nurse having a close encounter of the fist kind, before Lowery escapes.
Befriending Barr's sister (Barbara Britton), they have a common goal in tracking down the gang. Along the way, Will Wright adds to his encyclopedia of bit parts, as a blacksmith, whose lame brained attempt at apprehending Lowery, results in a headache he aint never gonna forget.
Ultimately, the movie flattens out, but remains engaging and lives up to its noir billing, with some scenes shot in such impenetrable darkness, it's almost impossible to discern what's taking place.
Crude and unpolished, to the point where even 1940's audiences must have found it a bit clunky, 'Killer' is hardly a hidden gem, but there is nonetheless something curiously appealing struggling to shine through the murk of this low budget quickie. It possesses an intangible period charm which entices you into returning for a further helping. File under 'Intriguing Obscurity.'
Lola Lane's final film appearance.
