The Crooked Web

Frank Lovejoy runs a roadside cafe. He's in love with carhop Mari Blanchard, and wants to get married. She wants security. When her brother, Richard Denning, shows up, he's got a big deal in Chicago, which Mari drunkenly spills to Frank is about $200,000 in stolen and buried gold in Germany. Deming is willing to cut Frank in for operating expenses.... yet when Frank goes home, Denning and Miss Blanchard meet up and canoodle. When they meet Denning's partner in Chicago, he doesn't want any more partners, and says he'll do it all on his own, so Denning shoots him.

It's clearly a confidence scam at this point. The question is, what has Lovejoy got that they are willing to spend such time and effort to get him to Germany? The movie veers fast and furiously as it bumps along, with a great script. Nathan Juran's directon is adequate, but the performers are up to their roles for a movie that is a lot of fun for fans of con-game movies like me.

This is just a bit too convoluted for it's own good. It's all about a scheme to retrieve some gold from Germany buried at the end of WWII by Richard Denning ("Frank"). Frank Lovejoy ("Stan") and his gal Mari Blanchard ("Joanie") are the pair trying to manoeuvre their mark into taking them back to find the loot, but they also they have an ulterior motive of which poor old "Frank" is unaware. It's got a few twists and turns to keep the plot moving, but much of the story seems to exist in order to perpetuate itself, rather than offer us anything to get our teeth into and after a while it becomes a bit dull. The performances are weak, the dialogue really wordy and I found the music got on my nerves a bit, too. Director Nathan Juran usually had a good eye for a story and phototography at his best; this isn't it.

Richard Denning, Frank Lovejoy, and Mari Blanchard are the Center-Piece of this Sprawling Story of a WWII Murder Suspect Pursued Years Later.

This Mid-50's B&W B-Movie is Film-Noir Influenced in Tone with some Sharp Twists and a Striking Look at L. A. and other Far-Off Locations.

The Tension is Taught with Deception, Double-Cross, and Misdirection.

It's a Complicated Scenario to Fit into such a Short Low-Budget Effort.

But the Good Production Team Make it Work Somewhat.

A Suspension of Disbelief is Required to Take it All In with Ease,

but Watching the Good Trio of Interesting Working-Class Actors make it Fun to Observe.

Mari Blanchard has a Difficult Role Balancing Between Denning and Lovejoy.

Pretending Permeates the Picture as She is One Thing while Being Another During the Length of the Film.

Drawing a Murder-Suspect into the Light with a Plot Point that is as Interestingly Far-Fetched as it gets.

The Story Sucks You In,

as the Uneasy Trio of Would-Be Criminals make Their Way Through the Machinations of a Pulp Story of Hidden Treasure and Undercover Intrigue.

A Slightly Above Average Little Movie with a Good Cast and an Over-the-Top Story is...

Worth a Watch.

As far as I know, that's the second film noir that director Nathan Juran offered us, besides HIGHWAY DRAGNET. He who was mostly a western and science fiction maker, working for Universal and Columbia studios as well. I like here more the atmosphere and photography than the story. This is a pure good B thriller typical of the fifties. Very agreeable to watch, and also a rare film, at least not the most known of the director. Yes, the story is not that exciting for a crime film noir, but it remains bearable. I have seen it several times already but always forget about it. I understand why after the watching.

This noir film is unusual in that its biggest surprises occur in the first half of the movie. The user reviews that consist mostly of recounting the plot thus spoil the effect of seeing it for the first time. If you think you'd like to watch it, I recommend avoiding them.

It's usually best to save surprises for the end of a story, but given the film's plot it would have been difficult.

Without giving away too much, Frank Lovejoy plays an LA drive-in restaurant owner and compulsive gambler who gets inveigled into a plot to recover Nazi loot hidden during WW II.

The second half of the film is straight adventure and suspense, much of the latter coming from trying to guess who is or isn't in on what seems to be a rather large conspiracy for a relatively small goal.

Co-stars Mari Blanchard and Richard Denning are enjoyable in juicier parts than Lovejoy's. An enjoyable watch even if a tad implausible in spots.