Fingerprints Don't Lie

The sad thing about Fingerprints Don't Lie is that it has a very good plot premise. Over the past several years we've seen an explosion of stories dealing with forensic evidence. The idea of planting fingerprints at the scene of a crime to frame someone is good. But the general shoddiness of production of this Lippert Picture makes it no better than the worst episode of CSI.

Richard Travis plays a crime scene investigator specializing in fingerprints though during the course of this short film shows he has an eye for other types of forensics. The prospective son-in-law of the current mayor of this small city Richard Emory is arrested for the murder of the mayor, his fiancé Sheila Ryan believes he's innocent and her earnestness persuades Travis to reexamine the evidence.

Sure enough Travis convinces himself he was wrong and the rest of the film is his reappraisal of the evidence and the bringing to justice of the real guilty parties.

Lippert Pictures perennial Sid Melton is in this and his comedy relief as an idiot news photographer is both grafted in and quite unfunny in this one. That seems to be a running criticism in the Lippert Pictures I've seen Melton in. But in this case it really is true.

I think had this story been done at a major studio you might have seen a decent film.

When the mayor is bumped off, the local police force conclude that it must have been "Moody" (Richard Emory) because all the fingerprint evidence points to him. He, of course, protests his innocence and luckily local journalist "Evans" (Rory Mallinson) takes up the cudgels creating just enough doubt in the forensic expert's mind to have him think twice. "Stover" (Richard Travis) has every faith in his science but gradually, working with "Carolyn" (Sheila Ryan) - the daughter of the murdered man - he is faced with the prospect that there has been some manipulation going on. Back to square one? Who is the real culprit? This is a perfectly watchable crime drama that tries to develop the role of new technology in policing, and one that also points out that the infallible is rarely that. It can't have had much of a budget, so neither the acting nor the writing is particularly noteworthy, and I found the ending to be just a little too convenient, but it passes an hour effortlessly enough.

A No-Talent, No-Budget, although Early, an Embarrassing Entry into a New Sub-Genre Called "Police Procedural" that Intentionally Killed "Film-Noir", Cinema's "Bad-Boy" Genre.

Begin Digression...

In 1951 Following the Fantastic Film-Noir Frenzy, "Big-Brother" Decided that the "Underbelly" Gutter Tendencies of the "Organic Birth" of the Dark, Brooding, Gritty, Neo-Realism of the "Dark-Side" of the Species Had-to-Go,

The Showcasing of "Man's" Undignified, Corruption and Crime was a "Downer" Not in "Lock-Step" with the Emerging Exploitation of the Eisenhower Leadership Emphasizing the Victorious End to Fascism (Germany & Italy) and Anti-Democratic (Japan & Others) Forces Out to Destroy America and its Allies.

It was a Time to Celebrate with Opulence, Suburban Expansion with Back-Yard-Barbs, Cars in Every Garage, and a "Chicken In Every Pot".

Film-Noir Reeked of Sin, Cynicism, Crime, Corruption, and a Powerful Force of Evil Invading the Very Essence of the "American Dream". Ultra-Consevratism as Policy was On-the-Move and the "Arts" (Movies) were Viewed as a "Bad Influence" on Family Values and God-Fearing-Americans.

So, Every Thing that Could be Done was Being Done to Rid the Culture Corrupting Cinema of its "Left-Wing" Attitudes and an Adjustment was Needed and Now.

The Result was to Halt the Popularity of Film-Noir and Replace it with More Friendly Film Choices that were Inspirational for the True-American-Citizens that were the Antithesis of the Film-Noir Forte.

Almost Over-Night the True Backbone of "Noir" was Replaced by what soon would be Called the "Police Procedurals" with Heroes Spun Out of the Government, FBI (j. Edgar Hoover now there is a real Leader-Hero to admire), Local and State Police Enforcement, and Others Deemed and Designated as Influences for Decent Democratic Ideals......

End of Digression

"Finger Prints Don't Lie" was in on the "New Wave" of the New Genre and its Low-Low-Budget and its 57min Run-Time Cued "Fingerprint Analysis" as its Selling-Point Core.

In that Regard, this was a Matter of "Just the facts Sir" Look-See at the Data Shown, while Extremely Dated Now, was Probably Engaging and New for the Early-50's Movie-Goers.

However, this is a "Poverty-Row" Picture from "Lippert"...the Cast included Old Hangers-On Like Lyle Talbot...Fresh Faces Like Tom Neal, who would soon do 6 Years for "Involuntary Manslaughter"...Another Familiar Face in No-Budget Quickies whose Job would Always be the "Comedy Relief") it was not "Comedy" and the Only Relief was when He Exited the Stage.

The Movie is of the "Ed Wood" Style of Movie-Making with Not an Ounce of Eddies Unintentional Charm and Movie-Making-Chops,

If you removed the inane attempts at comedy by Sid Melton and the organ playing by someone who might have last played at Yankee Stadium, it was mildly entertaining if not totally predictable.

Others have mentioned the obvious low-budget but I've seen far better with lower production values. I don't regret watching it but I'll keep an eye out for other movies with this cast and keep a wide berth.

The best part was the educational value of police forensics in the 1950's. The audience of the day would have been happy to know about how advanced fingerprint and hair identification techniques were at that time. However, police protocols were not as adhered to such as the need for search warrants, inadmissable evidence and Miranda warnings.

Watch this if you have an hour to kill.

Easily the worst movie ever made - - - I think it beats "Plan 9 from Outer Space". Maybe it is Plan 10. Seems to have been made on a budget of $ 17.25. If I remember correctly, a scene at a railroad station was orchestrated by a background projection of the side of a railroad car with puffs of smoke coming from left and right! Uggh.