A Life at Stake

This one is a bit weird... first of all, who in the heck would build a cabin in the mountains with a back door that opens on the edge of a cliff? This door literally opens up and if you step off you are gone. Unrealistic and too convenient to me. That is my main problem with the film.

The other problem is the film starts out slow - the first 20 minutes seems like 2 hours but it does pick up after that and does get somewhat interesting.

Another problem I had is the 21 year old helping the poor guy figure out what to do - not to run away with the $1000 bill. That is a pretty lame way for this guy's problems to be solved.

It's not a horrible film mind you, it's just not all that good either. I did watch this one until the end so it's kinda interesting.

5/10

Honest, I tried very hard to like this one. It came in a Film Noir DVD collection with several pictures I had never seen, or even heard of - this was one of those.

The plot was fair-to-middling and Angela Lansbury was, in current phraseology, a hottie. I didn't know Keith Andes could act as well as he did in this one - I had seen him when I was younger in the '50's in some action pictures and he didn't make an impression. Pacing was not good and I found myself checking my watch several times - it was made on the cheap and it shows in several areas.

Long story short, if you are confined to quarters or laid up in traction, this picture will kill 75 minutes for you. If you're looking for a real recommendation to see it, 'fraid not.

First throw in a character who is rather dull and afraid. Make him an architect who can produce nice little fifties houses that will sell. Hook him up with a millionaire who wants a 175,000 dollar life insurance policy on the guy's head in case he can't fulfill his commitment. Throw in a bored wife; or is she? Throw in police who have no respect for a dignified man who is concerned he is going to be killed. Remember, it happened before and insurance money was involved. Oh, yes, then there's the insurance company, which should be watching things like the respective hawks they are, since they got soaked the first time. Also, have everyone act stupidly, not able to figure things out. This is one contrived thriller. I'm not sure where Lansbury is in the picture. The guy should have dumped her early on. She is vapid and tiresome. She's reasonably attractive, but has more baggage than Northwest Airlines. Oh, well, it isn't Shakespeare and it does keep us guessing, sort of.

Interestingly thought out thriller here, with Angela Lansbury (one of my favorite 60's actresses) playing a seductress who may or may not be setting up her business partner to die just so she can collect on some life insurance they have put up for a business deal (don't ask, I'm not 100% sure of the logistics of it). Keith Andes, an actor who I've never heard of before, plays her would-be-victim. She of course plays up her sex to him, and Andes can't resist. Oh, and did I say Lansbury was married? Soon (well, actually, quite quickly) Andes wises up and tries to foil the plan, but Lansbury and husband have plan B's in place..

This was quite a tricky little thriller. It almost looks and seems like it once was a play at one time, what with it's dormitory sets, but the acting sure signs through. Lansbury is fabulous as usual, and I have no idea what became of Keith Andes, because he certainly had the looks and the acting chops to go a long way.

The main-character finds himself in a Hitchcockian situation when he suspects his female boss ( Angela Lansbury ) from wanting to kill him over insurance money. I didn't quite grasp how that works, it seems a bit far-fetched to me...Is he being paranoid? Or is there really a sinister plot to kill him over the dough? And what about the beautiful younger sister and her amazing story? The movie is as mediocre as a thriller can get, filled with illogical twists and weird choices from its characters. Angela Lansbury just doesn't convince as the seductress, but maybe that has to do with her current status as mystery solving-granny Jessica Fletcher. The main-character Keith Andes is decent enough. He's like any fifties ''hero''; a touch cynical, overly masculine and well-behaved.