Night Waitress

A not bad little programmer directed with flair by Lew Landers about a night waitress, Helen Roberts (Margot Grahame), on probation who is trying to get her life together working in a waterfront dive run by none other than Billy Gilbert, who is virtually wasted in a routine bit part. Seems Helen's new boyfriend, Martin Rhodes (Gordon Jones of "The Green Hornet" fame), is somehow mixed up with gangsters who are after a hidden cargo he has. The result is murder and hot pursuit by both mobsters and police of Helen and Martin. The approximately hour-long second feature moves at a fast pace, filled with excitement and adventure.

Keep your eyes open for Anthony Quinn as one of the hoods, Don "Red" Barry as a victim, and Frank Faylen as a policeman, each just beginning his screen career. Gifted comic Willie Best is also seen briefly as a passerby with only one line. The cinematography by Russell Metty captures all the griminess, desolation, and seediness of the San Francisco waterfront. It's fun to hear the seamen sing "The Monkeys Have No Tails in Zamboanga," later popularized by US soldiers in the Pacific in World War II. Many John Wayne fans will recall it being sung by Lee Marvin in John Ford's "Donovan's Reef."

A couple of innocent people, Gordon Jones and Margot Grahame get caught up in an effort to move some stolen gold out of the country in Night Waitress. Jones is a schooner captain who is hired to move the stuff, cargo unknown to him. Grahame is a waitress working at Billy Gilbert's waterfront dive establishment who just gets caught up in it. She also gets caught up in Jones. Had she not been on probation the cops would never even been interested.

This B picture from RKO boasts the presence of one movie legend, Anthony Quinn as one of the gangsters involved in the heist. Quite an ingenious place to hide the gold, almost in plain sight.

Nothing particularly special about this one, but it's fast moving and exciting entertainment.

Margot Grahame has just been put on probation. She goes back to work at Billy Gilbert's waterfront fish restaurant. She wants to work and avoid trouble. Sailor Gordon Jones wants to date her. When gangsters kill a criminal in the restaurant, she's the only witness. The gang starts looking for her.

It's a nice, atmospheric B movie that doesn't bother with gloss. Director Lee Landers, just breaking out of B westerns the year this was made, shoots quickly and efficiently, with San Pedro standing in for San Francisco in the shipside shots.

Margot Grahame was Britain's highest-paid screen actress in this period. Dubbed 'the Aluminum Blonde', she was a skilled performer, trying to break into the much more prosperous American industry.

With a fine cast of then-minor players - the IMDb claims this is Anthony Quinn's first feature; it's really his fifth - it's a good example of what could be done on a small budget.

The story itself is fine, concerning a waitress on probation and a seemingly shady guy. She suspects him as a gangster but he has a charm nonetheless.

From there the plot is fast paced (the running time is only 57 minutes)and fairly predictable. The acting is average overall, though the leads (Grahame and Jones) are a cut above.

Honestly though, for movie buffs, the background is just as interesting. Anthony Quinn runs around as a gangster. Some of the sets look familiar as well.

Worth a watch!

... But the movie is pure Lew Landers.

Margot Graham is exotic as the title character. Her acting, at least here, isn't very interesting. But she has a tough yet intelligent look.

Graham is a woman on parole. She is working as -- yes: a waitress. And in a waterfront dive.

The rest is stock criminals. We have a stock romance. We have a boat and an Asian helper. None of the actors in these roles made much impression on me.

It isn't really bad. (And some Landers films reality ARE bad.) It's just routine. We've seen essentially the same movie many, many times. But Graham makes this one stand out.