Cry Danger
Directed by Robert Parrish
Written by William Bowers and Jerome Cady
1951/USA
Olympic Productions Inc./Wiesenthal-Frank Productions
First viewing/Amazon Prime Instant Video
[box] Darlene LaVonne: You drinkin’ that stuff so early?
Delong: Listen, doll girl, when you drink as much as I do, you gotta start early.[/box]
This is an OK revenge noir.
Rocky (Dick Powell) has served a five-years of a life sentence for a robbery he did not commit. He was paroled when Delong, a Marine, supported his alibi after returning from overseas. We soon learn that Delong (Richard Erdman) was not really one of those that was with Rocky that fateful night but testified in order to get a share of the $100,000 take, which was never found. Cobb of the LAPD (Regis Toomey) believes Rocky will lead him to the money as well.
Rocky has made it his mission to clear himself and his friend Danny, who is still in the clink, of the rap. With Delong, his new constant companion, in tow he rents a run-down trailer in the same trailer park where Danny’s wife Nancy (Rhonda Fleming) lives. Rocky and Nancy have a past and it is clear that Nancy still carries a torch.
Rocky looks up Castro (William Conrad) and demands a share of the loot. The rest of the movie is taken up with double-crosses and Castro’s attempts to rub Rocky out.
The highlight of the movie is Erdman’s Delong who is a one-legged wry alcoholic and not such a bad guy. The other performances are nice and the film is an entertaining watch, if not more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs0AUdZG1zE
Trailer – cinematography by Josef F. Biroc
