... as in Ward Cleaver of Leave It to Beaver, which costarred Hugh Beaumont. This is a blatant rip-off of the previous year's "Double Indemnity" by little poverty row studio PRC.
The outline of the story will look very familiar. Reporter Kenny Blake (Hugh Beaumont) goes to the mansion of industrialist Harvey Kirkland to get a story, but Kirkland throws him out. On the staircase outside of Kirkland's study, Kenny meets flirty Toni Kirkland (Ann Savage). He thinks he will strike it rich by wooing a wealthy heiress, but he is shocked to find out that Toni is actually the industrialist's wife rather than his daughter. He wants to break it off, after all he has values...or not. Then Toni suggests they could be free and happy and rich if they killed her husband. Kenny wants to refuse, after all he has values... or not. Toni has found her fall guy in the person of Kenny Blake who is a tower of jello.
The story plays out pretty much like Double Indemnity. There are a couple of things that are different. Mainly that somebody else is tried and convicted for the murder Kenny and Toni did. This bothers Kenny. Toni - not so much.
The rating is boosted by a star by the performance of Ann Savage. She is truly a cold somewhat convincing - to the men in the film - venomous viper. Beaumont is serviceable in his role. But Charles D. Brown as Kenny's boss and mentor is no Edward G. Robinson, and the cheap production values are obvious.
And then there are all of the little touches that make poverty row productions fun. When her husband is still alive, apparently Toni and Kenny have their rendezvous in her husband's study. Where is hubby? Aren't they afraid he'll come back? Aren't they afraid the servants will see? But apparently there are no servants, until near the end of the film when a solitary maid shows up just one time. Then there is the potential rural witness who looks and dresses like Ma Kettle. But for some reason she is speaking like she is the Queen of England.
Kind of odd and accidental kinship this film has with Double Indemnity. The fall guys in both films - Hugh Beaumont in this film and Fred McMurray in "Double Indemnity" - end up most renowned for their roles as wholesome fathers in early TV comedy/dramas to the point that it is weird today to see them in this kind of role in this kind of film.
The outline of the story will look very familiar. Reporter Kenny Blake (Hugh Beaumont) goes to the mansion of industrialist Harvey Kirkland to get a story, but Kirkland throws him out. On the staircase outside of Kirkland's study, Kenny meets flirty Toni Kirkland (Ann Savage). He thinks he will strike it rich by wooing a wealthy heiress, but he is shocked to find out that Toni is actually the industrialist's wife rather than his daughter. He wants to break it off, after all he has values...or not. Then Toni suggests they could be free and happy and rich if they killed her husband. Kenny wants to refuse, after all he has values... or not. Toni has found her fall guy in the person of Kenny Blake who is a tower of jello.
The story plays out pretty much like Double Indemnity. There are a couple of things that are different. Mainly that somebody else is tried and convicted for the murder Kenny and Toni did. This bothers Kenny. Toni - not so much.
The rating is boosted by a star by the performance of Ann Savage. She is truly a cold somewhat convincing - to the men in the film - venomous viper. Beaumont is serviceable in his role. But Charles D. Brown as Kenny's boss and mentor is no Edward G. Robinson, and the cheap production values are obvious.
And then there are all of the little touches that make poverty row productions fun. When her husband is still alive, apparently Toni and Kenny have their rendezvous in her husband's study. Where is hubby? Aren't they afraid he'll come back? Aren't they afraid the servants will see? But apparently there are no servants, until near the end of the film when a solitary maid shows up just one time. Then there is the potential rural witness who looks and dresses like Ma Kettle. But for some reason she is speaking like she is the Queen of England.
Kind of odd and accidental kinship this film has with Double Indemnity. The fall guys in both films - Hugh Beaumont in this film and Fred McMurray in "Double Indemnity" - end up most renowned for their roles as wholesome fathers in early TV comedy/dramas to the point that it is weird today to see them in this kind of role in this kind of film.