You probably have seen the 1947 noir classic Out of the Past directed by Jacques Tourneur. Almost a decade later he attempted to duplicate the success of that picture but didn't even come close with Nightfall--a film which lacks the requisite dark cinematography usually associated with the film noir genre.
The hero here is an Army vet, James "Jim" Vanning (Aldo Ray) who it soon becomes clear is in a hell of a lot of trouble with the law and has been flitting about the country using assumed names. We learn how he got into trouble in a series of flashbacks. He and a doctor pal were on a camping trip up in Wyoming when they were waylaid by two criminals, John (Brian Keith) and Red (Rudy Bond), who just successfully stole $350,000 in a bank robbery.
Red brutally kills Jim's pal in cold blood and orders Jim to kill himself with his own rifle to make it look like a murder-suicide. When Jim balks, Red shoots but the bullet only grazes his skull, knocking him out. Somehow the two thugs end up mistaking the doctor pal's bag for their own black bag which contains the loot and after leaving the scene and discovering their mistake, they return to where they left Jim, only to find that he's run off with their money.
You really have to suspend your disbelief that these criminals would be so stupid to leave their ill-gotten gains behind after murdering one man and leaving another one for dead. But that's what happens. Later the two catch up with Jim and bring him to a deserted area where they begin to brutalize their beleaguered victim, attempting to find out what became of their money.
But Jim insists he can't remember-that he somehow lost the bag after escaping from the two bad guys back up there in Wyoming. Again (and this occurs in the present time), Jim (despite being held at gunpoint) manages to escape from John and Red, another hard to believe turn of events.
Jim ends up being aided by fashion model Marie Gardner (Anne Bancroft, in an early film role). Bancroft and Ray have virtually no chemistry together and one wonders why Marie falls for Jim, who is wanted by the police for murdering his camping buddy after Red shoots the doctor with Jim's rifle.
A subplot involves Insurance Investigator Ben Fraser (James Gregory) who has been hot on Jim's tail, tasked with recovering the stolen loot for his insurance company. Fraser eventually figures out that Jim is completely innocent but during the climax has nothing to do, after being tired up (along with Marie) by Red, leaving Jim to save the day.
Ray, usually known for more tough guy roles, plays the poor schlub who finally dispatches Red after pushing him into the path of an out of control snowplow. Brian Keith as John has the lesser of the two bad roles, depicted as a somewhat reticent criminal but Rudy Bond as Red shines in the best part in the film playing a truly scary psychopath with a chilling laugh.
Nightfall ends up as a pedestrian chase picture with the bad guys trying to catch the errant couple , characterized by their (previously alluded to) lack of chemistry.
The hero here is an Army vet, James "Jim" Vanning (Aldo Ray) who it soon becomes clear is in a hell of a lot of trouble with the law and has been flitting about the country using assumed names. We learn how he got into trouble in a series of flashbacks. He and a doctor pal were on a camping trip up in Wyoming when they were waylaid by two criminals, John (Brian Keith) and Red (Rudy Bond), who just successfully stole $350,000 in a bank robbery.
Red brutally kills Jim's pal in cold blood and orders Jim to kill himself with his own rifle to make it look like a murder-suicide. When Jim balks, Red shoots but the bullet only grazes his skull, knocking him out. Somehow the two thugs end up mistaking the doctor pal's bag for their own black bag which contains the loot and after leaving the scene and discovering their mistake, they return to where they left Jim, only to find that he's run off with their money.
You really have to suspend your disbelief that these criminals would be so stupid to leave their ill-gotten gains behind after murdering one man and leaving another one for dead. But that's what happens. Later the two catch up with Jim and bring him to a deserted area where they begin to brutalize their beleaguered victim, attempting to find out what became of their money.
But Jim insists he can't remember-that he somehow lost the bag after escaping from the two bad guys back up there in Wyoming. Again (and this occurs in the present time), Jim (despite being held at gunpoint) manages to escape from John and Red, another hard to believe turn of events.
Jim ends up being aided by fashion model Marie Gardner (Anne Bancroft, in an early film role). Bancroft and Ray have virtually no chemistry together and one wonders why Marie falls for Jim, who is wanted by the police for murdering his camping buddy after Red shoots the doctor with Jim's rifle.
A subplot involves Insurance Investigator Ben Fraser (James Gregory) who has been hot on Jim's tail, tasked with recovering the stolen loot for his insurance company. Fraser eventually figures out that Jim is completely innocent but during the climax has nothing to do, after being tired up (along with Marie) by Red, leaving Jim to save the day.
Ray, usually known for more tough guy roles, plays the poor schlub who finally dispatches Red after pushing him into the path of an out of control snowplow. Brian Keith as John has the lesser of the two bad roles, depicted as a somewhat reticent criminal but Rudy Bond as Red shines in the best part in the film playing a truly scary psychopath with a chilling laugh.
Nightfall ends up as a pedestrian chase picture with the bad guys trying to catch the errant couple , characterized by their (previously alluded to) lack of chemistry.