There're some good touches in this Monogram programmer. Director Le Borg uses imagination to lift the material beyond straightforward filming-- (e.g. Elisha Cook in a shadowy doorway blowing cigarette smoke out of both sides of his mouth; the bickering couple in the wrong apartment). The story itself is suspenseful if not exactly novel as Leo Penn (Sean Penn's dad) tries to reconstruct the night of a murder through a drug- induced haze. There're a few holes in the screenplay, but not enough to wreck the story – (e.g. just what is the killer's motivation?).
Penn is a rather unusual screen presence for a leading man, neither physically imposing nor dynamic-- his later career was as a TV director. Nonetheless, with a rather vacant stare, he's perfect for his addled part. Wisely, the script uses the forceful Robert Armstrong as the guy with the drive to unravel the mystery. Can't help but notice in passing that leading lady Loring looks like a slightly less glamorous version of Rita Hayworth. Anyway, if you're a fan of noir, especially of the premise of a guy's trying to maneuver without the handrails of time and place, this 60-minutes should go down pretty well, despite its lowly Monogram origin.
Penn is a rather unusual screen presence for a leading man, neither physically imposing nor dynamic-- his later career was as a TV director. Nonetheless, with a rather vacant stare, he's perfect for his addled part. Wisely, the script uses the forceful Robert Armstrong as the guy with the drive to unravel the mystery. Can't help but notice in passing that leading lady Loring looks like a slightly less glamorous version of Rita Hayworth. Anyway, if you're a fan of noir, especially of the premise of a guy's trying to maneuver without the handrails of time and place, this 60-minutes should go down pretty well, despite its lowly Monogram origin.