Appointment with Danger

Infobox Film
name = Appointment with Danger


image_size =
caption = Theatrical poster
director = Lewis Allen
producer = Robert Fellows
writer = Richard L. Breen Warren Duff
narrator =
starring = Alan Ladd Phyllis Calvert
music = Victor Young
cinematography = John F. Seitz
editing = LeRoy Stone
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released =
runtime = 89 minutes
country = United States
language = English
budget =
gross =
website =
amg_id = 1:83869
imdb_id = 043292

"Appointment with Danger" (1951) is a American crime film noir directed by Lewis Allen and written by Richard L. Breen and Warren Duff. The drama features Alan Ladd, Phyllis Calvert, Paul Stewart, among others. [imdb title|id=043292|title=Appointment with Danger.]

Plot

The film tells of Al Goddard (Alan Ladd), a detective who works for the United States Postal Inspection Service. He's assigned to arrest two criminals who've allegedly murdered a U.S. postal detective.

Goddard must locate the witness to the murder, an attractive young nun named Sister Augustine (Phyllis Calvert). He poses as a crook, and gains the confidence of the killers' honcho Boettiger (Paul Stewart), who has worked out a plan to steal one million bucks from the post office.

Once they discover the deception, the villains take Goddard and witness Sister Augustine prisoner. This leads to a fight in an industrial district.

Background

The film features both Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, who would later work on the "Dragnet" television show, as villains.

Cast

* Alan Ladd as Al Goddard
* Phyllis Calvert as Sister Augustine
* Paul Stewart as Earl Boettiger
* Jan Sterling as Dodie
* Jack Webb as Joe Regas
* Stacy Harris as Paul Ferrar
* Harry Morgan as George Soderquist
* David Wolfe as David Goodman
* Dan Riss as Maury Ahearn
* Geraldine Wall as Mother Ambrose
* George J. Lewis as Leo Cronin
* Paul Lees as Gene Gunner
* Sid Tomack as Trainman
* Murray Alper as Driver

Critical reception

Bosley Crowther, film critic for "The New York Times," liked the film, especially the screenplay which Alan Ladd took full advantage of. He wrote, " [I] t's fairly obvious that it's all familiar stuff to our hero, for he evinces as much emotion over these muscular goings-on as a postal clerk counting air mail stamps. But he is fortunate in having a vehicle, which is basically a cops-and-robbers tale, tautly written by scenarists Richard Breen and Warren Duff, who also have injected humor in the modern idiom into their dialogue. And he is fortunate too in having the support of principals who handle these lines and roles as to the manner born. As a result, "Appointment With Danger" lives up to its title as Ladd, checking on the murder of another postal inspector in Gary, Ind., finds a visiting nun who saw the criminals." [ [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=2&res=9505EFDB1638E43BBC4852DFB366838A649EDE&oref=slogin&oref=slogin Crowther, Bosley] . "The New York Times," film review, May 10 1951. Last accessed: December 28, 2007.]

The staff at "Variety" magazine gave the film a positive review, writing, "Ladd is right at home as the tightlipped, tough inspector assigned to the case. There is a neat contrasting byplay in the nun character done by Phyllis Calvert as co-star, which adds an offbeat note to the meller plot. [ [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117788734.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0 "Variety"] . Film review, May 10, 1951. Last accessed: December 28, 2007.]

References

Notes

External links

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