Dangerous Mission

1954 "Avalanche of Action!"
Dangerous Mission
5.7| 1h15m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 06 March 1954 Released
Producted By: RKO Radio Pictures
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A policeman tries to protect a young woman against a hit man, when she flees New York after witnessing a mob killing.

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RKO Radio Pictures

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sol ***SPOILERS*** You can see right away that something is missing in the movie "Dangerous Mission" in that a number of the scenes in it were exclusively filmed for its 3D effects which watching it on TV or video tape & DVD are no longer there. Filmed at beautiful and breath taking Glaicer National Park the movie has to do with a planned hit job on eye witness Louise Graham, Piper Laurie.It was Louise who was at the scene when this hood Battaglia, Bert Moorehouse, was knocked off while playing the piano at a Glaicer National Park resort by New York hit-man Johnny Yonkers, Ken Dibbs. With Louise's life in danger of being rubbed out herself by Yonker's hoods it's decided to put her into protective custody by the FBI. But with time quickly running out in that a hit has already been set up by Yonker's boys back in NYC it's now up to the NYPD as well as the local law enforcement authorities to make sure that Louise lives long enough before the curtain, or gun hammer, comes down on her. Right away you see something terrible wrong with the storyline in that Louise is free to roam around the Galicer National Park resort with none of Yonkers men, whom one is the places manager, as much as laying a finger on her! We know right away that NYPD detective Matt Hallett, Victor Mature, is the good guy in the movie, what other role could Mature be cast in, who's there to see that Louise isn't murdered. We as well as know at the first moment that we see him that magazine photographer Paul Adams, Vincent Price, is the hit-man just by his phony inoffensive looking demeanor yet his his very obvious shifty looking eyes. The one thing or person in the movie I found really worth watching was Betta St. James, what a knockout!, as native American Indian Mary Tiller who works as a hostess at the resort. It's Mary's pop Katoonai, Steve Darrell, who's on the lamb in a murder that he as well as park ranger Joe Parker, William Bendix, claims was in self-defense. The movie lumbers along with a number of 3D effect, like an avalanche forest fire and snow slide, which was put into it that we in the audience don't see making them totally useless to watch.***SPOILERS*** The ending does in fact save the movie with Matt Hallett and Paul Adams slugging it out on a dangerous melting glacier with Louise falling through it and hanging on to dear life on an ice ledge below. Despite the final scene when glacier ice collapses and buried Adams, who in fact by shooting off his gun activated it, being original shot in 3D it still was effective as well as heart stopping. As for Matt he was rewarded at the end of the movie not with any promotion or raise in salary but something far better. A proposal of marriage by the person who's life he saved the sweet cute and cuddly Louise Graham.
ptb-8 Oh Gawd...... RKO in the Howard Hughes years.... terrible films with good production values.... and in 3D comes DANGEROUS MISSION.... what a terrible title... it is like calling a film SOMETHING HAPPENED. Of course it is a dangerous mission.. what would be the point of it otherwise.....In this hybrid noir and faux-Republic western, we get some terrific location forest and glacier footage mixed with shoddy studio shots, half the film is re created indoors on sound stages almost as if to give the studio staff and crew something to do. The whole film could easily have been filmed on location, but for almost this 'keep 'em busy at Gower St' reason insert shots and close ups and odd shots get a studio level makeover.. and this includes a 3D forest fire (!) a 3D whiplash loose electrical cable, a 3D avalanche.. all of which believe it or not have nothing to do with the story. If you see the trailer on the "3D trailers DVD" available in discount shops, there is a hilarious gangland assassination of some piano player in reel one (he keeps tinkling on the treble keys as he slides off the stool) some gal sees it and some guys follow her to her holiday hideout in the mountains. The second unit alpine reality is gorgeous and the Indian theme inspires 50s sets and clothes are kitsch.. and the interaction and jumbled scenes often do not make sense... in fact it is downright startling that some scenes have nothing to do with the next. One scene in the lobby early in the film has Vincent Price and Victor Mature chatting up the two female characters in the film. cut to: entry at a chalet square dance where Mature arrives with one of them... no asking her out in the last scene... just 'here they are here now:... then the roof falls in courtesy of producer Irwin Allen. The glacial scenes in the last reel make no sense as they swing between the same actors in shopping clothes in icy terrain and them them on a cardboard set shooting each other. It is just a mess...BUT and here I have to admit, it is all so entertaining. Almost no story, subplots dismissed (the Indian Dad), pointless running about and apparently witty macho banter between the guys. Some noir twists and BANG it's all over in a 3D avalanche too. What a mess. How enjoyable!
wes-connors It's difficult to determine exactly what is going on in the minds of the people who made this movie. Anyway, it starts out as a crime drama; a murder is committed, apparently witnessed by a woman who gets away. Soon, there is an avalanche, causing massive destruction that completed disappears in a couple of seconds. I took the avalanche as a inside joke; you see, this film goes nowhere but downhill. Or, it might be meant to foreshadow the end.Victor Mature (he's Matt) and Vincent Price (he's Paul) compete to see who gets the girl -- when they're not competing to see who gives the worst performance. Piper Laurie is the blonde witness. There are Indians involved. When they all go after each other at the end, the background is entertaining to watch (snowy Montana mountains). ** Dangerous Mission (1954) Louis King ~ Victor Mature, Vincent Price, Piper Laurie
whpratt1 In 1954 many of our Classic Screen actors of the 30's up to the 50's were starting to find acting roles hard to find and this particular picture managed to give every one a salary. The picture was never meant to win an Academy Award, it was simply to entertain the public with the best production they could create in the 1950's. Victor Mature,(Matt Hallett)," I Wake Up Screaming",'41, gave a great performance along with another great veteran actor William Bendix, (Chief Ranger Joe Parker),"Lifeboat",'44, who tried to keep everyone under control while rocks and dirt came tumbling on their resort area. Vincent Price,(Paul Adams),"The Tingler",'59 was added to the picture in order to make the film a THRILLER. Matt Hallett became a hero to every one when he managed to turn off the electricity, while live wires were flying all over the front door and roof of the lodge. Lets just remember that this film was produced in the 1950's and actors need to find WORK.