mark.waltz But first, he's got a big case to solve involving stolen jewelry, a "ring" (pardon the pun) infiltrating the city. This decent B crime drama has elements of both comedy and film noir, and it's surprising that it took movie producers decades to see what an expert comic actor he was. He's forced to fire secretary Lorna Gray, not only because he's dating her but because of a city ordinance that requires that city employees reside there for a year. His new secretary (Sheila Ryan) turns out to be an expert on jewel terminology, and becomes a useful, if sarcastic tool, that he uses to bust this racket.Veteran character actor Ray Collins plays a local businessman who seems to have an involvement in the racket, pretty obvious from the beginning. This is an intriguing but predictable crime drama with decent dialog and a speedy pacing, added on with some dark, moody photography and a few surprising twists. Ryan gets some of the best lines, giving Bridges a great partner to play off of. Chick Chandler, Jeff Corey and Alan Carney add on spice as typical thugs in similar films.

dougdoepke Surprisingly good programmer from Republic. Sly old Arthur (Collins) and two confederates steal expensive necklace from wealthy old lady, after which Arthur double-crosses the two, and turns into respectable philanthropist in little town of Hilltop. Meanwhile, Arthur has sent ahead the lovely Hannah (Gray) to check out the law in Hilltop. There she apparently strikes up a romance with City Attorney Browning (Bridges). Surprisingly, hero Browning appears no match for the wily unscrupulous Arthur. Needless to say, complications ensue.Good script, with interesting characters, noirish atmosphere, and several minor twists. The statuesque Lorna Gray really registers as a treacherous spider woman, while a restrained Lloyd Bridges shows grit as the struggling young attorney. And for fans of Parry Mason, versatile old Ray Collins shows he's not only a sly cop, but an even slyer criminal mastermind. Add a solid supporting cast, and you've got a result that surpasses its lower-end budget. But, please, don't hire the high school horn trio anytime soon

secondtake Hideout (1949)Just above a run-of-the-mill crime and romance film, officially a B-movie but with enough guts and flair to propel itself through its 60 minutes with conviction. Completely enjoyable, but with some seams showing now and then. Director Philip Ford was a distinctly small studio man, and his films (judging from their IMDb responses) are routine ones. His real success came a few years later, as the main director of televisions classic "Lassie" series. If you've seen any of those, you almost have a sense of how this movie works--the plot is clear, the twists surprise you at the end, but it's all on the surface.The plot is straight forward--some fabulous jewels are stolen, and the chief thief has planned (with unusual elaborateness) his cooling off period in a small town where he owns a house on the hill. This town, with its usual innocence, is where most of the movie takes place, and it's decidedly an anti-drama in some ways. For example, the detective is the d.a. in town, and he's running for mayor, and they show one campaign speech that is the antithesis of Charles Foster Kane's great speech. Here people are on folding chairs and the speaker half mumbles a quote from Lincoln and people clap. It's quite believably bad, in a way, and on purpose. We are not to be impressed by anyone, but sucked in as an equal.The one exception is the chief crook, who is bigger than life and also an actor of a much higher order--Ray Collins. And by coincidence (I assume), this is the actor who played Kane's rival in the Orson Welles classic, James W. Gettys. Collins steals every scene. He has confidence and depth in his role. Even the final speech he gives, with all the double meanings (and slightly comic flair, a surprise for this movie), is plump with drama. The actors around him--the d.a. himself, and two women, the good and the bad--are reasonable enough to keep the film on its feet. In fact, I think a better director might have made this material really sing, because it is only thrown off course by a steady implausibility--a car crash where our hero hops out unscathed, the step in the house giving itself away by a little squeak, or the comic secretary referring to her mother in the fingerprint department. All of this is fine, but it throws us off course.Meaning what? That it's a fun one, a quick and enjoyable little crime drama.

GUENOT PHILIPPE Bad surprise. I waited for better from this Republic pictures film. Boredom is the lead word to describe it. It begins good but rapidly sinks into flatness. I was not used to that with Republic movies. They are usually fast paced, good time wasters. I can't even remember the plot line, and I saw it yesterday !!! Except a story about stolen jewels, necklace, and the inquiry aside. Lloyd Bridges has done better since. And Philip Ford - the director - too, I can assure.But it's a rare feature, hard to be catch. I would say that it's at the same level as Monogram pictures, or PRC.