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Appointment with Danger

Paramount Pictures

United States of America

English

Alan Ladd

Phyllis Calvert

Paul Stewart

Jan Sterling

Jack Webb

Stacy Harris

Harry Morgan

David Bauer

Dan Riss

Harry Antrim

Paul Lees

Geraldine Wall

George J. Lewis

Murray Alper

Byron Barr

Symona Boniface

Billy Engle

Fritz Feld

Kathleen Freeman

Art Gilmore

Frank Hagney

Whitey Haupt

Jerry James

Sheldon Jett

Pat Lane

William Meader

Patsy O'Byrne

Hal Rand

Frances Sandford

Ralph Sanford

Sid Tomack

Harry Tyler

Ann Tyrrell

Ernö Verebes

Herb Vigran

Bruce Wong

Lewis Allen

Robert Fellows

Victor Young

Richard L. Breen

Warren Duff

Farciot Edouart

Hans Dreier

Albert Nozaki

John F. Seitz

Sam Comer

LeRoy Stone

Bertram C. Granger

Mary Kay Dodson

Leo Shuken

Van Cleave

Harold Lewis

Wally Westmore

Francisco Day

Gene Garvin

George Parrish

Sidney Cutner

Russell Saunders

Police Seek Nun As Witness In Downtown Slaying! 

Appointment with Danger is directed by Lewis Allen and written by Richard L. Breen and Warren Duff. It stars Alan Ladd, Phyllis Calvert, Paul Stewart, Jan Sterling, Jack Webb, Stacy Harris and Harry Morgan. Music is by Victor Young and cinematography by John F. Seitz. 

Al Goddard (Ladd) is a U.S. Postal Inspector sent to investigate the grim murder of one of his colleagues. There's a witness to locate and possibly protect, a nun, Sister Augustine (Calvert), and soon enough Al has to go undercover as a crook to infiltrate the gang responsible for the murder. Not only that, but they plan to steal one million dollars being transported by the U.S.P.S., clearly Al has a lot on his plate. 

Alan Ladd's last film noir (though it barely qualifies as such) is good entertainment that relies on hardboiled speak more than it does action or mystery. A great opening involving the murder is kind of a false dawn, in that the mood and visual strengths on show here are rarely reproduced during rest of pic. However, that is a small complaint in truth because it's so much fun to be around Ladd's Al Goddard. 

We quickly learn that he is basically a great cop but not much of a human being, since we know who did the murder from the off, we have to rely on Goddard's undercover operation for our suspense quota, which comes in spades. Goddard is constantly at threat of being exposed, he has to consistently think on his feet, have a quip or yarn to spin to deflect suspicion, so this keeps things spicy in the story. 

The strand involving Calvert's nun is a weak one, it's clearly a narrative device to smooth out Goddard's rough edges, but it never really works and that the writers turn her into a dumb ass late in the play is annoying. Another irritant is that Sterling (wasted) as Paul Stewart's (good villain value as usual) moll really doesn't impact on proceedings, she wanders in and out of the film promising to be a femme fatale, but it never happens and after playing out as a weak red herring she exits with a whimper. 

Some smart location work is on show, with the backdrop of pool halls and cheap hotels utilised to good effect by Allen and Seitz, and a couple of scenes really sock the jaw; literally in one case! But it never rises above being a routine cops and robbers based homage to the U.S.P.S. Inspectors. Thankfully Ladd is on form and delivers the best parts of the screenplay with a steely cold sharpness that positively tickles the fancy of noir lovers. 6.5/10

Appointment with Danger - Trailer

Appointment with Danger (1951)

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Appointment with Danger

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Cast

Alan Ladd

Phyllis Calvert

Paul Stewart

Jan Sterling

Jack Webb

Stacy Harris

Harry Morgan

David Bauer

Dan Riss

Harry Antrim

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