Drama

Crime

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Tight Spot

Columbia Pictures

United States of America

English

Ginger Rogers

Edward G. Robinson

Brian Keith

Lucy Marlow

Lorne Greene

Katherine Anderson

Allen Nourse

Peter Leeds

Doye O'Dell

Eve McVeagh

Helen Wallace

Gloria Ann Simpson

Robert Shield

Norman Keats 

Frank Gerstle

Dean Cromer

Tom De Graffenreid

Kathryn Grant

Tom Greenway

Joseph Hamilton

Ed Hinton

John Larch

Alfred Linder

Ken Mayer

Edward McNally

Patrick Miller

Robert Nichols

Bill Raisch

Alan Reynolds

Will J. White

John Zaremba

George Duning

Viola Lawrence

Phil Karlson

William Bowers

Lewis J. Rachmil

Burnett Guffey

Milton Feldman

Arthur Morton

Morris Stoloff

Helen Hunt

Jean Louis

Clay Campbell

Carl Anderson

Louis Diage

Leonard Kantor

Lambert E. Day

John P. Livadary

All we need now is a well dug grave.

Tight Spot is directed by Phil Karlson and adapted to screenplay by William Bowers from the play "Dead Pigeon" written by Leonard Kantor. It stars Ginger Rogers, Edward G. Robinson, Brian Keith, Lorne Green and Eve McVeagh. Music is by George Duning and cinematography by Burnett Guffey.

Sherry Conley (Rogers) is offered a way out of her prison term if she agrees to testify as a witness in the trial of mobster Benjamin Costain (Green). Holed up in a hotel room under police protection, Sherry starts to form a close relationship with Lt. Vince Striker (Keith). Just as Costain's hit-men start to close in...

Is it noir or not? That's a question that has cropped up quite a bit since Columbia released it as part of their Film Noir Classics III Collection. The presence of Karlson (Kansas City Confidential), Guffey (In A Lonely Place), Bowers (The Mob) and Robinson (Scarlet Street) certainly gives it strong noir credentials on the makers front. What transpires is more crime melodrama than noir, but Tight Spot does feature noir traits. From Guffey's shadows and half lights photography, to the characterisations portrayed by Rogers and Keith, there's enough here to keep the noir faithful replenished.

Rogers' performance (casting) has also been much cause for debate, which is understandable as it is a role that could quite easily have been given to better femme fatale actresses of the time. Yet although she takes some getting used to, and that hair cut is just bizarre, Rogers does a nice line in sharp tongued sass, even putting some sexy sizzle in to the bargain during a slow dance sequence with Keith. She does fine work, a bit over theatrical maybe? But she nestles in nicely alongside the strong turns from Keith, Green and Robinson to lift an average story to better heights.

Much of the film is set within the confines of one hotel room, which is both a blessing and a curse. At times it works in the film's favour because Karlson is able to wring out some claustrophobia, a real sense of impending threat is evident at times. However, at other times the picture feels just too stage bound, stripping away some of the realistic atmosphere the makers strive for. There's also a problem of tonal shifts as comedy sticks its oar in at regular intervals, including a frequent visit to a hillbilly television show that serves no purpose other than to annoy Keith's increasingly agitated detective.

A mixed bag without doubt, and at the half way point some may be wondering what they have let themselves in for? But the cast and makers come through in credit once the second half arrives. Because then we get action, twists and a grand finale. 7/10

Tight Spot (1955) Original Trailer [FHD]

Ginger Rogers - Tight Spot

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Ginger Rogers

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Allen Nourse

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