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Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 18 Nov 1948: B9. </ref> [[William Keighley]] was originally announced as director, but then he was replaced by [[Lewis Allen]].<ref>ELEANOR PARKER IN BOGART MOVIE: Warners Name Actress to Lead in 'Chain Lightning' -- Change Directors at Paramount
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 18 Nov 1948: B9. </ref> [[William Keighley]] was originally announced as director, but then he was replaced by [[Lewis Allen]].<ref>ELEANOR PARKER IN BOGART MOVIE: Warners Name Actress to Lead in 'Chain Lightning' -- Change Directors at Paramount
By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 06 Apr 1949: 38. </ref>
By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 06 Apr 1949: 38. </ref>

[[Phyllis Calvert]] was signed in April 1949.<ref>FOX BUYS RIGHTS TO KERSCH NOVEL: Studio Pays $175,000 for 'Night and City,' 1946 Story of Nightlife in London
By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 12 Apr 1949: 39. </ref> Filming started on 16 June.<ref>Of Local Origin
New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 05 May 1949: 34.</ref>


The film features both [[Jack Webb]] and [[Harry Morgan]] as villains. Both would later work on the ''[[Dragnet (series)|Dragnet]]'' television show as fictional police detectives for the Los Angeles Police Department. One of the co-writers of the script, [[Richard L. Breen]] had previously worked with Webb on the radio series ''[[Pat Novak for Hire]]'', and would write at least three scripts for ''Dragnet'', including the 1954 theatrical film and the 1966 [[television film|TV-movie]] [[television pilot|pilot]] for the revival series in which Morgan joined the cast as Detective Bill Gannon.
The film features both [[Jack Webb]] and [[Harry Morgan]] as villains. Both would later work on the ''[[Dragnet (series)|Dragnet]]'' television show as fictional police detectives for the Los Angeles Police Department. One of the co-writers of the script, [[Richard L. Breen]] had previously worked with Webb on the radio series ''[[Pat Novak for Hire]]'', and would write at least three scripts for ''Dragnet'', including the 1954 theatrical film and the 1966 [[television film|TV-movie]] [[television pilot|pilot]] for the revival series in which Morgan joined the cast as Detective Bill Gannon.

Revision as of 05:20, 3 January 2016

Appointment with Danger
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLewis Allen
Screenplay byRichard L. Breen
Warren Duff
Produced byRobert Fellows
StarringAlan Ladd
Phyllis Calvert
CinematographyJohn F. Seitz
Edited byLeRoy Stone
Music byVictor Young
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • May 9, 1951 (1951-05-09) (United States)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,450,000 (US rentals)[1]

Appointment with Danger (1951) is an 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.[2]

Plot

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

Inspector 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 dollars that is being transported by the U.S. Postal Service.

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

Cast

Background

The film was announced in July 1948 as Postal Inspector. It was always envisioned as a vehicle for Alan Ladd.[3] Ardel Wray and Robert L. Richards wrote the script and the film was meant to follow Chicago Deadline.[4] However production was pushed back to allow Ladd to make Captain Carey, U.S.A.. The movie's title was changed to Dead Letter.[5] William Keighley was originally announced as director, but then he was replaced by Lewis Allen.[6]

Phyllis Calvert was signed in April 1949.[7] Filming started on 16 June.[8]

The film features both Jack Webb and Harry Morgan as villains. Both would later work on the Dragnet television show as fictional police detectives for the Los Angeles Police Department. One of the co-writers of the script, Richard L. Breen had previously worked with Webb on the radio series Pat Novak for Hire, and would write at least three scripts for Dragnet, including the 1954 theatrical film and the 1966 TV-movie pilot for the revival series in which Morgan joined the cast as Detective Bill Gannon.

Reception

Critical response

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."[9]

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.[10]

References

  1. ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1951', Variety, January 2, 1952
  2. ^ Appointment with Danger at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata.
  3. ^ Roberts Busy Perusing New Novel by Wolfert Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 14 July 1948: 21.
  4. ^ SCHARY RETURNING TO METRO STUDIOS: Likely to Be Executive Producer Second to Louis B. Mayer -- RKO Leaders in Meeting By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 14 July 1948: 26.
  5. ^ Otto Preminger to Direct Tierney, Conte as Team; Barker Scouts Zoo Stars Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 18 Nov 1948: B9.
  6. ^ ELEANOR PARKER IN BOGART MOVIE: Warners Name Actress to Lead in 'Chain Lightning' -- Change Directors at Paramount By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 06 Apr 1949: 38.
  7. ^ FOX BUYS RIGHTS TO KERSCH NOVEL: Studio Pays $175,000 for 'Night and City,' 1946 Story of Nightlife in London By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 12 Apr 1949: 39.
  8. ^ Of Local Origin New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 05 May 1949: 34.
  9. ^ Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, May 10, 1951. Last accessed: December 28, 2007.
  10. ^ Variety. Film review, May 10, 1951. Last accessed: December 28, 2007.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Appointment_with_Danger&oldid=697976594"