1955 - United Artists
Directed by Robert Aldrich
SYNOPSIS
Detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) picks up a troubled hitchhiker (Cloris Leachman.) The two are soon forced off the road by unseen thugs who knock him out and torture her. The unconscious Hammer and the woman are returned to their car and forced over a cliff. Hammer recovers and then makes it his business to find out what she was wrapped up in and who was responsible.
MY THOUGHTS
A classic primo example of film noir.
A morally questionable hero, an urban (LA) setting, a femme fatale, crime, murder, and intrigue are hallmarks of the cinematic style that are all on display here.
However, the stereotypically very low-key, heavilly shadowed lighting style is not and the film looks like a standard Hollywood film. But the film does fine without it.
Like many of the great film noirs (The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity) this was based on a book... Mickey Spillane's 6th one to feature Hammer.
At first glance, Ralph Meeker appears too white-bread wholesome to pull off the somewhat sleazy character of Mike Hammer, but does so excellently. He's brutal and yet cool at the same time.
Unusually colorful characters (like Nick the mechanic) and the eerie looking ones (Jack Elam) bring extra color to the black and white film as well as realism. Though some performances are a little over the top, they keep the film from becoming too dry.
This great classic noir definitely deserves a view.
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