Strange Bargain (1949)

Sam Wilson is having a hard time making ends meet. When he asks his boss for a raise, he finds out that the company is closing down and he'll be out of a job. His boss decides to commit ... See full summary »

Director:

Will Price

Writers:

Lillie Hayward (screenplay), J.H. Wallis (based on a story by)

Stars:

Martha Scott, Jeffrey Lynn, Harry Morgan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Martha Scott	...	Georgia Wilson
Jeffrey Lynn	...	Sam Wilson
Harry Morgan	...	Lt. Richard Webb (as Henry Morgan)
Katherine Emery	...	Edna Jarvis
Richard Gaines	...	Malcolm Jarvis
Henry O'Neill	...	Timothy Hearne
Walter Sande	...	Sgt. Cord
Michael Chapin	...	Roddy Wilson
Arlene Gray	...	Hilda Wilson
Raymond Roe	...	Sydney Jarvis
Robert Bray	...	Det. McTay

Storyline

Sam Wilson is having a hard time making ends meet. When he asks his boss for a raise, he finds out that the company is closing down and he'll be out of a job. His boss decides to commit suicide so that his family can benefit from his insurance. He asks Sam to help make it look like murder. Sam thinks he has convinced the boss not to commit suicide. But the boss does it anyway, so Sam follows the instructions the boss had given him, to make it look like murder.

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Plot Keywords:

making ends meet | insurance money

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Compromisso de Honra

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The episode Murder, She Wrote: The Days Dwindle Down was done as a direct sequel to this movie, with Jessica Fletcher trying to figure out if Malcolm Jarvis' death was suicide or murder. In the episode, Jeffrey Lynn, Martha Scott, and Harry Morgan reprised their roles from the earlier film, and original footage from the film was used as flashbacks to tell the story.

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Connections

Featured in Murder, She Wrote: The Days Dwindle Down (1987)

User Reviews

Taut and clever programmer

Don't mistake brevity and low budget for lack of quality. This movie is very well scripted and conceived. Harry Morgan gives a terrific performance as the policeman and Jeffrey Lynn is appropriately perplexed as the devoted husband who suddenly finds himself holding the bag when he is tricked by his boss into an ill-fated endeavor. Martha Scott is marvelous as his well-grounded wife. Strange Bargain is well-paced and well-acted throughout.

Interestingly, this later served as a basis for a Murder She Wrote episode with Jeffrey Lynn, Martha Scott, and Harry Morgan recreating their roles. It actually makes for a fascinating "sequel."