The Threat (1949)

Vicious hood 'Red' Kluger escapes from Folsom Prison and carries through on his threats to the detective who arrested him and the D.A. who got him convicted.

Director:

Felix E. Feist

Writers:

Dick Irving Hyland (screenplay), Hugh King (story)

Stars:

Michael O'Shea, Virginia Grey, Charles McGraw

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Michael O'Shea	...	Detective Ray Williams
Virginia Grey	...	Carol
Charles McGraw	...	Arnold 'Red' Kluger
Julie Bishop	...	Ann Williams
Frank Conroy	...	District Attorney Barker MacDonald
Robert Shayne	...	Insp. Murphy
Anthony Caruso	...	Nick Damon
Don McGuire	...	Joe Turner
Frank Richards	...	Lefty
Michael McHale	...	Detective Jensen

Storyline

At Folsom Prison, several inmates escape...including killer Arnold Kluger, who swore revenge on the detective and district attorney who convicted him. Despite precautions, the two men are soon in Kluger's power, together with showgirl Carol whom he suspects of informing on him. At a shack in the California desert, Kluger, two henchmen, and four hostages wait, and wait, for an escape plane that may never come.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | killer | desert | revenge | district attorney | 

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terror

Filming Locations:

Barstow, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Arnold 'Red' Kluger: Give me your watch!
[Smashes it]
Arnold 'Red' Kluger: Now you don't have to worry about the time!

User Reviews

Effective "B" film that established Charles McGraw

"The Threat" is an effective "B" film noir that is kind of a junior league "White Heat" with Charles McGraw starring as an escaped killer seeking vengeance on those who sent him up. The storyline is relatively clever and the threadbare production values are easily overlooked due to the earnest acting and fast pace.

McGraw was so evilly convincing as the heavy that RKO subsequently signed him to a seven-year contract and starred him in "Armored Car Robbery", "Roadblock" and "The Narrow Margin". When you consider that this picture was shot in under three weeks with a total budget of $221,000, it is quite an achievement for director Felix Feist.

One doesn't have to be 8 years old to appreciate economical film making that rises above the typical RKO "B" film sausage grinding of the time.