Lightning Strikes Twice (1951) User Reviews

Desperation in the desert

[jjnxn-1 · 8/10 · 22 December 2014]

Fun overheated histrionics in the desert with two of the more under-appreciated actresses of the 50's.

Ruth Roman is a big city actress looking for a bit of rest in the wilderness and finding little. Right from the get go things in this docile community seem a bit off even though the residents appear friendly. Next thing you know she's neck deep in contretemps with suspected murderers and intrigue! It's all pitched to the higher notes of melodrama but kept grounded by the competence of the cast and no nonsense direction.

The movie is a routine Warners programmer but given some snap by the quality performances of Ruth Roman, subtle and dignified, and Mercedes McCambridge, controlled for most of the film but she gets her chance to do some florid emoting later in the picture.

Professionally done this is enjoyable in an over the top way especially for fans of either actress.

Beyond The Desert

[miriamwebster · 8/10 · 4 May 2012]

Another crazed logic-free over-acted melodrama in the same late Forties/early Fifties hothouse mode of Warners' Beyond The Forest, The Damned Don't Cry and This Woman Is Dangerous, this time sans the stellar fuel tank of Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. Judge this rating accordingly-- if you enjoyed aforementioned pictures, you'll get a kick out this; if not, take shelter. . .stormy weather indeed.

No need to rehash plot revealed by earlier posters, a Texas-set dramatic chile con carne liberally laced with murder, unrequited love and dark secrets set in one of those those only-in-the-movies remote desert communities where people live miles apart in remote rancheros. . .but still show up in gowns and white dinner jackets at swank poolside barbecues that would put Manhattanites to shame.

Although the smoldering-yet-vanilla Richard Todd, underused Ruth Roman and Zachery Scott(in a "hey-it's-a-paycheck" role that comes out of nowhere and getsthere fast) are ostensible stars, show is stolen by cactus-chomping Mercedes McCambridge in (apparently unintentional) schizophrenic role as a butch desert denizen (think of her role in Johnny Guitar, only less feminine) who not only has inexplicable crush on charmless Todd after he has allegedly killed his wife. . .but is nevertheless selected to serve on jury during his murder trial to boot! Things go off-cliff (as does at least one vehicle) from there.

Whatever film lacks in reality, it more than makes up for in implausibility and psychological chaos that would baffle Freud. But rest assured, everyone gets their just deserts(sic). If you're in right frame of mind, a yucca minute.

McCambridge, Roman stand out in King Vidor's overloaded desert melodrama

[bmacv · 7/10 · 5 August 2002]

Richard Todd sits on death row, waiting execution for his wife's murder. At the eleventh hour, a reprieve and new trial come through; he's acquitted, thanks to one holdout juror (Mercedes McCambridge). Released, he disappears into the west Texas desert.

Enter Ruth Roman, a touring actress in search of the desert's restorative climate. An innkeeper and his wife become solicitous of her when she stops in a small town, and lend her a car to get to the dude ranch where she hopes to recuperate. En route (in a scene prescient of Janet Leigh's flight from Phoenix in Psycho), she gets lost in thunderstorms and takes refuge in an abandoned house -- where Todd is holed up. They size one another up and, next morning, she continues on to the dude ranch. Run by McCambridge and her emotionally disturbed young brother (Darryl Hickman), it has closed down, but they agree to put Roman up for a few days. But she seeks out Todd again, despite conflicting stories about his guilt or innocence.

Director King Vidor and scriptwriter Lenore Coffee, having goaded Bette Davis to pull out all the stops in Beyond The Forest two years earlier, here take on another overloaded melodrama, with mixed results. We see too little of key events and rely instead on hearsay about other characters, who sometimes haven't yet been sufficiently established (and the one brief flashback is a mistake -- we need either more or none). And of eight major characters, two or even three (including Zachary Scott) prove superfluous. But the movie's biggest stumble lies in the casting of Richard Todd. Remembered if at all as the title character in that echt-1950s biopic of pious patriotism A Man Called Peter, here his stiff British accent and acting falsify the whole Southwestern milieu (Lightning Strikes Twice, like Desert Fury of five years earlier, evokes the new Sunbelt of money and leisure).

Happily, the female characters fall on the plus side. Kathryn Givney shows spunk and intelligence as the strangely solicitous Mrs. Nolan. Ruth Roman, on evidence of this movie and Tomorrow Is Another Day, had more range and subtlety than she was let display in her best known role as Farley Granger's mannikin-like fiancee in Strangers on a Train. But the acting honors, inevitably, fall to McCambridge. Looking especially tomboyish, her face registers every thought and feeling that passes through her head; she's hyper-alert in her moods and responses. And so, as was her custom during her disappointingly thin screen career, she delivers the most memorable performance of the film.

Oddly fascinating

[VADigger · 6/10 · 25 February 2022]

It's lurid and ludicrously plotted. Yet despite, or perhaps because of its overwrought melodrama, it's oddly entertaining, like a Carol Burnett parody of one of those classic "women's pictures". If you can just give in to the absurdities of the story, you might have a good time. The acting is slightly over-the-top, but it suits the material.

not very believable

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 11 January 2015]

If something is really good, I will forgive plot holes or situations that stretch the imagination. I won't do it here.

"Lightning Strikes Twice" stars Ruth Roman, Richard Todd, Mercedes McCambridge, and Zachary Scott. Roman plays an actress, Shelley Carnes, who has been sent out west for her health and is going to a dude ranch. The talk on the train is about Richard Trevelyan who was convicted of murdering his wife and received a death sentence. He was given a stay of execution pending a new trial and freed because the jury had one holdout who thought he was not guilty.

When her car gets stuck in the mud, Shelley is helped by a man in a house nearby, who turns out to be Trevelyan. She leaves the next day. The dude ranch, it turns out, is closed. She is invited by the caretakers Liza and String (McCambridge and Darryl Hickman) to stay for a few days anyway. She has already met their neighbors, who were friends of Trevelyan. Everyone seems to be looking for him. She learns that Liza was the one holdout on the jury. Because he wasn't convicted, the people in town are nasty to her (reminds me of the Casey Anthony trial where the local restaurants wouldn't serve jurors). Liza believes in his innocence.

Shelley meets Richard again, and the two of them fall in love. Shelley wants to prove him not guilty. But was he? This noirish film was a nice diversion thanks to the acting, but it had a few problems. The first is, what the heck was Liza doing on the jury if she knew this guy? Doesn't that suggest a certain prejudice? Second, things happen too fast. Roman and Todd are madly in love after one kiss and a couple of days. Third, why was Zachary Scott in this film? Talk about being superfluous, and he was hardly in it anyway.

Richard Todd is miscast as Trevelyan. He and Roman make a beautiful couple, and Todd was a good actor, but he is out of place in the west, given his accent and bearing. As someone on the board suggested, Scott may have been a better choice for the role, or Jim Davis.

The rest of the acting is very good, with a strong performance by Mercedes McCambridge and a solid one by Roman. In the end, though, this film is pretty routine, though atmospheric.

Worth Watching for Ruth Roman

[callladd · 6/10 · 6 August 2021]

This is a fair mystery with some good performances and one real clunker.

Richard Todd does a good job of keeping the viewer guessing -- did he or didn't he and if he didn't kill his wife, who is he protecting? I really enjoyed some of the supporting cast, especially Kathryn Givney and Zachary Scott. Ruth Roman was wonderful, she is the reason I stuck with this movie to the end. Mercedes McCambridge horrid performance is the reason I was tempted to turn it off before the conclusion. Her flat voice and her over-the-top acting brought every scene she's in to a screeching halt. She has fans on this site but for the life of me I can't understand why.

Good, but could have been really significant!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 27 January 2013]

A low-budget murder mystery and undemanding time-killer – which is a real shame. Despite the occasional use of actual locations, obvious studio inserts and phony backdrops give the cost-saving game away. With just a little bit more money in the till, these hazards could easily have been avoided. Admittedly, on it's own penny-pinching level, the movie is interesting enough, even if somewhat slowly paced and somewhat short on action. Nevertheless, it's acted agreeably enough to sustain interest, directed with sufficient tautness, and atmospherically photographed. The characters are both realistically written and tautly played by a well-night perfect cast: Richard Todd, in his first American film, plays with customary charm and stolidity – although not always photographed from the most flattering angles, particularly in his reverse shots. Ruth Roman is delightfully sultry even in what – despite the movie's poster art – is decidedly a goody-two-shoes role. Mercedes McCambridge is her usual neurotic character. Zachary Scott makes a late entrance – 60 minutes late to be precise – but proves a diverting red herring at a point in the narrative where interesting was just beginning to flag. Frank Conroy heads up a very able support cast. King Vidor has directed with his usual dramatic tautness and economy. With just a little bit more money up front, this could have been a high-class mystery yarn, even though the identity of the killer is obvious.

Juicy melodrama

[hildacrane · 8/10 · 28 February 2006]

Definitely worth a look. Immediately following his "Beyond the Forest" and "The Fountainhead" (also Warners), this Vidor film is somewhat less feverish and over-the-top than those two, and accordingly does not pack the same punch, but still has a nice erotic frisson. It's a whodunit with romance--including a rainstorm when the two leads meet in an isolated house. Ruth Roman is lovingly photographed and underscored by luscious Steiner music in this threatened-bride tale. Mercedes McCambridge does some of the same kind of scenery chewing that Davis did in "Forest," while Zachary Scott reprises his charming scoundrel from many Warner's films.

A Bolt from Out of the Blue ***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 14 July 2014]

The film should have concentrated more on the Mercedes McCambridge character and for what love of Richard Todd forced her to do. Rather, we're focused on the quick romantic situation between Todd and Ruth Roman leading to a quick marriage. Of course, Todd has been acquitted of killing his trollop wife but suspicion of him remains.

Nothing is elaborated regarding the Hickman character, brother to McCambridge and prone to outbursts. Ditto for the usually suave Zachary Scott, a lover of the murdered girl.

Who is that woman loaning out her car? Why not talk more of the Roman character's acting on the New York stage?

Payoff isn't worth the wait in this tale of reprieved man still under suspicion of murder

[Turfseer · 4/10 · 1 October 2021]

Lightening Strikes Twice begins with the introduction of a condemned man on death row, Richard Trevelyan (Richard Todd), who gets a reprieve and a second trial in which he's promptly acquitted. We don't know the reason for the second trial but do learn later that a female juror (who knew Trevelyan before he was accused of murdering his wife) quite unconvincingly swayed her fellow jurors to acquit him. Most critics agreed that it was not realistic that a juror who knew the defendant beforehand would have been selected to sit in judgement upon him.

Until the climax, we're forced to figure out whether Trevelyan actually murdered his wife or whether it was others in his inner circle that did the deed. Only the protagonist, actress Shelley Carnes (Ruth Roman), scheduled for a well-earned vacation at a dude ranch (and clearly an interloper), can be safely be ruled out as a suspect from the beginning.

Shelley ends up meeting ranchers J. D. (Frank Conroy) and Myra Nolan (Kathyrn Givney) and Myra ends up lending her car to her, giving her directions to the dude ranch. On the way she gets lost in a storm and ends up in what I think is a deserted hotel-except Trevelyan is there and you get the impression that he might actually have killed his wife, given the mixed messages he gives to Shelley (mostly of a negative sort) along with his menacing demeanor.

When Shelley wakes up in the morning Trevelyan has disappeared and she makes her way to the dude ranch where she encounters two weird characters, the owner Liza McStringer (Mercedes McCambridge) and her younger brother String (Daryl Hickman). Liza is the juror who convinced her fellow jurors to let Trevelyan get off scot free and hence is shunned by her neighbors.

So not only do we suspect the McStringers to be potential suspects but the characters Shelley met earlier, J. D. and Myra, also could be guilty, since Myra knew along the dude ranch was closed but didn't tell Shelley about it. Why did she send her if she knew the ranch was closed? Nonetheless, String bonds with Shelley so both he and her sister allow her to stay at the ranch despite having temporarily closed it.

An additional red herring is thrown in, when we're introduced to neighbor Harvey Turner (Zachary Scott), a friend of the Nolans, who immediately becomes obsessed with Shelley. At one point he's driving her to a deserted cottage and appears he's going to possibly sexually assault Shelley but was actually simply doing a favor for Trevelyan who wanted to see her.

We're thrown off the trail again when Shelley falls for Trevelyan. There's a ridiculous scene on a cliff in which Shelley gets all mousey and begs Trevelyan to help guide her to safety after literally becoming paralyzed with fear. They end up getting married but then Shelley gets it in her head that Trevelyan did murder his wife.

This causes Shelley to flee where she ends up back at the McStringer ranch where we finally discover that it was Liza who killed Trevelyan's wife as she was obsessed with him. It's a wholly disappointing finale given the pedestrian nature of the plot. McCambridge hams it up as the obsessed dude ranch owner joined by her handicapped brother, who are promptly dispatched in a fiery car crash after they attempt to flee the police.

Sure enough it's the "weird ones" who get their just desserts and not any of the apparent "stalwart" members of the community including Trevelyan, whose prior bad behavior is just another red herring to throw you off the scent of the real killer.

Roman and Todd try their best with this material but in the end the whole thing seems a little too forced. Is the payoff worth the wait? Unfortunately the answer is a resounding no.

All the correct elements for . . .

[folsominc2 · 10/10 · 4 November 2002]

All the correct elements for a romantic murder mystery suspense. A dark mysterious man who looks tortured by his problems and associations, a lively woman who is willing to try and believe a man who might be a murderer until the temptation of her imagination overcomes her, an unknown factor of the other woman who is extremely jealous and doesn't want anyone else to have the man she has always wanted, a emotionally disturbed brother who is a reactionary to events in life, and finally a secret that you are not sure you believe any more than the heroine. All set to a b/w backdrop that crawls up your skin while you are waiting for the inevitable moment when the man you have half fell in love with yourself shows his true colors.

WOW! Perfect for dark, stormy nights curled up in front of the television with a cup of hot cocoa in one hand and a shotgun beside the other. Hee!

But seriously, one of the most perfect mysteries I remember.

A noir-gothic-romance-murder mystery, berserk but worth a look

[meaninglessname · 7/10 · 28 April 2020]

A film noir buff, I recently came across this film, which has all the hallmarks of a sharply focused Warner Brothers film noir, with an excellent cast and some scenic black-and-white cinematography somewhere in the southwestern desert.

A promising start features Ruth Roman as an actress seeking a dude ranch for her health (which appears unimpaired, by the way) who stumbles into an unresolved murder mystery involving Richard Todd (who appeared gorgeous even to this straight male) as a rancher acquitted of murdering his wife after two trials, the first ending in a conviction.

Roman and Todd "meet cute" and she becomes smitten with him before learning his identity. She becomes determined to establish his innocence once and for all to quiet area residents still harboring doubt.

At this point I was wondering why this film wasn't mentioned more among noir classics but then things started getting weird.

There are various subplots involving Todd's foster parents, from whom he is estranged, Mercedes McCambridge, both the owner of the now-shuttered dude ranch and juror responsible for Todd's acquittal, and Zachary Scott as an indolent playboy who seems a bit out of place in ranching territory.

Indeed there is an air of opulence, including a swank Beverly Hills-style dinner party at a ranch, that seems out of keeping with the setting. And Todd, is remarkably well dressed and groomed even when hiding out in the wilderness.

Eventually, with the plot and setting becoming progressively less realistic and various characters going into unexplained hysterics, the film seemed less noir than fantastic melodrama. However, it does resolve the murder mystery, if only via the indiscretion of the real culprit.

There's also a background story that eventually fades from the plot about a lovable priest with a Hispanic flock that perpetuates Hollywood stereotypes of childlike Mexicans speaking broken English and taking siestas against walls.

Despite my misgivings, I enjoyed the film on its own terms and wouldn't mind watching it again some time down the road. Good cast and cinematography and fast-paced enough to distract you from the anomalies.

Does this film make any sense?!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 19 September 2015]

Ruth Roman is stuck starring in a rather dopey movie. The acting is generally good and the atmosphere also quite good...but the plot is just stupid.

The film begins with a man being re-tried in court for murdering his wife. A holdout of the jury results in a mistrial* and he is let free.

In the next scene, a New Yorker, Shelly (Roman), travels to the desert on a vacation to a dude ranch. She arrives and is told the place is closed...but they'll let her stay. The lady in charge was apparently a friend of the accused murderer and was also on the jury at his trial*. She stays for a few days and soon meets the accused killer. Some other stuff happens and soon she's in love with this man for no apparent reason...and then they get married! None of this makes any sense--- nor does what follows. In fact, the ending and the perfect way everything worked out was utterly ridiculous. My problem is that no matter whether or not the acting and direction are any good or not, the story is so full of dumb holes that I found myself just wanting the film to end.

*Someone who is a friend of an accused killer would NEVER be allowed on a jury...never. This made even less sense than the other woman almost instantly falling for Richard and marrying him.

Overloaded

[dougdoepke · 27 December 2011]

While staying at a deserted dude ranch, a woman (Roman) gets involved with a man (Todd) suspected of murder

Apparently, the movie was intended to showcase rising stars Roman, Todd, and Mc Cambridge. Trouble is they're undone by a screenplay that can't make up its mind. Is it a whodunit, a noir, a "woman in danger", or a soap opera. Actually, it's a little of all four that turns out more like an overloaded dish of stew than a tasty soufflé. Too bad because it's a waste of some fine performers like Conroy, Givney, and especially Scott.

There is one ridiculous scene almost worth the overlong 90-minutes. That's where Todd and Roman decide to have a romantic interlude perched atop a narrow cliff. Now, why a woman would choose a drop-off as a trysting spot with a suspected wife killer remains the movie's biggest mystery. In fact, the scene is almost a parody of every poorly staged soap opera on film. As an old movie fan, I wondered why I'd never heard of this film. Now I know.

"I Cheated Everyone Out Of An Execution"

[davidcarniglia · 6/10 · 3 January 2019]

This was entertaining, but could've been a lot better. As plenty of reviewers have said, the plot doesn't add up: Liza (Mercedes McCambridge) magical appearance on Richard's (Richard Todd's) jury, and Shelley (Ruth Roman) falling in love with Richard as though he were the last man on Earth make Texas-sized loopholes. I agree too with those who mention that most of the performances are quite good, the atmosphere has a rustic-noir cast to it, and there's a consistent tone.

Particularly interesting is Zachary Scott's Henry, a sort of playboy foil to the stoic Richard. Liza caught him messing with Lorraine, the murdered wife in question. It might've been fun to have more of Henry; maybe establish him as a serious rival for Shelley. She's a sort of substitute for Lorraine; tossed into the thick of the plot for no apparent reason. Everyone has an angle on her. It would make more sense if she were a returning local, and had some unfinished business there, but no. She becomes a 'detective' for Richard's foster parents; but what's the point? Richard's been acquitted. Like the romance, the 'investigation' lacks credibility. Nothing's at stake for Shelley, she's on vacation. That she makes herself relevant by falling in love with Richard is merely convenient for the plot.

There ought to be a nefarious reason to use Shelley; if she had been from the town she might be usefully framed for Lorraine's murder. Actually, the murder mystery is pretty good as is. There's enough suspects, and Richard's enigmatic behavior hardly lets him off the hook. In fact, the tarantula-in-the-bed looks like a ploy for a psychopathic Richard if his intent to kill Shelley backfires. At that point, he acts like a murderer. Since Liza has been chewing things up for most of the movie, it's not surprising that she's involved. The denouement works well. It makes us focus, as at first Henry is implicated, then, quickly Liza gives up the whole deal. Liza's nicely twisted sense of jealous loyalty shakes its rage on Lorraine, who makes Richard look bad, thanks to Liza catching Henry with her.

But, doesn't Lorraine's infidelity give Liza an opening with Richard? I guess that would be too simple. In any case, a happy ending is is store. Despite both Richard and Shelley creating sympathy, they really haven't got any more chemistry going on than high school lab partners. As a whole, though, Lightning Strikes Twice does get some things right. Shelley's approach to the house on that first rainy night has Richard's wonderfully creepy reflection appear behind her in the window. Plus, it's not really his house, the dude ranch is not really open, and Richard, as a foster child, is something of a stranger-in-a-strange-land. The priest's flashback gives us a good set-up of the murder scene.

Unfortunately, the Hispanic characters mostly function as useful ornaments, barely even two-dimensional. For example, Pedro's daughter is introduced at the wedding reception, but she does nothing other than look cute. She could've been woven into the plot; maybe there's another angle in the mystery for one of the ranch hands...in any case, Tumble Moon is an excellent name. Some desolate, but romantic place with a bit of whimsy. Sort of a borderland between film noir and a romance novel. 6/10.

The Bland Leading The Bland

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 11 December 2007]

This is a bit of a rum do and no mistake. For a start we have the solid mahogany Richard Todd leaving a trail of sawdust in his wake whilst Zachary Scott who can and does act Todd off the screen doesn't even appear until about reel #6 and is woefully under extended. Ruth Roman might have done really well as the femme lead - if she wasn't in the same movie as Mercedes McCambridge - things are tough all over, it would seem. Plot-wise it's as hokey as they come; we open with Todd on Death Row on account of a little matter of murdering his wife then, with no groundwork/back-story to help us he is awarded first a stay of execution and then a re-trial which leaves him a free man. Enter Ruth Roman, actress on vacation/convalescence who falls instantly into fascination with Todd. This leads nicely to the 'doubting' scene, did he REALLY do it, will he do the same to Me, until all is resolved neatly with the real killer not only being unmasked but also paying the ultimate price. This is noir-lite with two excellent performances from Scott and McCambridge, a solid one from Roman and Todd having a laugh.

ROMAN STANDS BY HER MAN...!

[masonfisk · 7/10 · 7 March 2022]

A murder mystery/romance from 1951. Richard Todd has just been released from prison for murder. A witness came forward who gave convincing testimony prompting his parole. Even though he knows he's going to be on the tongues of the gossiping hordes back home who believe he was guilty, he returns home. Into this melodrama comes an actress, played by Ruth Roman (famously for fighting rubber monsters in 1955's This Island Earth), out looking for a dude ranch for much needed R & R. Getting her rental car stuck in the mud during a torrential downpour, she finds herself in a seemingly desolate cottage where Todd has holed up who takes her in for the night & even provides her breakfast the next morn before she makes her way to her destination. Once there, we find out the caretaker, played by Mercedes McCambridge (who will forever be known as the voice of the demon in The Exorcist) & her younger brother, played by future Dobie Gillis star, Darryl Hickman, had a history w/Todd & who claims she witnessed the murder. As her curiosity soon starts to overwhelm her, Roman soon becomes enamored of Todd much to the chagrined of the townsfolk, especially those who knew the murder victim. Once marriage is proposed & consummated, the truth of the past crime soon rears up, putting Roman in doubt of the man she married. Pretty good for the most part, the film only falters (still, for some, in a good way!) when it veers into sheer camp as Roman realizes the potential error in her ways moments after she's exchanged vows & when the killer is revealed, no piece of scenery is safe from excess chewing. Also starring my favorite cinematic sleaze, Zachary Scott, here playing an old friend of Todd's.

Western noir about a potential wife killer...but who really killed her?

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 30 March 2022]

This was an enjoyable Noir about a husband who is on death row having been convicted of murdering in his wife. He gets a last minute retrial that ends up in his release due to a hung jury...the problem is in his small western town, almost everyone seems to think he did it. Almost everyone...

An actress from the East flies in for some R&R on a local dude ranch and is treated to some interesting western hospitality.

She meets our newly released husband, not knowing who he is, is taken in by his charm.

This was a cleaver story that leaves you wondering who committed the murder. There are some interesting characters that are more grey than black and white.

This is a worthwhile noir that I enjoyed and recommend.

Anyone who has seen a diagram of that new 2019 virus . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 7/10 · 14 October 2020]

. . . will swear that it's the spitting image of "Liza," the evil villainous witch of LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. Liza is so Satanic even her voice sounds Demonic. It's a wonder that she did not play Sissy's mom in the original CARRIE. This devious dame proves that being loved by a wicked wench like her is a Fate worse than Death. Trying to picture a romantic evening with such an insanely jealous and possessive bad penny inevitably evokes images of gory electric pencil sharpeners. Man-hating Liza is so misanthropic that she speeds to hurtle her car off a cliff just for the sake of slaying her little brother. Since nothing would be gained by pounding a stake into the meager chest of heartless harpy Liza, viewers will pray that the final rites carpenters hammer their pickets home elsewhere.

pulpy mystery drama

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 29 September 2020]

Death row inmate Richard Trevelyan gets a last minute reprieve from the governor. In a new trial for killing his wife, he is acquitted after a lone female juror held out for a 6-6 split. Shelley Carnes is traveling to a ranch for vacation and gets lost along the way. She finds shelter from a rain storm in an empty house with a bitter Trevelyan. The ranch is run by Liza McStringer who is the lone juror responsible for freeing Trevelyan.

The movie should start with the murder. I don't really understand the logistics of the trials. He was obviously convicted and then there is another trial. It would be a lot easier to have only one trial. Also it's unrealistic for Liza to be on the jury. There is a way of getting to the ranch with a simpler story. Going back to his home town would be the last thing that Trevelyan would do. The whole story is a bit manufactured. It would be vastly superior to set the story in an isolated place of no connections. The movie does have a pulpy charm and it has some limited visual looks. The overall mystery does not excite. The only tension comes from a scary Trevelyan in an empty house with Shelley. That's why this should have been a more limited movie with 3 or 4 characters in a remote place.

lightning strikes twice

[mossgrymk · 6/10 · 20 October 2020]

Classic case of taking a director...in this case, King Vidor...out of his or her comfort zone...in Vidor's case, examinations of American social and class problems...and plunking them in unfamiliar territory...in this case, lady in distress/noir. The result, as might have been predicted, is a stylish if rather dull film where none of the characters or scenes manage to stay with you beyond the viewing or, in the case of the extremely bland Richard Todd and Ruth Roman pairing, during the viewing. Thus, aside from the interesting Ariz. dude ranch setting...one expects to see Spade Cooley walk in and slap Mercedes Mc Cambridge around...and a welcome bit of Zachary Scott oleaginousness, there's no reason to watch it. Give it a C. PS...Obviously, the usually good scenarist Lenore Coffey didn't get the memo about noir dialogue needing humor the way a fastball needs movement.

All goes wrong at the end

[clay-151 · 5/10 · 10 March 2014]

I think I just saw two movies in one. The beginning pulled me in, Ruth Roman shows a nice soft-yet-spunky ingénue side here, a little different from some of her other work, where she seems more hard-edged. However, the last 15-20 minutes were unbelievable! I thought I was watching a silent movie "mit sound" with all the double-takes and over-reactions. Some early talkies were like this, before it was learned that less gesticulating etal generally worked better when live dialog was available. I'd recommend watching this movie once, the first part for enjoyment, the last part being an amazed amusement of 'how far can they go?!' One could even watch it twice, to try to discover at exactly what point it all went terribly, but humorously wrong.

Melodramatic and moody mystery with poorly motivated characters...

[Doylenf · 22 November 2011]

You know something's wrong with a film when you keep asking yourself, in the middle of plot complications, where is Zachary Scott? He's given fourth billing in the screen credits but doesn't appear until the first hour is over. And after watching the film, it's clear that he would have been a better choice than Richard Todd to play the man suspected of killing his wife, rather than the playboy cad he always played.

Richard Todd almost sleepwalks his way through his miscast role as a newly released jailbird exonerated of being guilty, except when staring intensely at Ruth Roman. Poor Ruth Roman has a heck of a time trying to decide which side to take in the stories she's heard about a man suspected of killing his wife. She meets that man (Richard Todd) on a dark and stormy night and from that moment on it's anyone's guess as to whom the real culprit is.

Is he going to tell her what really happened to his murdered wife or is he staying mum to hide the truth or shield someone else? All of it is pretty contrived, asking us to believe that people behave in ways that defy common sense. Roman's character accepts Todd's innocence long before she has any right to do so, and the Mercedes McCambridge character is never given enough depth to suddenly change and revert to someone else for the final showdown.

Everyone acts with their face toward the camera rather than facing each other whenever there's a moment of confrontation or even an intimate chat taking place. It's a cinema device encouraging the viewer to notice the subtle changes of expression on the faces, to better illustrate what their feelings and inner thoughts are. Unfortunately, it comes across as making the acting seem ludicrously over-the-top--no subtlety at all.

Ruth Roman and Mercedes McCambridge, more than anyone else in the cast, uses this emoting device throughout. This seems to be a trademark of '50s acting--or at least it is under King Vidor's direction.

Despite its faults, LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE remains watchable and taut as it winds its way toward a twisted resolution. Just don't expect too much, but it will keep you intrigued.

Don't Dodge

[boblipton · 7/10 · 19 February 2023]

Actress Ruth Roman comes to ranch territory to regain her health. She meets up with Richard Todd, a man tried twice for killing his wife, and the usual mix of odd and warm folks, most of whom seem to be at least outside candidates for the actual murderer.

Ruth Roman was one of those actresses who had a star period which always struck me as a bit odd. She was beautiful, she was a highly competent actress, and she was made for supporting roles, which is just what she had here in her first movie with the name above the title; although she's the viewpoint character, she seems mostly the conduit through which the movie's investigation of whodunnit takes place. Neither are there any sparks between her and Todd, very oddly cast as a Texas rancher. Instead we get noirish highlights on a cast that includes Mercedes McCambridge, Darryl Hickman, and the always smarmy Zachary Scott. Director King Vidor did the locations on his own ranch. Like every Vidor movie, it's definitely worth seeing, arguably the first 'desert noir', but definitely in Vidor's wheelhouse of visually striking melodramas.