No Questions Asked (1951) User Reviews

Arlene Dahl isn't as nice this time

[RanchoTuVu · 8/10 · 29 March 2010]

An insurance claims adjuster (Barry Sullivan) finds he can make a lot more money if he deals with the crooks who are robbing and stealing valuable jewelry and furs. The insurance company that he works for is actually abetting crime in order to retrieve the stolen goods and minimize their losses, thus upsetting the police who would prefer to not reward the crooks who are now even more motivated to pull off daring heists, as they now are guaranteed hefty payments for the stolen goods. This film has some interesting elements and a couple of memorable scenes, a couple of which take place in a swimming pool and one in which the assembled wealthy patrons at an opening night theater debut are robbed while they're all in the powder room between acts. At the root of Sullivan's actions is the woman who dumped him, played by Arlene Dahl. She usually plays sympathetic parts, but here her character has a solid place on the memorable list of film noir bad girls. For a film directed by someone known for editing, this is surprisingly good, with a tough ending.

small noir from 1951

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 10 September 2009]

Barry Sullivan retrieves stolen goods for a fee in "No Questions Asked," a 1951 B noir also starring George Murphy, Arlene Dahl and Jean Hagen. Sullivan is Steve Kiever, an attorney for an insurance company. He's impossibly in love with the beautiful, gold-digging Ellen (Dahl), who dumps him early on by getting married and forgetting to mention it. After recovering stolen furs for the insurance company and making extra money, he goes into business for himself. Soon there's a city-wide crime wave, with the thieves collecting good money on the stolen goods without being caught trying to sell the stuff and with no one learning their names. The police, led by George Murphpy, are furious with him. Kiever becomes wealthy and has gone back to an old girlfriend from his office, Joan (Hagen) when he sees Ellen again. The old hunger returns - though, as Hagen is aware, it had never left.

This is a pretty good film, very noirish with his sleazy locations and nighttime drama. There are some good scenes, though I have to admit that I saw through the gimmick used for the robbery and couldn't figure out why no one else who was robbed did. Two future TV stars, Richard Anderson and William Reynolds, have roles in the film, as well as old-timers like Murphy and Moroni Olsen.

Enjoyable.

pretty good noir from the early fifties

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 10 September 2009]

Arlene Dahl is "Ellen" in this flick from the 1950s. The opening scene is our narrator running from the police, but within 10 seconds we flash back to what brought us to that point. In the flashback, she is met at the airport by a lawyer-friend "Steve" (Barry Sullivan). Steve is also on a first name basis with Harry, the taxi driver. Harry takes him around to visit all the thugs in town so he can be the go-between in a shady transaction. All of a sudden, his girl is gone, and Steve is in business getting more and more stolen goods back for clients....for a price. The police are watching him, and he'd better watch his step....Jean Hagen is "Joan", Steve's new girl. ( Hagen had been in Singing in the Rain, and Dead Ringer with Bette Davis.) No real big names in this one, but it's a pretty good story. Directed by Harold Kress, who had won two Oscars for EDITING How the West was Won and Towering Inferno. He was nominated for editing SIX times, and won two of those times. Oddly, this was one of the five films KRESS ever directed. Pretty good movie - i'm surprised that this one isn't on more often, but I guess it's because they used lesser known actors of the time.

Finder's Fee Turns Into Racket

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 9 September 2009]

No Questions Asked finds Barry Sullivan as a lawyer for an insurance company with some heavy duty money problems. He's got a high maintenance Arlene Dahl whom he's looking to marry. On his own and after a few tries he makes a deal with some gangsters to return some stolen furs, No Questions Asked, for which Sullivan gets a finder's fee.

Dahl still gives Sullivan the heave ho and trades up to marry the richer Richard Simmons (that's not the exercise guru). While drowning his sorrows, Sullivan realizes one could make a good living at this and in fact it's legitimate. And the crook's realize they can steal hard to fence items, as long as they can sell it back to the owners through Sullivan. And the beauty for Sullivan is that his end is completely legitimate. Sweet.

Naturally this is all going to blow up in our hero/protagonist's face and police inspector George Murphy will be around to collect the pieces. It's how it all blows up that's the real interest in No Questions Asked. Sullivan also has good girl Jean Hagen from his office with a yen for him. But he can't shake his yen for Dahl.

No Questions Asked is a nicely paced caper/noir film with a lot of high gloss productions values not normally associated with noir. Of course coming from MGM it wouldn't be anything else. Dahl gives one of her best screen performances as the ice princess of Sullivan's dreams.

This one is worth catching if TCM runs it.

Legal fencing!

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 2 February 2020]

No Questions Asked is directed by Harold F. Kress and written by Sidney Sheldon and Berne Giler. It stars Barry Sullivan, Arlene Dahl, Jean Hagen, George Murphy, Richard Anderson and Moroni Olsen. Music is by Leith Stevens and cinematography by Harold Lipstein.

Sullivan plays Steve Keiver, an insurance lawyer unhappy with his rate of company advancement. He hits on the idea of being a middleman in deals to recover stolen property from the Mob, thus earning a nice pay off for himself whilst the insurance company are saved money by not having to pay out. But sure enough his actions attract police attention and before he knows it he is up to his neck in double-crosses, frames and dames!

Tone is set from the off as our protagonist is on the run from the police, it's a dimly lighted moist street and he begins his narration. From there we get the film flashback of how he has come to be a wanted man.

We are in noirville so obviously we have a bona fide femme fatale (Dahl smouldering) who is greedy, immoral, manipulative and thinks nothing of crushing Keiver's dreams. If he's to go to his doom then she really will not give it a second thought - and yet he loves her and would have married her in a heartbeat. He's a classic noir dope, he just can't see the bad in the woman he so covets, which is all the more annoying since the lovely firm secretary Joan Brenson (Hagen excellent) covets him and he can't see the wood for the trees where the two ladies are concerned.

We have a bunch of run of the mill villains, with one who has a kink involving how long he can hold his breath under water for, though we do get a robbery scene that comes to reveal some devilish cheek soon afterwards. The cops you kind of get miffed about since the whole scam that Keiver has set up is implausibly allowed to flourish. Yet when things go bad for Keiver later in the play, we enter a dark world, where even if the finale isn't pure film noir, we get some moody turns of events that softens any feelings of there being a damp squib at film's end. 7/10

***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 26 July 2015]

The surprise ending reveals the old theme that money isn't everything or having more of it makes you yearn for even more. Quite possibly the so called wealthy couple didn't have that much as you're led to believe, unless they saw a quick opportunity to make a quick haul.

Barry Sullivan is the lawyer who gets involved with the mob. He works for an insurance company and is too quickly able to retrieve stolen merchandise.

The culprits dressed up as women who rob other ladies at a play looked as though they were Daphne and Josephine from "Some Like it Hot."

Sullivan is made to look like a victim of circumstances when he is rejected by Arlene Dahl and is refused a pay raise. As the detective on the case, George Murphy lacks the toughness here which the part should have demanded. There is a good performance by Jean Hagen, the woman who loved the Sullivan characters and is willing to bow out when it appears that he is headed back to the Dahl character.

Some terrific lines

[samhill5215 · 6/10 · 15 April 2010]

Yes indeed, some terrific lines here, especially by Jean Hagen. She is the jewel of this passable noir. Watch for the scene where she shows up at Sullivan's apartment and the interaction with Arlene Dahl. Priceless and somewhat unexpected given the film's age. Some other good stuff as well, again considering the film's age. Like the holdup by two men disguised as women. Otherwise the main premise of the lawyer who acts as go-between criminals and insurance companies is a bit thin. The acting is fine if not exceptional. Barry Sullivan is convincing as the lawyer out for a fast buck to impress gold digging Arlene Dahl whose presence is enough as usual. But it's Jean Hagen who shines and makes this worth watching, at least for her scenes.

Entertaining offbeat noir

[mls4182 · 8/10 · 15 November 2021]

This is definitely one of the better and original B noirs of the 1950s. An insurance lawyer skirts the edge of the law and eventually ends up in bed with the criminal element. Our favorite buxom bad broad, Arlene Dahl. Jean Hagen is good but deserved a better role as a bad girl. Sullivan is adequate but lacks the star quality that would have made this an A production.

It has a few fun and original touches. I won't give them away.

Wonderful film noir story with some great twists and turns...isn't it always a dame?

[cgvsluis · 7/10 · 23 November 2021]

"They turn a spotlight on you and then they narrow the search...You wonder how it happened and where it all really began. It started somewhere beyond the searchlights and sirens. You had ideals and you went to a top law school...I think it all started when I received a telegram that Ellen was coming home."-Steve

This wonderful little film noir starts with our unsuspecting Steve picking up Ellen from the airport. These two are practically engaged to be married but Ellen starts working Steve with the idea that she doesn't want to raise her children in poverty like she was raised. Naïve and happy Steve goes right in and asks his boss for a raise...for which his boss gives him the runaround and a resounding no. Steve works for an insurance company who, like all insurance companies, is trying not to pay out claims.

Desperate to save his company money and to try to get a raise, Steve embarks on a dangerous idea to hunt down the mobsters who stole furs from their client. Steve gets roughed up a bit, but his gamble works and one of the mobsters bites...returning the furs for $10,000 no questions asked. Steve earns $2,500, for which he buys a ring and rushes over to Ellen's...only to find out from her landlady that she is married and left for a honeymoon in Europe!

Drowning his sorrows over his lost girl, one of the mobsters makes Steve an offer to make the insurance hustle a regular scheme.

"You know what I like about you?...you never worry about me smearing your lipstick."-Steve.

"Don't talk to any strange girls."-Joni.

"Do we put a tail on him?"-Cop "I don't know, I think he looks pretty cute just the way he is."-Steve.

"You're not talking to the sucker you left. Oh no! I took your advice and went out and got a liberal education. There are a few things they don't teach you in law school...like how to buy a penthouse. Well you were a great teacher and I've graduated. I can afford to send Stevie to Oxford only there isn't any Stevie."-Steve

"See I'm too smart to stick around because I'm still sucker enough to be in love with you."-Steve.

Good story and excellent film noir plot. If you are a film noir fan...this should be on your list to see.

Don't Ask Questions

[Richie-67-485852 · 8/10 · 29 March 2018]

The power of this movie rests in the story and it is well told and original too. Enjoy Barry Sullivan and supporting actors as they bring some decent story-telling to entertain you. Good snack movie too! The premise is an interesting one and works only if you go back in time lets say the forties and the premise kicks in. Today they have laws and good police work that prevents this set-up of a sort. If you don't ask any questions, you get what you lost back. Its the questions that ruin it LOL. Also take in the love story and assess that as the main actor does this as well. Love is interesting. Love of what, how or whom remains to be seen

Plays real good, like a noir should

[heathentart · 7/10 · 9 September 2009]

I've always liked Barry Sullivan's work, but never saw him in a dark, noir role like his Steve Kiever, man on the run.

The films has a lot of the noir standards: dark environs, some nasty losers, and the set-up, murder and finally the solution.

Kiever is an insurance agent who gets deep into a twisted scam of mobsters, insurance companies, and cops. The plot is fairly simple -crooks stealing insured jewels, then working with Kiever to return them to the insurance company for payment. Ya see, the insurance guys pay less than the insurance claim would have paid. So the jewels are returned, the mobsters make more than they would using a fence, the insurance company goes along - "No Questions Asked." Everything is fine, Kiever has a super girlfriend in the form of gorgeous Arlene Dahl, he's making money hand over fist - And then there's a murder.

This is a good movie which I enjoyed greatly. I have a personal interest because the film was made in the year of my birth, and I've always been interested in what things were like then.

"No Questions Asked" is a nice way to spend a coupla hours. A cold drink, some popcorn, turn the lights down and settle into the couch. Life is good. :)

Respectable Noir

[dougdoepke · 27 September 2009]

No need to repeat the plot, which is a good, unpredictable one. This MGM noir is better than most of the studio's compromised crime dramas of the Dore Schary period. Director Kress keeps things moving, while scripter Sidney Sheldon manages a few neat twists, along with a stunningly gorgeous Arlene Dahl who's enough to make any man lose his head, plus the always soulful Jean Hagen. It's certainly a very watchable 80 minutes; however, I am wondering why it's not more memorable than I think it is. Kress has a good sense of pacing, but what the movie lacks is at least one, strongly memorable scene. In my book two come close. The stickup in the ladies room is really novel. The violent threat of "women" on women presents a genuine departure from convention and real possibilities for something memorable. It is a good scene, but ultimately nothing more than an unusual robbery sequence. The other promising episode is the showdown in the pool, a neat payoff for an earlier underwater scene with gangster Franko (Petrie). However, despite what looks like a lethal encounter, the aftermath turns into just one more conventional close call.

In a more general sense, the movie does contain a number of violent scenes. Yet all are staged rather impersonally, thereby eliminating one of the hallmarks of front-rank noir— that is, the "reality of violence" as one acute observer termed it. Anthony Mann's noirs (e.g. T-Men {1947}; Border Incident {1949}) are especially effective in making the audience not just see the violence, but more importantly, in making us feel its reality in a visceral way. Also important is the reality of evil (non-theological), whether it's corruption (e.g. Phenix City Story {1955}) or brutality (e.g. The Enforcer {1951}). The presence of evil is usually, I think, a matter of atmospherics and acting. Unfortunately, not only is there no sense of evil in the film, there's hardly even a sense of wrong-doing, especially from the rather genial chief gangster Franko who should be the main source. Now, Kress does a good workman- like job filming an imaginative script that keeps us interested and entertained. But ultimately he doesn't manage that extra dimension of making us feel a part of what's happening. As a result, the movie fails to rise above the level of respectable noir, yet that's certainly more than enough for a slow evening.

A mostly unpredictable classic case of film noir

[salesdavew · 7/10 · 25 March 2018]

And God spoke: I need two people, of all my creations, who will be perfect for the leads in what I will call Film Noir. That's how Barry Sullivan and Jean Hagen were created. This film is indeed classic, even typical film noir, with the one big difference: It's quite original plot, which twists and turns like a mountain road. Director Harold Kress lays the story out in a crisp and uninsulting manner, expecting us to pick up subtleties and clues without obvious explanations. I suppose if I have to find issue, I'd say the picture seems to be slightly over edited, coming across at times like a long montage. All in all, really good movie, and, if you are a film noir nut, maybe even great. Dahl always gives the added obvious bonus of being stunning.

Show Me The Money!

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 28 November 2009]

***SPOILERS*** We already see at the start of the movie that former insurance company lawyer, and now fencer for the underworld, Steve Keiver, Barry Sullivan, is in a heap of trouble with him running for his life from the law. Reflecting just what got him into this sorry mess Keiver goes into a long flashback to happier times when he was just a working slob making an honest living at the insurance company that he once worked for.

It was the girl of his dreams pretty Ellen Sayburn payed by former 1946 Miss Rheingold Beer Arlene Dhal who got Keiver into the bind that he finds himself in now. It was the greedy and never satisfied with her situation in life Ellen who really got Keiver started on the road to destruction as well as a trip to the Sing Sing electric chair! That's if the mob doesn't get him first. That's by Ellen wanting him, by hook or by crook, to make something of himself in the world of high finance. Telling Keiver to get ahead in life, if being a hard working and honest man wasn't good enough for her, he followed Ellen's advice asking his boss Henry Manston, Moroni Olsen, for a raise since he's expecting to marry Ellen and raise a family with her. Not getting a raise even though Manston said he so rightfully deserved it Keiver found out that Manston was secretly working with the mob not actively but in paying it off to get stolen goods back that his insurance company was libel for!

It's later when Keiver found out that his soon to be happily married bride Ellen had secretly dumped him for the rich and well connected Gordon Jassman, Dick Simmons, that he felt that not only was he made to look like a love-sick fool by Ellen but that his life as an honest as the days long lawyer made him unavailable to a gold digging women like her by having Ellen leave him for another, and much richer, man!

Seeing from his boss Mr. Manston just how profitable it is to be a fence-man for the mob Keiver decided to go solo as a fence-man himself. In no time at all Keiver using his friend and taxi driver Harry Dycker, Danny Daton, to get him business was "The Man" whom the mob dealt with in exchanging stolen furs jewelry as well as truckloads of expensive wine & booze for cash which Keiver got as much as a 20% commission for.

With him just being the middleman and not having anything to do with the robbery of the goods that he negotiated for Keiver was within he law with the cops not being able to lay a glove, or handcuffs, on him. It's when Ellen came back into his life together with her crook of a husband Gordon that things started to turn sour for Keiver! So sour that he ended up not only become a target for the mobsters that he worked for but the law in being implicated in the murder of a police officer Det. O'Bannion, Richard Anderson. It was Det. O'Bannion whom Keiver, in an effort to go straight, was about to turn evidence over to against his gangster boss the future, or so he wished, Olympic underwater swimming-he could hold his breath for almost five minutes- gold medalist Franko, Howard Petrie.

***SPOILERS*** We get back to the present, after the long flashback, with Keiver on the run from both the law and the mob as he's brought back to his boss Franko to face the music in a $850,000.00 stolen jewelry heist he was supposed to have fenced for him. It's then when all hell breaks loose with Kiver realizing that he's been set up, by guess who, in him being both implicated in the re-stolen-from Franko- stolen jewelry as well as the murder of Det. O'Bannion with not a shred of evidence on his part to prove it!

Noirish look at insurance scams marred by indifferent acting

[bmacv · 6/10 · 14 February 2001]

No Questions Asked takes us down the primrose path followed by ambitious insurance agent Barry Sullivan (but all quality comparisons to Double Indemnity end there). He links up with mobsters who guarantee the return of stolen goods in exchange for a payoff consisting of a percent of their insured value -- and the insurance company acquiesces in this bottom-line trimming. (Sullivan's fiancee, Arlene Dahl, aspires to a higher standard of living.) Soon he's raking in big bucks, to the chagrin of his former co-worker Jean Hagen, who carries a torch for him. There are some good scenes (including a heist in a theater's ladies' lounge by two torpedoes in drag as society dames) and plot twists; some of the cinematography is not bad, either, though it's pretty cliched noir. The worst part of this movie, however, is the generic acting from all involved, except for that of Jean Hagen -- Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain -- and a couple of the bit players. Still, it's worth a first look, if not a second viewing.

The racket

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 12 January 2022]

Have recently returned to watching more classic/golden era films. Especially film noirs, mystery thrillers and silent film. There are always two common reasons for seeing any film or television series. One is if the premise sounds promising, 'No Questions Asked' applies here. The other is if there is a talented cast, again this applies here with Arlene Dahl and Jean Hagen being the most familiar names to me. Not to mention feelings on the genre, in this regard this is coming from a film noir fan.

'No Questions Asked' is another one of those recent discoveries long put in my watchlist but only got round to watching recently. It's another one that left me mostly impressed if not jumping out of my chair in rapture. For what it is, it is well done and executes almost all its components more than solidly. But it also misses out on having the extra something, other film noirs do better on the grit and suspense fronts. Definitely recommended and another film that doesn't deserve its seldom seen status, just not quite an essential.

Am going to start with what 'No Questions Asked' does well, which is a lot. It is filmed with a good sense of slick style and moody atmosphere and is crisply directed. The music and sound quality don't get over-bearing and suit the mood very well. The script is tight, entertaining and has bite, Jean Hagen's lines in particular sizzle and some lines are even quite daring. There are memorable scenes, such as the heist and the pool showdown.

Much of the story, while on the slight side, is tightly paced, absorbs enough and keeps one guessing, the twist not being as predictable as some in other lesser known film noirs. The opening scene is the grittiest the film gets. Barry Sullivan does a good job in the lead role, but he is outshone by a wonderfully icy Dahl (in a departure role) and the sparkling breath of fresh air that is Hagen.

Did think though that the story could have done with more grit and suspense, the action generally could have had more tension and not been as safe and the momentum isn't as tight in the latter stages.

It is just that after such daring lines in the script, it could have translated in the action but didn't quite. And the villains could have been fleshed out more and been more menacing instead of being standard genre cliches.

Concluding, not a great film but worth watching. 7/10.

Pretty darn good film noir.

[grafxman · 9/10 · 25 May 2018]

A black and white film noir that is most excellent. For a noir that doesn't have Bogart in it or any other notable actor this one delivers the goods. Best of all it has a delicious twist that you don't see coming and is quite surprising.

Barry Sullivan plays an insurance agent who gets what seems like a good idea to get rich. As with so many "good ideas" it doesn't take long for things to go sideways for him. He soon finds himself out of his depth. In keeping with the noir there's cops, gangsters, good girls and bad dames. If you like noir this tasty flick is for you.

A good noir with a nifty angle

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 26 February 2022]

Attorney Steve Keiver (Barry Sullivan) goes to his boss for a raise so he can afford to marry his girlfriend and learns that the insurance company he works for is struggling and all raises have been put on hold for now. But he also learns that his boss would pay ten thousand dollars no questions asked to get 50K in stolen furs back due to the payment he has to make on the insurance policy for them the next day. Keiver is the enterprising sort and lets the underworld figures know of the deal he can make. So the insurance company coughs up the cash with an additional finder's fee to Keiver of 2500 dollars and retrieves the furs. When Keiver discovers that his girlfriend Ellen (Arlene Dahl) has married somebody else he decides to go into business being a go between for thieves and insurance companies and makes a very nice living.

So this is more interesting than the law abiding guy who suddenly gets pulled into criminal activity, because Keiver is not breaking any laws and everybody knows what he is doing. But he is also making theft worse in town because the thieves know that which they cannot fence they can sell back to the insurance company through Keiver.

There are complicating factors. Keiver's girl comes back into town with her new rich husband. Keiver is dating another girl who loves him though the feeling is not mutual. Throw in a cop (George Murphy) who doesn't like Keiver's business model, a gangster who is obsessed with holding the record for holding his breath underwater, and a couple of female impersonators who are stick up men, and you have a dandy tale.

The only thing that doesn't make sense is the ending, probably required because of the production code, but it doesn't negate the unexpected and well played portion of the film that comes before.

Jean Hagan - Always the Bridesmaid!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 3 July 2013]

Apart from "The Asphalt Jungle" and "Singin' in the Rain" it seemed "incidentally" was the word critics used most when describing Jean Hagan's performances. She got her first break on Broadway in "Another Part of the Forest" and became great friends with Patricia Neal who introduced her to an actor's agent. "Adam's Rib" should have got her noticed but this film also marked Judy Holiday's debut and when she did have a memorable role as the sincere gangster's girl in "The Asphalt Jungle", Marilyn Monroe stole the show with her smaller but flashier role as Louis Calhern's very youthful mistress.

"No Questions Asked" was more of the same - her role as the loyal, dependable assistant to lawyer Barry Sullivan may be the one decent person in the cast but she was lost in the shuffle between glamorous Arlene Dahl and up and coming (who never went anywhere) Mari Blanchard. Arlene Dahl was at the end of her MGM contract after a couple of years of mostly playing opposite Red Skelton. "No Questions Asked" played her against type as a ruthless gold digger and her performance proved maybe these were the type of roles she should have been given all along.

She plays Ellen who returns from a holiday to inform starry eyed fiancée Steve Kiever (Barry Sullivan) that she couldn't wait for him to make good as a lawyer, she has married for wealth and the security she craves. Steve, already worried that he will not be able to keep her in the manner to which she feels accustomed, has started to walk a fine line for his law firm after hearing his boss say "I'd pay $10,000 to get the property back - no questions asked!!". He then goes to the gangsters and strikes a deal, netting $2,500 for himself and thereafter becoming the bane of the police force by not allowing them to finish the job (George Murphy plays the Chief of Police with no light and shade).

Joan (Hagan) stays true and just when it looks like she may be making headway, Ellen comes back in the picture. She claims she has learned her lesson, that her love for Steve is too strong - but is she setting him up?? Steve of course is putty in her hands - Sullivan was always better as an ice man whether as gangster or detective, he just didn't have the depth to make you feel anything for Steve who was basically a nice but weak guy who would have had a happier life with Joan but then there would have been no movie!!

Showiest role went to Mari Blanchard, as Natalie, who made Arlene Dahl look almost frumpy but unfortunately she didn't receive many lucky breaks during her career - a nice role in Audie Murphy's "Destry" being her career highlight.

No Questions about this this one!

[mackjay2 · 7/10 · 29 March 2024]

NO QUESTIONS ASKED is a fine film noir from the transitional period when dark visuals were still present, but were gradually being edged out in favor of well-lit sound stages. The opening is emblematic of noir, like a pulp novel come to life, and it leads immediately to a flashback. Director Harold F. Kress moves things along quickly, like a good B-movie director should. The picture wastes no time, and essentially telescopes the romantic interludes. In other words, it's mainly an action picture. And the action is often set in atmospherically interesting places: a sleazy night-spot that feels like a real place, a low-rent dancing school caught in mid-rehearsal, a sinister, dimly-lit indoor swimming pool, and more.

Barry Sullivan, Arlene Dahl, George Murphy are good, if not impressive. The real acting standout is Jean Hagen, a performer seemingly incapable of giving less than a superb performance. Hagen plays her part as though she were in one of MGM's A-films.

There are several worthwhile figures in the supporting roles. Moroni Olsen (the DA from MILDRED PIERCE), charming Richard Anderson as Lt. O'Bannion, Madge Blake (Mrs. Mondello from 'Leave it to Beaver'), Robert Osterloh, Mari Blanchard and the rest. Most fascinating of all is William Reynolds as the impossibly handsome thug/dancer Floyd. Reynolds (20 years old here) would later develop into a good actor with a career largely based in television.

good noir

[johnwinkler · 31 October 2001]

A terrific classic noir opening - man on the run in a city of night, his voiceover, leading to flashback - but eventually disappointing. Barry Sullivan is excellent as the protagonist. If it had kept the courage of its opening, it could have been one of the great ones.

Told mostly in flashback , this initially run-of-the-mill noir turns (and twists) more sensational later; just about worth it for a quiet night in...

[declancooley · 7/10 · 16 February 2023]

Slightly better than the sum of its parts, this movie tells the tale of an insurance lawyer who works out a clever semi-legal scheme to keep his gold-digging gal in jewels - until he becomes somewhat the victim of his own success and gets terribly entangled with some 'dirty people'. Though drab in places, and woodenly acted for the most part (apart from Jean Hagen), there are several very short memorable scenes that kind of come out of nowhere - like a plain meal spiced up with a few herbs which make all the difference. In addition, we get introduced to some pretty heartless goons in the latter part that make an oversized impact by the end. This is never gonna win prizes for best noir of all time, but there are enough eye-catching flashes of brilliance here to leave a slight smile on your face by the end. 6.5/10.

entertaining crime movie

[myriamlenys · 8/10 · 16 December 2023]

With the approval of his boss, an employee working for an insurance firm begins to dabble in unethical practices. A disappointment in love further comforts him in his belief that the world is a dark place and that everybody needs to grab what he can get. Still, his line of work is not without danger...

"No questions asked" is quite an original crime movie which contains a number of quotable lines. The twisty, suspenseful plot works up to a ferocious fight in a swimming pool. At the same time the movie functions as a stinging critique of the insurance business, parts of which have developed a symbiotic relationship with the criminal underworld. As one of the characters remarks : which criminal needs fences, if he can get the money from respectable businessmen who serve him tea or coffee in their comfortable offices ?

Viewers who like to compare and contrast, can watch the movie as part of a double bill featuring "Make mine mink". "Make mine mink" is an excellent comedy about people who steal furs, in an increasingly professional way. (Wrote a small review there too.)

Solid MGM noir

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 29 April 2022]

I've never associated MGM much with noir. A few standouts exist- like THE ARNELO AFFAIR (1947); ACT OF VIOLENCE (1948); and MYSTERY STREET (1950). But most of the studio's crime dramas are merely passable and not very engrossing. NO QUESTIONS ASKED falls somewhere in between on the spectrum. It is mostly by the numbers, but does manage some fairly engaging sequences.

Sidney Sheldon- yes, the man who later gained fame as a mystery novelist- wrote the screenplay. He sets up a tense situation at the beginning where a lawyer (Barry Sullivan) who works for a big insurance company is on the run. Of course, a series of flashbacks unfold in typical noir style where we see how he got involved in shady dealings with the mob which jeopardized his legal career and his love life.

The mob elements are somewhat muted, though there is a memorable scene where two hoods dress in drag to rob a bunch of high society women of their jewels. The precious stones are insured and there will be a payout.

Sullivan's character is in on the racket that bilks his posh insurance firm. He's smarter than the executives he toils alongside in the office, and he's smarter than the crooks who operate on the streets and in the back alleys. In fact he's too smart for everyone. And soon these forces, plus the police, conspire to bring him down.

George Murphy, who was in THE ARNELO AFFAIR, plays the inspector. I've always admired Mr. Murphy's versatility in motion pictures, and he's very good as the tough no-nonsense copper.

Meanwhile, we are treated to the requisite romantic interludes. Sullivan is involved with two different types of women. The first one is a greedy married chick (Arlene Dahl) who helps frame him for murder. The second object of affections is a girl Friday (Jean Hagen) at work. She's been carrying a not-so-secret torch for Sullivan.

Miss Hagen is quite poignant in her role. She essays the rejection well when Sullivan initially chooses Dahl over her, but there is a glimmer of hope under the surface that he will come to his senses and change his mind. It is certainly very gratifying when Sullivan finally sees the proverbial light at the end and realizes she's the one he should have been with all along.