Storm Warning (1951)

Director:

Stuart Heisler

Writers:

Daniel Fuchs (written by) and
Richard Brooks (written by)

Release Date:

10 February 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

Behind this burning cross...Behind the loopholes in the law...Behind their cowardly hoods...They hide a thousand vicious crimes!

Plot:

En route to a job, New York based model Marsha Mitchell decides to stop for less than 24 hours in the...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Ku Klux Klan | District Attorney | Reporter | Prosecutor

Cast

Ginger Rogers	...	Marsha Mitchell
Ronald Reagan	...	Burt Rainey
Doris Day	...	Lucy Rice
Steve Cochran	...	Hank Rice
Hugh Sanders	...	Charlie Barr
Lloyd Gough	...	Cliff Rummel
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Faulkner
Ned Glass	...	George Athens
Paul E. Burns	...	Frank Hauser, Baggage Man
Walter Baldwin	...	Coroner Bledsoe
Lynn Whitney	...	Cora Athens
Stuart Randall	...	Walt Walters
Sean McClory	...	Shore
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lillian Albertson	...	Mrs. Rainey (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Townsman on Courthouse Steps (uncredited)
Richard Anderson	...	Interne (uncredited)
Walter Bacon	...	Jury Foreman (uncredited)
Janet Barrett	...	Mrs. Adams (uncredited)
Fern Barry	...	Wife (uncredited)
Paul Brinegar	...	Cameraman #1 (uncredited)
Douglas Carter	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Leo Cleary	...	Barnet (uncredited)
Tom Coleman	...	Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)
Charles J. Conrad	...	Jordan (uncredited)
Ned Davenport	...	Policeman #2 (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Don Dillaway	...	2nd Convert (uncredited)
King Donovan	...	Ambulance Driver (uncredited)
Mike Donovan	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Joe Dougherty	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Ross Elliott	...	Glen (uncredited)
Gene Evans	...	Ku Klux Klansman (uncredited)
Norman Field	...	1st Convert (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Walker (uncredited)
Alex Gerry	...	Basset (uncredited)
Dabbs Greer	...	Courtroom Cop (uncredited)
Carl Harbaugh	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Harry Harvey	...	Mr. Louden (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Mr. Rainey (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Policeman #1 (uncredited)
Mary Alan Hokanson	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Lloyd Jenkins	...	Tommy (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Townsman at Inquest (uncredited)
David Le Grand	...	Customer (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe	...	Al (uncredited)
Charles Marsh	...	Fowler (uncredited)
Frank McCarroll	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Michael McHale	...	3rd Convert (uncredited)
David McMahon	...	Hollis (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Bowling Alley Patron (uncredited)
Robert A. O'Neil	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Baggage Room Attendant (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)
Charles Phillips	...	Bus Driver (uncredited)
Grandon Rhodes	...	Pike (uncredited)
Lee Roberts	...	Driver (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Ku Klux Klansman (uncredited)
Edmon Ryan	...	Trailer's Hooded Narrator (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Townsman at Inquest (uncredited)
Joe Smith	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Mill Worker (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Walter Adams / Townsman at Inquest (uncredited)
Tommy Walker	...	Bob (uncredited)
Anthony Warde	...	Jukebox Collector (uncredited)
Duke Watson	...	Ernie (uncredited)
Charles Watts	...	Wally (uncredited)
Tom Wells	...	Cameraman #2 (uncredited)
Bill Welsh	...	Hardy (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Sheriff Art Jaeger (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	Townsman Outside Courthouse (uncredited)
Jack Wise	...	Townsman at Inquest (uncredited)
Allen Wood	...	Bowling Alley Patron / Mill Workman (uncredited)

Directed by
Stuart Heisler

Writing credits
Daniel Fuchs		(written by) and
Richard Brooks		(written by)

Produced by
Jerry Wald	....	producer

Original Music by
Daniele Amfitheatrof

Cinematography by
Carl E. Guthrie		(director of photography) (as Carl Guthrie)

Film Editing by
Clarence Kolster

Art Direction by
Leo K. Kuter

Set Decoration by
G.W. Berntsen

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Ray Forman	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Frank Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chuck Hansen	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie G. Hewitt	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Herschel Brown	....	grip (uncredited)
Louis Jennings	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Vic Johnson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Eugene Ritchie	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Milo Anderson	....	wardrobe
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (as Maurice de Packh)
Ray Heindorf	....	musical director
Max Steiner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
David Tamkin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Howard Hohler	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #14344)

Filming Locations:

Corona, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Filmed in 1949, the film bears a 1950 copyright statement on the opening credits.

Goofs:

Plot holes: A character is murdered by the KKK after 10pm one evening. An autopsy is performed, witnesses interviewed and a coroner's inquest is held - all by the following afternoon, hardly twelve hours after crime was committed.

Quotes:

Faulkner:Let's not fool ourselves, Charlie. You know the boys. Without those white hoods to hide in, they're no heroes. That's why they need the hoods in the first place. Put them under fire, legal fire, and you'll see a rat race like you never seen before! They'll squeal, they'll cry, they'll run like rabbits!

Soundtrack:

Five O'Clock Whistle

a treasure

A great film noir. An exploration of evil, the mob mentality, the human animal, conflicts between family loyalty and doing the right thing, and the courageous hero facing down the ugly crowd; in presenting all of that it achieves some depth amidst the great nighttime scenarios. Excellent performances by Rogers, Cochran, and Reagan; an early and dramatic Doris Day role is also of interest. You may recall Street Car Named Desire as you watch the cultured older sister visiting her sister and the brute of a husband. There is above all the fascination of watching a 1951, a time well before the key events of the soon to arrive civil rights movement, depiction of the KKK as mass delusion and criminal fraud - homegrown terrorism... and only 35 years or so after the KKK's glorification in Birth of a Nation. It is notable that in this KKK film you will have a difficult time spotting any blacks; still a powerful indictment nonetheless. Don't miss it.