Jeopardy (1953)

A man vacationing with his wife and son near a desolate jetty in Baja becomes trapped under a rotten timber as the inevitable tide threatens to drown him.

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Mel Dinelli (screenplay), Maurice Zimm (story)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Ralph Meeker

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Helen Stilwin
Barry Sullivan	...	Doug Stilwin
Ralph Meeker	...	Lawson
Lee Aaker	...	Bobby Stilwin

Storyline

The Stilwins are on vacation to an isolated beach in Mexico. Walking on a deserted jetty, Doug Stilwin gets his leg trapped under one of the logs. All attempts to move the log are futile and Helen Stilwin takes the car to get help. However, an escaped criminal kidnaps her. Will she be able to return to her husband before he drowns?

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Plot Keywords:

beach | mexico | tide | jetty | pier | 

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Taglines:

She did it ... because her fear was greater than her shame !

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Genres:

Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

31 July 1953 (France)

Also Known As:

A Woman in Jeopardy

Filming Locations:

Pioneertown, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 15, 1954 with Barbara Stanwyck and Barry Sullivan reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

When the tide is washing against Helen her hair is soaked and in the next shot her hair is styled then soaked again !

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Quotes

Helen Stilwin: That's good perfume you got on yuh.
Lawson, the Fugitive: Yes.
Helen Stilwin: I like cheap perfume. It doesn't last as long, but it hits harder.

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Soundtracks

"La Cucaracha"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Arranged by Skip Martin

User Reviews

Beat-the-clock thriller a qualified success

Barbara Stanwyck's opening voice-over narration promises a post-war celebration of the open road. It's hardly that, as Mom (Stanwyck), Dad (Barry Sullivan) and young son (Lee Aaker) motor down to Baja California. A condemned pier at a deserted beach collapses, pinning Dad; the tide is coming in. On her way to summon help, Mom picks up with a homicidal fugitive (Ralph Meeker, probably best known as Mike Hammer in Robert Aldrich's apocalypic 1955 noir, Kiss Me Deadly). He grows more menacing as the water rises.... There's really not much to this movie, with its principal cast of four characters, but it's watchable. The strangest thing about it is probably the curious change of heart on the part of one -- or more? -- of the characters at the end.