Private Hell 36 (1954)

Two detectives are investigating a robbery in which $300,000 was taken. Their investigation leads them to the main player and they find the cash, but one of them has meanwhile fallen hard ... See full summary »

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Collier Young (written for the screen by), Ida Lupino (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Ida Lupino, Steve Cochran, Howard Duff

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ida Lupino	...	Lilli Marlowe
Steve Cochran	...	Cal Bruner
Howard Duff	...	Jack Farnham
Dean Jagger	...	Capt. Michaels
Dorothy Malone	...	Francey Farnham
Bridget Duff	...	Bridget Farnham
Jerry Hausner	...	Hausner, Nightclub Owner
Dabbs Greer	...	Sam Marvin, Bartender
Christopher L. O'Brien	...	Coroner (as Chris O'Brien)
Kenneth Patterson	...	Det. Lieutenant Lubin (as Ken Patterson)
George Dockstader	...	Fugitive
Jimmy Hawkins	...	Delivery Boy

Storyline

Two detectives are investigating a robbery in which $300,000 was taken. Their investigation leads them to the main player and they find the cash, but one of them has meanwhile fallen hard for a woman with expensive tastes, and though he desperately wants to keep her, he knows that a cop's salary isn't going to be enough for her.

---

Plot Keywords:

detective | los angeles california | character study | female corrupts male | police | 

---

Taglines:

These are the Night Faces...living on the edge of evil and violence...making their own(...)

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 September 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Baby Face Killers

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Park Racetrack - 1050 S. Prairie Avenue, Inglewood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmakers, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At the very end, when Farnham is leaning wounded against the trailer, he says he recognizes the voice of a police officer as being the voice of the "partner", the mysterious man who called to get the money back. However, it is Bruner, and not Farnham, who had him on the phone. Farnham would not be able to recognize his voice.

---

Quotes

Lilli Marlowe: Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed I'd meet a drunken slob in a bar who'd give me fifty bucks and we'd live happily ever after.

---

Soundtracks

"Didn't You Know?"
Written by John Franco
Performed by Ida Lupino (uncredited)

User Reviews

A Film Noir That Passes the Time Pleasantly Enough.

"Private Hell 36" (1954), directed by Don Siegel, is tough little film noir starring a reliable cast of familiar faces for film buffs: Ida Lupino, Steve Cochran, Dean Jagger, Dorothy Malone and Howard Duff.

The plot isn't anything particularly special: two cops (Cochran and Duff) decide to take thousands of dollars from the suitcase of a dead counterfeiter and hid it in a trailer park. But then Cochran starts suffering with his conscience… The opening scene is the best when Steve Cochran stumbles onto a drug store robbery late night. Burnett Guffey's agile camera surveys the action with a cool calm and helps put everything into perspective. The jazz soundtrack composed by Leith Stevens purrs along nicely, as does Don Siegel's direction, which is far from his finest hour but still holds the viewer interested in the events portrayed. The acting, on the main, is good, especially Ida Lupino as a singer cop Howard Duff falls fall. This isn't a shining example of the film noir genre but it passes the time pleasantly enough.