Private Hell 36 (1954)

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

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

Release Date:

3 September 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

THEY LIVE BY NIGHT... (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Los Angeles California | Beautiful Woman | Female Corrupts Male | Police

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
Chris O'Brien	...	Coroner
Kenneth Patterson	...	Detective Lieutenant Lubin (as Ken Patterson)
George Dockstader	...	Fugitive
Jimmy Hawkins	...	Delivery Boy

Also Known As:

Baby Face Killers (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Approved | Finland:K-16 | Spain:7

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Filmakers, The

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Bruner and Farnham celebrate the official conclusion of the case at home with the ladies, the coffee table seems to have a loose leg. However, Farnham very obviously kicks off the loose leg with his left foot so that it can fall off.

Soundtrack:

Didn't You Know?

Solid film noir

Cops Cochran and Duff investigate stolen money from a robbery that involved murder. When a stolen bill is dropped to a nightclub singer the cops use her to identify the man who gave it to her. However when the thief is killed in a car chase the two cops, one with a family the other with an expensive girlfriend, decide to take the money and hide it in a trailer park (hence the title). But with time comes pressure from within and without to come clean.

This film came from Ida Lupino's filmaker company and was co-scripted by her and she plays the nightclub singer who can identify the killer. She is good in the role and gets plenty of help from young director Don Siegel. This is pretty small beer by his standard but it's still a pretty good thriller all the same. Some scenes are brilliant - the opening robbery of a drug store for one, while others are just good. But the gritty story isn't as good as I was hoping.

Overall a solid thriller from a good team of director and actors but it doesn't really have anything that makes it stand out from other crime thrillers of the same period.