Pushover (1954)

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Roy Huggins (screenplay)
Thomas Walsh (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 August 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

This year the great suspense drama is PUSHOVER The Story of temptation

Plot:

A larcenous undercover cop falls for the beautiful moll of a bank robber on the run and together they double-cross the hood nd the cops.

Plot Keywords:

Stakeout | Undercover Cop | Affair | Double Cross | Bank Robber

Cast

Fred MacMurray	...	Paul Sheridan
Philip Carey	...	Rick McAllister (as Phil Carey)
Kim Novak	...	Lona McLane
Dorothy Malone	...	Ann Stewart
E.G. Marshall	...	Police Lt. Carl Eckstrom
Allen Nourse	...	Paddy Dolan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Anderson	...	Beery--Mechanic (uncredited)
Joe Bailey	...	Hobbs (uncredited)
Tony Barrett	...	Pickup Artist in Bar (uncredited)
Walter Beaver	...	Detective Schaeffer (uncredited)
Richard Bryan	...	Detective Harris (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	First Bartender (uncredited)
Phil Chambers	...	Detective Briggs (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	...	Mr. Crockett (uncredited)
John De Simone	...	Assistant Bank Manager (uncredited)
Alan Dexter	...	Detective Fine (uncredited)
Don C. Harvey	...	Detective Peters (uncredited)
Ann Loos	...	Bank Teller (uncredited)
Mort Mills	...	Second Bartender (uncredited)
Ann Morriss	...	Ellen Burnett (uncredited)
Paul Picerni	...	Masher in Ann's Hallway (uncredited)
Paul Richards	...	Harry Wheeler (uncredited)
Marion Ross	...	Mrs. Crockett (uncredited)
K.L. Smith	...	Bank Guard (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson	...	Billings (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Bank Executive (uncredited)
John Tarangelo	...	Boy (uncredited)
Mel Welles	...	Detective (uncredited)
Jack Wilson	...	Detective (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Quine

Writing credits
Roy Huggins		(screenplay)
Thomas Walsh		novel "The Night Watch" and
Bill S. Ballinger		novel "Rafferty"

Produced by
Jules Schermer	....	producer
Philip A. Waxman	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Arthur Morton

Cinematography by
Lester White		(director of photography) (as Lester H. White)

Film Editing by
Jerome Thoms

Art Direction by
Walter Holscher

Set Decoration by
James Crowe

Costume Design by
Jean Louis		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Corrick	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John P. Livadary	....	recording supervisor (as John Livadary)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	conductor
Nathan Scott	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics, Vol. 2)
• Columbia Films (1954) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1956) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Screen Gems (196?) (USA) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16953) | West Germany:16 (f)

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Began shooting in mid-January 1954.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: As in "Double Indemnity", although Fred MacMurray's character is not married, he wears a wedding ring throughout the film.

Quotes:

Rick McAllister:New car, mink coat, no clocks in the joint... probably the story of her life.
Paul Sheridan:You just don't like women, Rick.
Rick McAllister:What keeps you single?
Paul Sheridan:Maybe I like 'em too much.
Rick McAllister:I've seen all kinds since we joined the force... B-girls, hustlers, blackmailers, shoplifters, drunks. Yu know, I think I'd still be married if I could find a half-honest woman. Must be a few of 'em around.
Paul Sheridan:Watch yourself! Those few might just be smarter!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Soundtrack:

There Goes That Song Again

An Easily Corruptible Cop

In Pushover Fred MacMurray dusts off his acclaimed portrayal of Walter Neff the luckless insurance agent from Double Indemnity and gives him a badge as an easily corruptible cop. The temptation in his path is another dame, in this case Kim Novak being 'introduced' in this film as Columbia's answer to Marilyn Monroe.

MacMurray's a cop who is assigned to get close to gangster Paul Richards's moll Novak. Richards and his mob have pulled off a bank heist and if they had any sense, they'd be out of the country and fleeing. But police captain E.G. Marshall reasons that Richards ain't going nowhere without Novak.

Of course what he doesn't figure on MacMurray's libido as well as Richards. Novak's one cool ice princess in this one, she's willing to spend the loot with one crook as another and one with a badge sounds pretty good to her.

There's a side romance going as well with Novak's neighbor, nurse Dorothy Malone and fellow officer Philip Carey. Malone gets innocently caught up in the intrigue. Carey while doing surveillance on Novak's apartment gets to peeping in on Malone next door. His little Rear Window act pays off in the end.

Pushover is a fine noir drama and highly recommended for those who like myself know full well that Fred MacMurray is capable of a lot more than Disney films and My Three Sons which I think most know him for today. Novak makes a stunning debut as the ultimately luckless moll and the rest of the cast backs them up with a splendid ensemble effort.