The Big Bluff (1955) User Reviews

Cheap but effective little noir

[fwmurnau · 5/10 · 27 February 2008]

W. Lee Wilder's THE BIG BLUFF will never be a threat to his brother Billy's genre-defining classic, DOUBLE INDEMNITY, but on its own terms it's a nifty little quickie with a good story and a nice trick ending.

When it starts, this film looks so cheap -- I mean, Ed Wood cheap -- you're tempted to hang it up, but stick with it. It improves as it goes along. The writing and cast are perfectly adequate and it's more entertaining than a lot of big budget A pictures.

An unusual feature of this film is a reversal of the usual noir femme fatale dynamic. Here it's a sexy guy, an "homme fatal" if you will, who seduces a rich, love-starved widow.

Maltin's book (2003) doesn't even list this film, but it's included in the inexpensive 6-CD "Ultimate Film Noir Collection", which I recommend for its intriguing line-up of public domain B-picture rarities, which range from junk to cult classic B's (DETOUR, THE HITCHHIKER) to even a couple great ones (Welles' THE STRANGER).

Suspense Drama Packs a Punch

[ZenVortex · 7/10 · 29 September 2008]

This is an effective noirish suspense drama. The acting, direction, and cinematography are typical of 1950s low-budget productions but there are plenty of good scenes. After a slow start, the plot evolves into a modern morality tale where a scheming villain gets his payback. The print is inferior (Classic Film Noir, Volume 2) but the soundtrack is satisfactory.

John Bromfield delivers a convincing performance as an unscrupulous gold-digging gigolo who seduces and marries a wealthy widow (Martha Vickers) who is seriously ill with only a few months to live. Much to his dismay, the marriage works wonders for her health and she improves so much that he is forced to hatch a diabolically clever plan to murder her.

Of course, things quickly go wrong and lead to a terrific plot twist and surprise ending. Not classic noir, but a decent little movie with redeeming features.

Wortha watch

[arfdawg-1 · 7/10 · 23 April 2014]

When scheming fortune hunter and erstwhile Latin lover Ricardo De Villa learns that a wealthy but sickly widow has terminal heart disease, he seduces and marries the vulnerable millionairess.

Playing the part of a faithful and doting husband, he carries on a torrid affair with sexy exotic dancer Fritzi Darvel while avoiding the suspicious eyes of her jealous bongo-playing husband.

When his wife's condition seems to go into remission, the impatient De Villa decides on action that will hasten her seemingly inevitable death.

The plot sounds awfully racy but these are the 50s.

This is sort of a film noir and it's worth a watch, despite the very bad prints that are available.

Good story.

Good acting.

Has Its Moments

[dougdoepke · 31 October 2015]

Not a bad programmer, nothing new in the con-man department, but with a nifty ironical ending. Con-man Ricardo (Bromfield) romances wealthy heiress Valerie (Vickers) who has a heart condition. Marrying her, he then plots ways of shortening her life. Trouble is Valerie's friend Marsha (Miller) suspects his motives and enlists Dr. Kirk (Hutton) to help track Ricardo who's also keeping company with Fritzie (Bowe) despite her husband. Thankfully, the complications come together at story's end.

Bromfield, looking a little like Clark Gable, knows how to use a cigarette to suggest character traits. He's just slick enough to be persuasive. The ordinarily shrewish Vickers goes against type, her Valerie being a sweet-natured victim; at the same time, little-known Eve Miller shows why she should be better known. And get a load of Rosemarie Bowe (Fritzie) who's got enough steamy allure to melt a polar ice cap.

Oh sure, the overall result doesn't rise above programmer level, but it's done well for a cheap indie. Too bad, however, that director Wilder doesn't or can't invest the filming with more style that would lift the visuals. And, on a niggling note-- this isn't really noir. Specifically, the film's missing such defining features as expressionist lighting, plus a morally ambiguous central character. Ricardo's wicked, but crucially he's not torn between ethical poles. In my book, the results count more properly as a crime drama.

Karma gets payback.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 26 February 2019]

The deliciously sinister performance of John Bromfield helps this outlandish film noir Move along, and provides some fantastic twists and turns along the way that may have you applauding in delight. It's a well plotted out switch of the usual cuckholded man, manipulated into murder out of sheer lust. This time, the one doing the cuckholding is a man, and oh how he plots to get away with murder and how it turns out is so much fun to watch unfold. Unfortunately, somebody innocent has to die but in the end it is worth it with how the plot turns out.

Dying Martha Vickers is not informed by friends Eve Miller and Robert Hutton that her days are numbered. She takes a vacation with Miller where she meets Bromfield who is charming enough but obviously has something up his sleeve when he finds out that she is a wealthy widow. Along with his equally deadly married mistress (Rosemarie Stack), Bromfield plots to marry Vickers, thinking she'll die soon, but when who begins to believe that she's just a sick woman, plots to hurry her demise along in a very sinister way. Miller and Hutton, suspicious of Bromfield but without proof, keep close watch on Vickers, and this makes Brownfield and Stack all the more desperate.

Yes, this has outlandish plot devices but the way it is presented is done so cleverly that is easy to overlook the ridiculousness of what is going on. Vickers, having played her share of bad girls, becomes a believable fragile heroine, and Hutton and Miller are great in equally noble roles. But it is Bromfield who steals the scene, so calculating in every move and not quite the opposite of the typical femme fatale in being male and equally deadly. His cool and mostly calm performance leads the spider to be caught in his own web, bringing on a conclusion that may have you reacting in the same way I did: clasping my hands and howling in delight.

"You're very beautiful when you get mad"

[nickenchuggets · 7/10 · 5 June 2023]

For some reason, I find myself liking movies with relatively unknown actors more than films with very famous ones. This forgotten feature from the mid fifties has quite a simple storyline, but fine acting and a twist at the end that sees the main character essentially doom himself. At first glance, the movie looks unacceptably cheap, but not much time passes before things become interesting. Valerie Bancroft (Martha Vickers) is a wealthy socialite whose medical problems keep her lifestyle on a leash. Although young, she apparently has heart problems and is not expected to live that long. She leaves New York to go to LA and meets Ricky de Villa (John Bromfield), and it's love at first sight. Valerie might be too shortsighted to see Rick for what he really is, but her friend Marsha (Eve Miller) does so instantly. Marsha knows Rick is only wanting to marry Valerie because she's rich. Rick soon finds out about Valerie's heart problems and secretly plots to speed up her death. Behind Valerie's back, Rick is also dating Fritzie (Rosemarie Stack) whom he considers much prettier, but she's already married to the jealous Don Darvell. Rick doesn't let this stand in his way, and soon marries Valerie to seal his fake affection for her. Unfortunately for Rick, his plan to have Valerie die backfires since marriage actually proves to be beneficial to her. She's so happy now she might not die after all. Rick is now in a jam because he can't proceed with his plans involving Fritzie if Valerie stays alive. Eventually, Rick draws the attention of detectives and tells Fritzie to drive to a prearranged spot in the early hours of the morning so he can meet her there later. Rick goes to his place and shoots Valerie, then places the gun in her hand so it looks like she committed suicide. He then drives down a road, but doesn't notice Don in a car behind him. Don crashes and kills himself. By the time Rick arrives back at his house, a detective is waiting for him, and Marsha is convinced he murdered Valerie. Rick says this is impossible, since he was 100 miles away at a Palm Springs motel. He was there to give money to Fritzie, who allegedly threatened to tell Valerie if she didn't get it. Then, the investigators utterly destroy Rick's alibi attempt; it's discovered that Valerie was already dead for hours (because of her heart problems) by the time Rick shot her. Rick's efforts to make his wife look suicidal have failed. In the next couple of minutes, his innocence is totally buried. The cops tell Rick that even though he didn't kill Valerie and he was 100 miles away at the time, they are arresting him anyway because Fritzie has just been found dead. In the ultimate ironic move, it turns out she was strangled by a tie (with Rick's prints on it) by Don, but now that Don died in a car crash, he can't talk. Rick is dragged away by the cops to be executed. This is quite a good crime movie. I don't know if I would call it noir, but it certainly has no shortage of characters getting into trouble. Normally we see women in these movies bringing ruin and despair to their partners, but in this case, everyone gets harmed in some way. Bromfield is probably the best thing about this film, since even though we never really get to know him, he's able to manipulate multiple people at once, basically a master of puppets. It's also worth mentioning this was directed by W Lee Wilder, brother of Billy Wilder. While not having an illustrious career like his brother, he was still able to put out something that B-movie fans will think highly of.

Not quite bottom-of-barrel marital-murder story from Billy Wilder's talent-free brother

[bmacv · 4/10 · 6 May 2003]

Sibling rivalry can be a dreadful thing; look at Joan Fontaine and Olivia De Havilland. Sometimes, however, it approaches farce. W. Lee Wilder probably should have stayed in New York making purses, but, no, he had to follow his little brother Billy to Hollywood. And in Hollywood, maybe he could have been a passable producer (two early Anthony Mann movies, The Great Flamarion and Strange Impersonation, bear his credit). But, no, he had to direct, showing the world how vast was the disparity between young Billy's talents and his own inadequacies. Billy, long estranged, used to call him `a dull son of a bitch,' and he was being generous: W. Lee isn't merely dull, he's barely competent.

The Big Bluff rehashes a plot that Wilder had used in 1946 for The Glass Alibi. Merry widow Martha Vickers has a bum ticker and only a few months left to live. Off she goes to California with paid companion Eve Miller only to cross paths with slick operator John Bromfield (he brags about business interests in Central America but he's just a gigolo). The prospect of coming into her money at her early death emboldens Bromfield to court and marry her.

But there are obstacles. Her secretary/companion and her physician (Robert Hutton) harbor suspicion of Bromfield's motives. And Bromfield's mistress Rosemarie Stack, half of a sultry nightclub act with her jealous husband Eddie Bee, doesn't cotton to his romancing another woman. But the impatient Bromfield, not content with letting nature take its course, starts tampering with Vickers' pill supply. When, paradoxically, she seems to thrive under his care, he concocts a back-up plan, and the movie jutters along to a twist ending, à la Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

The plot is hand-me-down James M. Cain, done proud by the cheesiness of its direction (it's like a stock-footage festival). Wilder lets his cast get away with the stiffest readings of the literal-minded script (Martha Vickers would never nab many statuettes, but Howard Hawks goaded her into acting as Carmen Sternwood in The Big Sleep). Yet every so often there's a dark glint that keeps one watching: Bromfield and Stack plotting in a shadowy hotel staircase; Bromfield and Vickers toasting with schnapps at Scandia or `lo-balls' at La Rue. Something saves The Big Bluff from sinking to the very bottom of the barrel; it sure wasn't Wilder.

This is our ticket out baby! You just don't know how much this dame's got!

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 8 August 2014]

***SPOILERS*** The sleaze ball con artist lady killer Ricardo De Villa, John Bromfield, and his unstable and jealous girlfriend Fritzie Darvel, Rosemarie Stack, get it and gets it real good in the end to trying to take advantage of heart patient and loaded with cash Valerie Bancroft, Martha Vickers, whom the sleaze ball, Ricardo, romanced off her feet and later married. Knowing that Valerie doesn't have long to live because of her heart condition that's being kept from her by her doctor Tom Harrison, Robert Bice, she's encouraged to living wild life of drinking smoking and partying by Ricardo hoping it will end her life a lot sooner then expected. So with her kicking off he and Fritzie can collect Valerie's millions when she's finally put to rest.

It's Valerie's good friend Marsha Jordan, Eve Miller, who sees through Ricardo & Fritzie's sinister plans and tries to warn Valerie that her husband is not only no good, by cheating on her behind her back, but planning to do her in as well. No matter what Marsha does she can't convince Valerie that dreamboat Ricardo Is no good and even ends up getting kicked out of the beach house, only for a few days at most, by an outraged Valerie. That in her feeling that by breaking her and Ricardo up Marsha can get a crack at lover boy Ricardo so she can be his girlfriend. Still Ricardo can't wait for Valerie, despite everything he does to make it happen, to drop dead before her time which is about a year which Dr. Harrison gave her.

***SPOILERS*** Planning to jump the gun in Valerie's impending death Ricardo comes up with this plan to murder her, real smart of his part, and then make it look like it was the result of a home invasion. That while he plants evidence that while that happened he was shacked up with Fritzie in some motel 100 miles away! It just happened that Fritzie's estranged husband and former dance partner Don, Eddie Bee, got wind of his wife's double crossing him for another man, Ricardo, and took matters as well as Fritzie's throat into his own hands making Ricardo's plan fall flat on its face. It's the very fact that Ricardo had an alibi of not being at the scene of Valerie's murder that, in his trying to cover his a**, convicted him of another murder that he in fact didn't commit!

Low-budget noir with solid cast

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 11 December 2016]

John Bromfield as a two-timing cad and gold-digger in Los Angeles who aggressively woos a wealthy young widow and socialite visiting from New York City (with a bad ticker!). Once she learns she has less than a year to live, the ailing woman and the gigolo get hitched--but he's having an affair with a married dancer and has promised her that his new marriage won't last long. Compact, appropriately overwrought B-grade potboiler (maybe C-grade) has good performances and an ear for melodramatic dialogue. Producer-director W. Lee Wilder keeps the pace moving on a nothing-budget, and sweet-talking Bromfield (with a natty little mustache) amusingly oozes cocky, masculine self-confidence. ** from ****

This would have made a good episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 13 February 2021]

... if they had beefed up the dialogue, replaced the rather wooden actors, and cut the running time from 70 minutes to 50 minutes. It actually has an ironic ending that is worthy of the master of suspense.

You can see where this film is going from a mile away. Valerie Bancroft is a young heiress who has a fatal heart condition. She and her paid companion, Marsha, decamp from New York and go to California for the sunshine and hope that it will improve her life expectancy - she should live a year at the most. While in California, they meet con man Ricardo De Villa. He claims to be a businessman from South America who is using the lull in business to holiday in California. Instead he is broke, wants to run off with the female half of a professional dance team, and does not have the money to do so. Marsha told him about Valerie's heart condition hoping he would cut down on all of the night life with Valerie if he knew. Instead he woos and marries Valerie, hoping that the increase in activity, which she loves, will kill her off early. And even if it doesn't, a year is not so long to wait to inherit Valerie's money. Complications ensue.

Nobody in this film is that bad, but one part is done very badly. That would be the part of the cuckolded ballroom dancing husband, Don. He hardly ever says anything. But he is always looking around corners and either following his unfaithful wife or Ricardo. Another role is done rather hilariously. Don's cheating wife, Fritzie, is always dressed in one of her ballroom dancing gowns no matter what the surroundings. She could be on the beach or in the supermarket and there she would be, conspicuously dressed to the nines.

I would mildly recommend this one.

Mildly interesting but undone by poor production values.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 4 March 2010]

The plot of "Big Bluff" is very contrived and hard to believe. A rich lady has a bad heart and has only, at most, a year to live. Despite this, the doctor and the lady's personal secretary BOTH think it's best not to tell her—and keep this from her! Instead, she's told to take a relaxing vacation—and they hope this might prolong her life a few months more. Little do they know that this retreat is the last thing she really needs.

While in Los Angeles, hardly a place to go to relax, she meets with a money-grubbing Don Juan. When she finally does learn she only has a short time to live, she proposes to the Lothario and you know she's in for a rough time with the bum. As to what happens from there, try seeing the film for yourself, though the plot makes little sense—as why would a man want to kill a rich wife who is about to die anyway—especially so early on in the film.

The bottom line is that this film is awfully broad in its writing and acting—so broad that it's hard to believe any of this. The entire film comes off as cheaply made and obvious. It's a shame, as the plot could have been good and the no-name cast could have been better if given a chance. Plus, the direction was shoddy—whenever lines are misspoken or actors talk over each other, the scenes are no re-shot! A few simple re-shoots would have really made the film look better. Because of this, even though the film had a dandy and ironic ending, the overall effect is like a badly directed episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"—not a real honest-to-goodness movie.

By the way, for you car buffs out there, this is probably the only movie in film history where a guy is being chased by a Nash Metropolitan—perhaps the least threatening and silliest pursuit car in history. In modern terms, this would be akin to a Mini Cooper giving chase!

Good, Little-known Noir

[george_chabot · 8/10 · 14 July 2007]

The only other comment on this film lists a litany of reasons why not to watch it, generally because of unfavorable but irrelevant comparisons to Billy Wilder, the director's brother.

I will give you a reason to watch it; it is effective. John Bromfield makes an effective gigolo and Martha Vickers, while not the most charismatic actress known, does a good job as the object of his affections.

Watch this without taking a lot of baggage in with you and you will be satisfied. It has a nice twist at the end that you may guess, but probably not.

average little noir crowned by a surprisingly satisfying ending

[myriamlenys · 6/10 · 17 August 2019]

A nasty, two-timing little schemer is carrying on an affair with a married woman. When he crosses paths with the paid companion of a rich heiress, he realizes that the heiress constitutes an interesting target. His enthusiasm grows upon learning that the said heiress is a very sick woman likely to expire during the next months or so...

For the most part, "The Big Bluff" is just average. "Serviceable" is probably the best word to describe it : it gets the job done, but it lacks the kind of wit, danger or subtlety that would lift it to another level. The ending, however, is very clever. It also provides a welcome dose of poetic justice, not for one but for two nasty pieces of work.

Would have made a fine episode in the "Columbo" series.

I Love Your Hands, Your Lips, Your Eyes, Your Money.

[rmax304823 · 4/10 · 14 June 2014]

This was directed by Billy Wilder's brother. They weren't that close and it shows.

Martha Vickers is very ill -- a few months, perhaps a year -- and has a good deal of money. Without telling her how serious her heart condition is, the doc suggests she take it easy and go to Los Angeles with her friend and companion, Eve Miller. New York City to Los Angeles, to relax. Out of the fire and into the frying pan, as they say.

In L.A. they are looked after from time to time by the good doctor Robert Hutton, who is wise to Vicker's terminal condition. In fact, the only person who doesn't know is the patient herself. A very neat sociological analysis of "whether or not to tell the patient" was done by Anselm Strauss, whom the NY Times called "the father of medical sociology." He distinguished between "open" and "closed" awareness, and explored everything in between. Anselm was socially awkward but extremely bright, and a nice, accommodating guy. When he himself was dying of heart failure he continued his seminars at home, lying on his living room couch. (R.I.P.)

Anyway, one of the people who is in on the game is the Los Angeles sharpster John Bromfield. He owes everyone money, although he drives what looks like a tinkered-with Jaguar and, salivating over the prospect of getting his hands on her fortune after she gives up the ghost, he takes her to the Scandia restaurant. It was a real restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, very posh, and quite the place to go in the mid-50s, especially if you're fond of what the menu calls gravelax and everybody else calls "lox". It subsequently expired of heart failure and an increasingly shabby milieu.

Bromfield manages to marry Vickers, then systematically sets about trying to induce a heart attacks -- dancing, drinking, smoking, tennis, up long flights of stairs, switching sodium bicarbonate for her meds. Perversely, she seems to be improving. She's the incarnation of Rasputin, the Mad Monk. Finally Bromfield has to shoot her and arrange the setting to suggest suicide. There's a big twist at the end -- two or three, in fact -- but I won't give the end away.

And, listen, I know this review is discursive and meandering but, believe me, it's at least as entertaining as the movie -- granted that's not saying much.

If the expression "B movie" didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent it to describe this flick. As an added treat, the music by Manuel Compinsky is atrocious.

Great little plot

[alice-enland · 7/10 · 13 September 2021]

I'm rating it highly because of the plot and the twist at the end. No great acting or great photography or a great story per se but it was clever as it could be. It could have been a classic if this featured well known actors and had a good director. Well worth your time.

Probably OK, shown at the right place

[GeorgeSickler · 6/10 · 21 November 2018]

Just another 1950's era low-budget B movie. Likely at its best as the third or so feature back then, at an all-night drive-in theater . . . where the real action is in the car rather than on the screen. 😁. Anyway, fun to watch so many decades later.

A Con-Man Looking to Get Rich

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 4 May 2020]

The film essentially begins with an extremely rich socialite by the name of "Valerie Bancroft" (Martha Vickers) who suffers from a heart ailment and is eventually told that she has only about 6 months to live. It's during this time that she meets a suave man by the name of "Ricardo De Villa" (John Bromfield) who proceeds to win her over with his charms. What she doesn't know is that Rickardo is not at all the man he pretends to be. For starters, he is currently having an affair with a married woman by the name of "Fritzi Darvel" (Rosemarie Stack) and he plans on skipping the country with her eventually. However, in order for the two of them to live comfortably he first wants to get his hands on Valerie's money--and he is willing to do whatever it takes. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a solid film noir which manages to entertain well enough in spite of its rather limited budget. Admittedly, none of the actors were exactly top shelf but they performed well enough for the most part and the clever twist at the end makes this picture worth the time spent to view it and I have rated it accordingly. Average.

The Big Bluff

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 14 November 2022]

This is quite a decent little crime noir with plenty of scheming and plotting from John Bromfield as "Ricardo De Villa"; a man married to a wealthy woman (Martha Vickers) with a terminal health condition. When her new found marital happiness starts to make things look a little better for the patient, however, the impatient husband and his also married lover decide they need to expedite the process before she finds anything out. The story is quite intriguing, there a few twists and turns and the performances are adequate (not brilliant). I suppose the moral is, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is - and older women need to be wary of gold-digging youngsters with pencil moustaches!

B-movie with nice twist at the end

[dierregi · 4/10 · 29 August 2019]

The main point of interest for me was watching Martha Vickers, who played in one of the greatest semi-noir of all times, "The Big Sleep", with Bogey and Bacall.

The sexy, crazy kitten of that story is, in this tale, the more mature, but equally annoying rich widow Valerie. Valerie has a weak heart and not much of a brain and she's sent to "relax" with female companion Martha, to the unlikely relaxing location of Los Angeles.

There Valerie meets disreputable latin lover Ricardo and promptly falls in love. Given that Ricardo is in it just for the money and hoping to spend the inheritance cash with married lover Fritzie, one can see complications ensuing.

The story drags on in typical B-fashion until the redeeming plot twist at the end.

A generally annoying film from start to finish.

[khunkrumark · 2/10 · 5 April 2017]

A generally annoying film from start to finish.

It suffers from a wretched screenplay which is intent on assuming that the audience is either stupid or not paying attention... The acting and direction are stilted and unimaginative and sometimes just don't make sense. The awkwardly inserted stock footage of people water-skiing in Hawaii doesn't help!

The story itself revolves around a rich merry widow in New York with a dodgy ticker and not much time to live... and most of the scenes are focused on a mysteriously ever-present doctor and an overly-protective close chum who cares way too much!

Unfortunately, the victim herself hasn't been told she's on the way out and carries on living her life. She meets a detestable spiv in Los Angeles and incredibly decides to marry him. But this bloke is just after the cash and a silly scene in an art gallery hammers the point home. (For a bloke who is constantly in need of cash infusions, he drives a bloody nice car!)

His real girlfriend (a married dancer at a nightclub) helps him to try and bump off the wife but incredibly 'er indoors seems to be actually getting better! What could have been a brilliant twist at the end is played out with such ham-fisted incompetence that it can be seen charging towards the viewer way before even the cast has time to figure it out.

Dreadful mess.

Don't Judge It - Just Watch It!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 14 March 2015]

Agree with the other reviewers - the sets are cheap, the music is cheesy but stay with it, it has the sort of the plot that would not be out of place in an "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episode. At the time John Bromfield, who would soon be better known as "The Sheriff of Cochise", was the most known star - Martha Vickers was a 1940s glamour girl famous for her role in "The Big Sleep" and also for being one of Mickey Rooney's ex wives, Robert Hutton didn't have much of a career to lose in the first place.

Bromfield plays slimy Rik DeVilla, the "big bluff" who sees vivacious widow Valerie Bancroft (Vickers) as the answer to his prayers. She is wealthy and, more importantly, has a heart condition and before Rik's arrival, has been going downhill fast and not expected to live!! Unfortunately for Rik, once they meet, her health picks up and she is rejuvenated by Rik's high spirits!! That is not good for his plans - he will have to do something drastic!! Not everybody thinks he is the answer to a girl's dream - Valerie's secretary, Joan, has her doubts. He initially thought she was the merry widow and so tried to wine and dine her, however once he meets the real Valerie he sticks to her like a leech!! Not only is he substituting Valerie's heart pills for plain bicarb soda, Joan is convinced he is having an affair with a luscious exotic dancer Fritzie. Rosemarie Bowe was just gorgeous and why she couldn't have had a decent career based on her beauty alone is mystifying. She reminded me of a more sultry Mary Murphy - maybe marrying Robert Stack the next year made her rethink her career.

He picks a fight with both Valerie and Joan - it is all part of a vicious plan to create an alibi with Fritzie when things get sticky later on but one person they hadn't counted on was Fritzie's extremely jealous husband, who, unknown to the others, starts his own vendetta with very complicated results!!

Don't judge it - just watch it!!

Pedestrian 81-min quasi-noir melodrama has a few twists to spice it up in the end.

[declancooley · 5/10 · 15 June 2022]

Dastardly cad Ricardo (Bromfield) inveigles his way into rich but ailing heiress Valerie's (Vickers) life, despite those around her trying to protect her from his suspected predations. The oleaginous Ricardo secretly has a hotter, younger (but married) squeeze on the side, Fritzie (Bowe), an exotic dancer, and they plan to elope as soon as he can extract the cash from his mark. Although it is fascinating to see Vickers in one of her last movies, initially, the viewer needs to contend with some wooden acting, poorly-written lines badly delivered, and choppy editing; still, things improve as they go along, and some of the sets are pleasing to the eye, there are some wonderful little cross-dissolves, the pace picks up, the lighting becomes a little more noir-like, and the plotting gets a bit more intricate. Overall, it manages to keep one just about engaged esp. Bromfield's performance as an amoral exploiter of the weak; a man who is madly in love with white-hot Fritzie, and schemes, almost admirably, to do whatever he can to create the fantasy life he wants with her. Bowe sears the screen with heat whenever she appears, and her and Bromfield have some real chemistry, which keeps the engine of the story ticking over. Hard to wholeheartedly recommend but a mildly diverting short flick (which never bores the viewer) for a weekday evening.

The Big Fluff!

[kalbimassey · 5/10 · 1 February 2023]

Strapped for cash playboy, wide boy and arch chiseler, John Bromfield, wheedles his way into the life of wealthy, attractive, but terminally ill Martha Vickers. His focus firmly fixed upon becoming rich when her life comes to its inevitable premature end.

It's stretching a point to expect REAL love interest, Rosemarie Stack to play spectator, while he woos and marries another woman, leaving her to clutch at fleeting moments of intimacy, as they bide their time, waiting for Vickers' dicky ticker to go kaput!

Paradoxically, doing the doting, dutiful husband works more wonders than a Double Diamond. Vickers' hills are alive with the sound of music and her health has improved immeasurably, leaving the dismayed Bromfield no choice other than to initiate the strong arm, underhand tactics of Plan 'B'.

If the movie wasn't already deeply into 'out to lunch' territory, most of the cast perform like graduates from the Pays the Rent School of Acting and there is something intrinsically bog standard about much of the rest of this low budget potboiler. During the brief chase sequence, Bromfield's car screams along the same stretch of road and rounds the same bend three times in as many minutes!

'The Big Bluff' escapes total anonymity , courtesy of a slick, unanticipated little plot twist in the final minutes. Whilst the relatively short running time ensures that it is all over long before numb bum syndrome has a chance to kick in.

C Noir - weak cast, script and direction

[adrianovasconcelos · 5/10 · 6 November 2019]

Despite Director Wilder's efforts, this is an uneven film undermined by below standard acting (Bromfield, as the lead, a supposedly suave Latino felon, must have felt embarrassed by his performance), a predictable and very weak script, and poor photography and even poorer editing.

Sadly, this is one of the weakest films noir I can remember watching.

Good Idea, Poor Execution

[boblipton · 5/10 · 17 April 2021]

Rich Martha Vickers has a heart condition that is going to kill her soon.... which is just the sort of wife John Bromfield is looking for, as he tells his girlfriend, Rosemarie Stack. And so they are wed, and Bromfield begins skimming money, taking her out night-clubbing, and substituting baking soda for her heart medicine. Miss Vickers is clueless, and her happiness makes it lok like she's recovering according to her doctor, so Bromfield decides a more direct method is needed.

It's a nice idea for a movie, and in the hands f a good writer and director it might hit all the buttons for suspense. Unfortunately it's directed by W. Lee Wilder, whose ability seems confined to his being Billy Wilder's brother, and the pace is sluggish, the line readings disconnected, and the visuals uninteresting.

Wilder, whose brother once called him "dull", directed sixteen shorts and seventeen feature from 1946 through 1972. The half dozen I have managed to sit through have uniformly supported his Billy's assertion. W. Lee died in 1982 at the age of 77.