After retiring from the Western screen, Wild Bill Elliott made five hard-boiled police films at Allied Artists, this being the first of them. Elliott plays Andy Flynn/Doyle (the name changes after this one, but it's the same character), a detective for the LA sheriff's office. Elliott's stoic, brooding style is well-suited to crime films, and I'm sorry he did not make more. I've seen four of this group of five, and every one is a solid piece of work. They play very much like a grittier version of the many crime TV shows of the 1950s, and in the post-Dragnet era there is an emphasis on the step-by-step procedures used in investigating a case. Keith Larsen plays a WWII/Korea war hero who has not adapted well to the civilian world and is under psychological treatment; Helene Stanley chews the scenery as his party-girl ex-wife (her scene where she announces to her boyfriend why they "have to" get married is a classic!); Paul Picerni is the smarmy, suspicious friend of Larsen and great and good friend of Stanley. Former Columbia/Monogram regular Rick Vallin is put to good use as a police officer guarding Larsen after he is arrested. No big surprises here--the film simply delivers what it promises to: suspense, action, twists, a nice hard-boiled ambiance, AND Wild Bill Elliott. That's enough for me. While most of the film is shot on small, cheap sets, there are some good location shots of LA circa 1955 that help to give the film atmosphere. Finally, the scenes set in bars and lounges feature excellent West Coast Jazz from Shorty Rogers and his Giants, although if the band is seen, it must be just for a few moments as I went out of the room twice to get a soda and I didn't actually SEE Rogers on stage at all, just heard his music...perhaps I missed him during one of my soda expeditions. DIAL RED "O" is recommended to fans of 1950s b-crime films, if you can find it! (see my review of CHAIN OF EVIDENCE, another film in this series)
9 Reviews
Better than expected
AAdaSC7 November 2010
Ralph Wyatt (Keith Larsen) escapes from a psychiatric institution in order to confront his wife Connie (Helene Stanley) over their divorce. He intends to return once he has seen her. However, Connie has been having an affair with his friend Norman (Paul Picerni) behind Ralph's back. When Norman refuses to marry her now that she is free and single once again, a fight ensues and she is killed. Norman stitches up Ralph, who is arrested for murder. However, Ralph escapes from custody in order to avenge his wife's death. At the same time, Det. Flynn (Bill Elliott) is discovering the truth....
I was surprised at how good this film was. It's made with a sparse cast who are all believable and likable in their roles and the action unfolds at a good pace. I thought the film was going to be crap and was anticipating hitting the "stop" button, but my girlfriend and I found ourselves watching to the end and even cheering out loud at certain moments! It's a solid story and it has a good soundtrack.
I was surprised at how good this film was. It's made with a sparse cast who are all believable and likable in their roles and the action unfolds at a good pace. I thought the film was going to be crap and was anticipating hitting the "stop" button, but my girlfriend and I found ourselves watching to the end and even cheering out loud at certain moments! It's a solid story and it has a good soundtrack.
He may be crazy, but he's not psycho.
mark.waltz15 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Keith Larsen is Ralph Wyatt, an emotionally exhausted soldier recovering from the war and from the news that his trampy wife (Helene Stanley) has just obtained a divorce. He manages to escape from the military mental hospital where he is recovering to confront her. No sooner has he arrived in the neighborhood where she lives then he's arrested for her murder, and protesting his innocence, he desperately tries to get out of his holding cell in the local jail. This familiar tale of adultery leading to murder has been told in many different ways, but this (the first of a short-lived series starring Bill Elliott as a tough Hollywood cop) is told with a very fascinating narrative.
While the "B" western star Elliott is top billed, it is Larsen's intense performance that draws center attention here. He adds touches of sanity and insanity to his characterization so you can understand why he is institutionalized, yet you know he knows reality from his frenzied brain. Stanley is fascinating as his trashy wife, amoral to the maximum, and determined to hold onto her married lover (a very good Paul Picerni) who just happens to be an old army buddy of Larsen's. Jack Kruschen is also excellent as the lascivious next door neighbor who makes his lust towards Stanley very clear even though they have no scenes together.
There are a lot of little details to keep an eye out for in this low-budget feature which is perhaps a bit too racy for 1955 television audiences, explaining its theatrical release. It is also obvious that Stanley is the one who seems to deserve to be in the mental institution more than her husband, and the scenes leading up to her demise are reminiscent of the 1980's sexual thriller explosion with films such as "Fatal Attraction" and the later "Basic Instinct". The cops here are presented as real human beings who take their jobs seriously, and are not the typical tough-talking movie law enforcement officers with muscles of steel yet brains of plastic.
While the "B" western star Elliott is top billed, it is Larsen's intense performance that draws center attention here. He adds touches of sanity and insanity to his characterization so you can understand why he is institutionalized, yet you know he knows reality from his frenzied brain. Stanley is fascinating as his trashy wife, amoral to the maximum, and determined to hold onto her married lover (a very good Paul Picerni) who just happens to be an old army buddy of Larsen's. Jack Kruschen is also excellent as the lascivious next door neighbor who makes his lust towards Stanley very clear even though they have no scenes together.
There are a lot of little details to keep an eye out for in this low-budget feature which is perhaps a bit too racy for 1955 television audiences, explaining its theatrical release. It is also obvious that Stanley is the one who seems to deserve to be in the mental institution more than her husband, and the scenes leading up to her demise are reminiscent of the 1980's sexual thriller explosion with films such as "Fatal Attraction" and the later "Basic Instinct". The cops here are presented as real human beings who take their jobs seriously, and are not the typical tough-talking movie law enforcement officers with muscles of steel yet brains of plastic.
Serviceable Police Drama
GManfred28 December 2011
I was a little disappointed in "Dial Red O" but maybe I was expecting too much. It has a pretty lofty rating and was reviewed by 2 other contributors who usually know their stuff. I guess I just didn't like it as much as they did.
On the title page it's labeled a mystery but there's not much mystery here. It's a pretty straightforward story about an escaped mental patient/ ex-GI who gets framed for his wife's murder. As we see, one of his old service buddies kills her and tries to pin it on him. So much for mystery.
The acting is solid, with one of my old western heroes, Bill Elliott, playing Lt. Doyle who is in charge of the case. Keith Larsen is the framed war hero and Paul Picerni is his 'buddy'. The story is pretty routine and chugs along to the finish. I was beginning to think Elliott had lost his hair, as he wears his fedora constantly indoors and out, except for one scene in which he is rousted out of bed via a phone call.
No surprises here, just your Police Department in action. I would like to see the others in this series, but I'm not hopeful as I had so much trouble getting a hold of this one.
On the title page it's labeled a mystery but there's not much mystery here. It's a pretty straightforward story about an escaped mental patient/ ex-GI who gets framed for his wife's murder. As we see, one of his old service buddies kills her and tries to pin it on him. So much for mystery.
The acting is solid, with one of my old western heroes, Bill Elliott, playing Lt. Doyle who is in charge of the case. Keith Larsen is the framed war hero and Paul Picerni is his 'buddy'. The story is pretty routine and chugs along to the finish. I was beginning to think Elliott had lost his hair, as he wears his fedora constantly indoors and out, except for one scene in which he is rousted out of bed via a phone call.
No surprises here, just your Police Department in action. I would like to see the others in this series, but I'm not hopeful as I had so much trouble getting a hold of this one.
Dial Red O
CinemaSerf14 November 2022
Bill Elliott ("Det. Flynn") works quite well in this quickly-paced, more cerebral, hour long detective mystery. He must investigate the murder of "Connie" (Helene Stanley) who was having an affair with "Roper" (Paul Picerni). The finger for the crime is initially pointed at her somewhat shell-shocked husband "Wyatt" (Keith Larsen) but we know the truth (we've known all along) and so now we get to follow as both "Flynn" and "Wyatt" try to fathom out the truth. At times the photography goes too obviously out of it's way not to show us anything of the violent themes here. The code? Sure, but also a distinct lack of imagination from director Daniel Ullman didn't help either. From a production perspective, there is nothing special about any of this - indeed, Stanley is pretty terrible - but the story has plenty of twists and turns before an ending that does this cheap and cheerful B-feature just enough justice to make it worth a gander.
Dial N for murder.
ulicknormanowen13 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This is an interesting variation on a hackneyed subject: the soldiers,who won so many medals in WW2 it's hard to call them all ,who cannot adjust to civilian life , and is subject to psycho therapy .When he learns his wife has just divorced him, he escapes from the hospital .Meanwhile the woman intends to marry her lover but he's got wife and children....
The lieutenant has a sentence which could have provided the screenplay with a really absorbing plot : "you could have done it and (because you're mentally suffering) forgotten all about it". But as the screenwriters spill the beans much too soon and spoil the whodunit ,it's only an OK thriller.
The lieutenant has a sentence which could have provided the screenplay with a really absorbing plot : "you could have done it and (because you're mentally suffering) forgotten all about it". But as the screenwriters spill the beans much too soon and spoil the whodunit ,it's only an OK thriller.
Straight forward police drama
Paularoc4 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Ralph Wyatt, a veteran with a outstanding World War II service record escapes from a mental institution to go and see his wife who divorced him. Soon thereafter, his harridan of an ex is murdered by her lover. We know from the get go who the murderer is (Paul Picerni as Roper) but Roper tries to put the blame on Wyatt. Bill Elliott portrays Sheriff's Department Lt. Andy Flynn as a dour, humorless detective who interestingly is also smart, non-judgmental and does not jump to conclusions nor is he corrupt. I only knew Paul Picerni from "The Untouchables" so I wasn't use to seeing him as a bad guy and he did a fine job. Elliott did a good job but his character isn't particularly memorable even though likable. An okay detective story worth the hour it takes to watch it.
The Way They Teach You In The Marines
bkoganbing18 August 2014
I took a look at Wild Bill Elliott's credits and the last time he was in modern dress for a movie before Dial Red O was in a small role as a bootlegger in The Roaring Twenties. My guess his popularity as a western star was on the decline as the films he made were now being done in television series. I'm surprised Elliott never went into the small screen to continue as a western star. Also he dropped the 'Wild' in his screen billing, that seemed to not fit now that he was playing a police lieutenant in modern dress.
In Dial Red O we are introduced to Elliott's new character of Lieutenant Andy Flynn of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The case he catches in this film is the murder of Helene Stanley who is the good time wife of Marine veteran Keith Larsen. Larsen is doing a stay in the Psychiatric Ward of the Veteran's Hospital as things haven't been going so well with him.
That's not stopping Stanley from spending his money and having a good time with Larsen's old friend from the Corps Paul Picerni. A little too much pressure going both ways and Stanley winds up dead.
We know Picerni did it, the suspense is whether Elliott and Larsen can put it together. An offhand remark by law enforcement tells Larsen who the murderer is.
Dial Red O is one no frills production. Allied Artists obviously had a contract commitment to Elliott and they wanted to see how the public would take to him out of his boots and in a squad car not on a horse. It's all right, but again nothing you couldn't see on television.
In Dial Red O we are introduced to Elliott's new character of Lieutenant Andy Flynn of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The case he catches in this film is the murder of Helene Stanley who is the good time wife of Marine veteran Keith Larsen. Larsen is doing a stay in the Psychiatric Ward of the Veteran's Hospital as things haven't been going so well with him.
That's not stopping Stanley from spending his money and having a good time with Larsen's old friend from the Corps Paul Picerni. A little too much pressure going both ways and Stanley winds up dead.
We know Picerni did it, the suspense is whether Elliott and Larsen can put it together. An offhand remark by law enforcement tells Larsen who the murderer is.
Dial Red O is one no frills production. Allied Artists obviously had a contract commitment to Elliott and they wanted to see how the public would take to him out of his boots and in a squad car not on a horse. It's all right, but again nothing you couldn't see on television.
This Is The County
boblipton12 June 2022
Keith Larsen came out of the Second World War a sergeant. He got married to Helene Stanley, knocked around for a few years, and was in the local VA facility for psychiatric observation. The evening of the day divorce papers are served on him, he hops the wall and goes looking for some answers. The case goes to LA County police lieutenant Bill Elliott.
Elliott was a 30-year veteran of Hollywood when this was made. He entered as an extra in 1925, but it took him 10 years until he gained enough traction in 1935 -- when he appeared in more than 30 movies -- before he began to get screen credit. A Columbia serial gave him the lead, and he spent he 1940s as a cowboy star, usually credited as "Wild Bill Elliott", culminating in the lead in the Red Ryder series. He would appear in four more of these detective movies over the next couple of years, then mostly retired. He died in 1965, aged 61.
This movie was written and directed by Daniel Ullman, and it's a cheap little affair, with an interesting script -- Miss Stanley is pregnant by another man, which is why she wants to divorce Larsen and marry the other guy. There are lots of interesting location shots around Los Angeles, but despite its short, 64-minute running time, there's little in the way of action until the final five minutes. Elliott spends almost all his time at his desk, supervising other officers. Clearly Ullman was operating under the influence of DRAGNET, but Jack Webb's radio and TV show called for a lot of dialogue spat out at machine-gun pace. Elliott still looks like a close-mouthed cowboy, his Stetson swapped out for a wide-brimmed felt hat.
Elliott was a 30-year veteran of Hollywood when this was made. He entered as an extra in 1925, but it took him 10 years until he gained enough traction in 1935 -- when he appeared in more than 30 movies -- before he began to get screen credit. A Columbia serial gave him the lead, and he spent he 1940s as a cowboy star, usually credited as "Wild Bill Elliott", culminating in the lead in the Red Ryder series. He would appear in four more of these detective movies over the next couple of years, then mostly retired. He died in 1965, aged 61.
This movie was written and directed by Daniel Ullman, and it's a cheap little affair, with an interesting script -- Miss Stanley is pregnant by another man, which is why she wants to divorce Larsen and marry the other guy. There are lots of interesting location shots around Los Angeles, but despite its short, 64-minute running time, there's little in the way of action until the final five minutes. Elliott spends almost all his time at his desk, supervising other officers. Clearly Ullman was operating under the influence of DRAGNET, but Jack Webb's radio and TV show called for a lot of dialogue spat out at machine-gun pace. Elliott still looks like a close-mouthed cowboy, his Stetson swapped out for a wide-brimmed felt hat.
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