IMDb > The Killer Is Loose (1956)

The Killer Is Loose (1956) More at IMDbPro »


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Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   327 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 17% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
John Hawkins (story)
Ward Hawkins (story)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Killer Is Loose on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
2 March 1956 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
The Story of a Cop Who Used His Wife as Bait for a Killer! more
Plot:
An unhinged, deceptively mild-mannered bank robber escapes prison, seeking revenge on the cop who accidentally killed his wife. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Wendell Corey steals low-budget B-film as crazed killer... more (20 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Joseph Cotten ... Detective Sam Wagner

Rhonda Fleming ... Lila Wagner
Wendell Corey ... Leon 'Foggy' Poole
Alan Hale Jr. ... Denny (as Alan Hale)
Michael Pate ... Detective Chris Gillespie
John Larch ... Otto Flanders
Dee J. Thompson ... Grace Flanders
John Beradino ... Mac
Virginia Christine ... Mary Gillespie
Paul Bryar ... Greg Boyd
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Gerstle ... Holdup man (unconfirmed)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
73 min
Country:
Language:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #17446) | Sweden:15

Fun Stuff

Goofs:
Continuity: The rear view mirror inside Sam Wagner's Ford is missing during the interior shots, but visible from the outside shots. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Trapped Ashes (2006) more

FAQ

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful.
Wendell Corey steals low-budget B-film as crazed killer..., 25 June 2009
6/10
Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

Budd Boetticher was getting his "Director's Day" salute on TCM when I watched this little known thriller starring Joseph COTTEN, RHONDA FLEMING and WENDELL COREY.

It's Corey who walks off with the film in what is really the central role as a crazed killer, angry when detective Cotten and his police officers accidentally kill his wife when trying to get him. He vows revenge when he's found guilty of a bank robbery where he was an accomplice, and the rest of the tale involves vengeance and a final comeuppance for Corey.

Joseph COTTEN gives only a middling performance, almost phoning in his job as though he knows his colorless role isn't worth much effort. The same for RHONDA FLEMING as his selfish wife, whose sole contribution is a shapely figure and a pretty face obviously ready for many a close-up.

What raises this above the level of an average B-film is Corey's nuanced performance as a nerdy man who appears almost sympathetic at times and chillingly ruthless when crossed. JOHN LARCH is especially good as an ex service buddy who used to taunt him for his lack of skill with a rifle. It's Corey's work in the film that puts it into a higher category and makes it a psychological crime melodrama worth watching.

Budd Boetticher's no-nonsense approach delivers a solid bit of film-making that lasts a mere one hour and thirteen minutes.

Note: The lower case for the name Joseph is either the fault of my keyboard or IMDb--I've been capitalizing it but it comes out each time as lower case for some unknown reason.

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