City of Fear (1959)

A vicious killer escapes from San Quentin with a cannister of what he believes to be heroin but is actually a radioactive substance that threatens all Los Angeles.

Director:

Irving Lerner

Writers:

Steven Ritch, Robert Dillon

Stars:

Vince Edwards, Lyle Talbot, John Archer

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vince Edwards	...	Vince Ryker
Lyle Talbot	...	Chief Jensen
John Archer	...	Lt. Mark Richards
Steven Ritch	...	Dr. John Wallace
Patricia Blair	...	June Marlowe
Kelly Thordsen	...	Detective Sgt. Hank Johnson
Joseph Mell	...	Eddie Crown
Sherwood Price	...	Pete Hallon
Kathie Browne	...	Jeanne (as Cathy Browne)

Storyline

Vicious drug dealer Vince Ryker escapes from San Quentin with another prisoner after stabbing a guard to death and stealing what he believes to be a cannister filled with experimental heroin from the prison hospital. In reality the container is filled with cobalt-60, a highly radioactive substance which threatens the entire city if it is somehow opened. The ruthless Ryker dumps his dying cellmate and murders a bypassing motorist, burning his body beyond recognition. Assuming a new identity, Ryker heads for Los Angeles to become reunited with his beautiful girlfriend and Crown, a corrupt businessman and front man for Ryker's drug business. Fully aware of the potential dangers of the situation, the authorities are engaged in race against time to recover the cannister and avoid citywide panic.

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Plot Keywords:

cobalt 60 | escape | heroin | panic | escaped convict | 

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Taglines:

A half crazed man in a terror crazed town!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

I polis tou fovou

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Towards the end you see a policeman in uniform in front of a door. Look at the holster on the right hip. It is what is called a "clam shell" holster. The holster is cut in half and held together with a spring. To release you put your finger into the holster and into the trigger guard. You push a button and the holster springs open releasing the revolver. The danger is, if you don't push the button, you can't get the revolver out. These are no longer used.

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Goofs

Cobalt-60 is easily shielded and would not have the adverse effects it does if kept in a lead container.

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Quotes

Lt. Mark Richards: Did any of his friends contact you?
Eddie Crown: [Shakes his head] Just his girl once. The reason I remember is because once you've seen her, you've seen her.
[He gives a knowing smile]

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Connections

Referenced in Little Nicky (2000)

User Reviews

Great Los Angeles on-location cinematography and '50s cars

It's not a classic by any means. But it has its virtues - the black and white cinematography, the great jazzy soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, and particularly the extensive on-location shooting in and around Los Angeles. There are lots of scenes of 1950s cars cruising the street, store fronts and interiors - more than average, because they're looking for the protagonist. Living in LA, I especially enjoyed that. As for the plot, I've seen three or four similar plotted stories the last year

• someone is contagious and threatens the city, or is carrying

something radioactive, etc. This one had a slightly less plausible plot line, since the police weren't particularly protective. But I soaked up the ancillary elements - the acting was passable, the camera-work and lighting were above average - and I'm a sucker for the '50s.