SMOOTH AS SILK – 1946
A nifty low rent programmer put out by the B-unit at Universal Pictures.
Slick lawyer, Kent Taylor has just gotten a man, Danny Morton, off on a charge of drunk driving, causing death. Taylor toyed with various witness accounts and the like. Taylor had taken said case to help out his girl, Virginia Grey. Grey is an up and coming actress who wants her bite at fame and fortune. Morton's uncle, John Litel, is a big time writer and producer for the stage.
Litel had agreed to put Grey in his next big play for Taylor defending his nephew, Morton. Once the case is settled, Litel backs out of the deal. This does not go well for Taylor, as Miss Grey is not at all happy. Upset women are not the least inclined to, shall we say, frolic.
Grey, a woman who will not let anything stand in her way, soon has her claws in young Morton. It does not occur to Morton that Grey is only swapping spit in order to meet his uncle, Litel. Morton is completely taken with Miss Grey and wines and dines the woman. Of course Miss Grey is doing all this behind Kent Taylor's back.
Also in the mix here, is Jane Adams as Grey's younger sister, Milburn Stone as the local D.A. and Theresa Harris as Grey's maid.
Grey soon talks Morton into meeting his uncle, Litel. Grey brings along sis Adams to now pawn off on Morton. She likes big game, (Litel) and Morton has now served his purpose. Vixen Grey soon has Litel doing the puppy dog two-step with her. The now smitten Litel puts her in the starring role in his new stage production. And again she is doing this all behind Lawyer Taylor's back.
It finally dawns on Taylor what is going on, when Litel announces to the press etc that he and Miss Grey will wed. Taylor does not like this idea and takes a poke at Litel. Grey tells Taylor to blow as she now has everything she wants.
Taylor, not amused that he has been played for a world class chump, plots payback. He visits Grey and Adam's apartment even though he knows that Grey is still on stage, and will be absent. He is still on good terms with the sister, Adams. They have a chat and a drink. While Adams is busy grabbing some ice, Taylor scoops up several items from Grey's bedroom.
He finishes his drink and bids Miss Adams a goodnight. Now it is into the car and a quick drive to Litel's place. He enters and finds Litel working at his desk. He pulls out a pistol with a silencer. Litel begs for his life and offers to drop Grey like the proverbial hot potato. Taylor, not in a negotiating mood, plugs Litel. He they lays the items from Grey's rooms around the place. A lipstick covered cigarette butt in the ashtray, a bracelet just under the corner of Litel's desk.
Taylor now beats the feet for the street. He knows Grey is by now on her way from the theatre. He watches Grey arrive, gives her a few minutes inside, then, heads for the front door. Grey, on finding the dead Litel, of course heads for her car. She has no intention on calling the Police.
Taylor's timing is perfect as Grey bolts out the door and into Taylor. Grey blubbers to Taylor about the body. Taylor tells her to leave, he will deal with the matter. Grey is quite happy to comply with this suggestion. Taylor goes inside and calls the Police.
The Cops and D.A. Milburn Stone are soon on the scene. Taylor tells Stone that he had shot Litel over Miss Grey leaving him. The Detectives though soon turn up the planted evidence. They believe that Taylor is lying about killing Litel. They suspect Miss Grey of the deed, and that Taylor is simply taking the blame to protect her. (This is of course exactly what Taylor wanted)
Taylor coughs up that the Police are indeed correct in their assumptions. Miss Grey is given a round of third degree and soon admits that she had found the body. But she swears she never killed the man. Police delay going after Grey because they only have circumstantial evidence linking Grey to the crime. This annoys Taylor who now suggests that maybe the nephew, Morton did the crime. Morton had taken to the bottle big time after Grey dumped him.
D.A. Stone is by this time starting to smell a rat here. The suspicion is confirmed, when Stone discovers that Taylor has convinced Morton he killed his uncle during an alcoholic blackout. Stone sets up a sting operation using Morton as bait. Of course Taylor bites. Taylor plans on killing Morton and making it look like a suicide. At the right moment, the Police pop out and catch Taylor in the attempt. The cuffs are slapped on and off to jail he goes. The cause of the whole mess, Miss Grey goes free.
Grey is a hoot here as she goes full tilt femme fatale, tossing men aside like used matches, once they serve their purpose. The writers give her plenty of snappy lines, and Grey delivers a top flight performance.
The director on this one is Charles Barton. Barton was better known as a comedy director with several of the better Abbot and Costello films to his credit. The look of the film is quite sharp, with cinematographer Woody Bredell at the controls. Bredell is well known to film noir fans. He lensed PHANTOM LADY, LADY ON A TRAIN,TANGIER, Christmas HOLIDAY,THE UNSUSPECTED and THE KILLERS.
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