Where Danger Lives (1950)

A young doctor falls in love with a disturbed young woman, becomes involved in the death of her husband, and has to flee with her to the Mexican border.

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

Charles Bennett (screenplay), Leo Rosten (story)

Stars:

Robert Mitchum, Claude Rains, Faith Domergue

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Mitchum	...	Jeff Cameron
Faith Domergue	...	Margo
Claude Rains	...	Mr. Lannington
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Julie
Charles Kemper	...	Police Chief
Ralph Dumke	...	Klauber
Billy House	...	Mr. Bogardus
Harry Shannon	...	Dr. Maynard
Philip Van Zandt	...	Milo DeLong
Jack Kelly	...	Dr. Mullenbach
Lillian West	...	Mrs. Bogardus

Storyline

One night at the hospital, young doctor Jeff Cameron meets Margo, who's brought in after a suicide attempt. He quickly falls for her and they become romantically involved, but it turns out that Margo is married. At a confrontation, Margo's husband is killed and Jeff and Margo flee. Heading for Mexico, they try to outrun the law.

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Plot Keywords:

concussion | asleep at the wheel | doctor | nurse | suicide attempt | 

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Taglines:

She's tempting in a penthouse and dangerous in a bordertown dive!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

16 November 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

White Rose for Julie

Filming Locations:

Palmdale, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures, Westwood Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The reason Jeff and Margo are desperate to get across the Mexican border is that there was no extradition treaty between Mexico and the United States at the time - and there wouldn't be one until 1980.

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Quotes

Mr. Lannington: So you're quite sure of your feelings? I mean, you know, people sometimes get... carried away. Come to their senses again with a jolt.
Jeff Cameron: Mr. Lannington, I want to marry your daughter.
Mr. Lannington: I wish you'd stop calling her my daughter. She happens to be my wife.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story: Howard's Way (1987)

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Soundtracks

Pau Loke
(uncredited)
Music by Gene Rose and Roy Webb

User Reviews

She's A Maniac, Maniac....

I'm a noir fan but I never even heard of this picture until I bought the DVD noir collection it came in. As a result I wasn't expecting much and so I wasn't disappointed. It is a pretty pedestrian film which borders on tedious too often, and is more of a psychological melodrama rather than a straightforward film noir.

I always liked Robert Mitchum but he's trapped in a thankless part here - It's very unlike him to be buffaloed by a pretty skirt and his persona never lent itself to roles as cerebral as a doctor. He was, of course, a man of action and seems out of his element in this picture. I don't agree with those reviewers who hammered Faith Domergue - I thought she played her part well and I can't think of anyone who could have milked it any better than she did. A little more of Claude Rains could have helped matters but he got killed off in his only scene early on.

No telling what this movie was when first released - a weak 'A' or a better-than-average 'B'- but, as is, it's a passable effort by a director who has some pretty good films to his credit. I liked "Alias Nick Beal" and "The Big Clock", speaking for myself. It's just that this one could have been so much better.

All in all, it's worth a look but is not an important film or a noteworthy entry in Mitchums' career.