I, the Jury (1953)

Dectective Mike Hammer is determined to catch and kill the person who shot his close friend dead, so he follows clues that lead to a beautiful, seductive woman.

Director:

Harry Essex

Writers:

Harry Essex, Mickey Spillane (novel)

Stars:

Biff Elliot, Preston Foster, Peggie Castle

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Biff Elliot	...	Mike Hammer
Preston Foster	...	Police Captain Pat Chambers
Peggie Castle	...	Charlotte Manning
Margaret Sheridan	...	Velda
Alan Reed	...	George Kalecki
Mary Anderson	...	Eileen Vickers
Tom Powers	...	Milt Miller
Frances Osborne	...	Myrna Devlin
Bob Cunningham	...	Hal Kines (as Robert Cunningham)
Tani Guthrie	...	Esther Bellamy (as Tani Seitz)
Dran Hamilton	...	Mary Bellamy (as Dran Seitz)
Joe Besser	...	Pete - Elevator Operator
Paul Dubov	...	Marty
John Qualen	...	Dr. R.H. Vickers
Nestor Paiva	...	Manuel

Storyline

It's nearly Christmas, but Mike Hammer is on the vengeance trail when Jack, his wartime buddy, is murdered. Hotheaded Hammer sets out to find the killer, working his way through an increasingly large pile of suspects (and corpses). Along the way, he meets a new love interest, psychologist Charlotte Manning, a treacherous Santa, a gangster named Kalecki, and two weird sisters, the Bellamy twins.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | psychotronic film | mike hammer | twin | hard boiled | 

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Taglines:

MICKEY SPILLANE'S Kind of Fury, Savagery, Temptation and Man-Woman Violence in 3-D !

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 August 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

J'aurai ta peau

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parklane Pictures Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally filmed in 3D; but, by the time it opened, 3D had lost favor among audiences, and many first run engagements, as well as most second run engagements, opted to offer it in the standard 2D version.

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Quotes

Mike Hammer: So long baby
[after he shoots her before she shoots him]
Charlotte Manning: How could you
[as she slowly and sultrily crumples to the floor]
Mike Hammer: It was easy

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Connections

Referenced in The Many Faces of Mike Hammer: A Personal Recollection by Larry Cohen (2013)

User Reviews

The best Mike Hammer film!

I consider this film to be the best one about Mike Hammer, with Biff Elliott's performance the definitive Mike Hammer. Harry Essex's script is excellent and contains many improvements on Mickey Spillane's novel. His direction is strong and imaginative, and he makes fine use of light and shadow. The camera work by John Alton is top-notch, as is the score by Franz Waxman. The cast includes many veteran players, as well as Peggie Castle in her memorable performance as Charlotte Manning. All in all, this is one of the finest private eye films ever made. Biff Elliott and Haary Essex should have received more opportunities. I have always treasured this film.