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IMDbPro

Hell's Half Acre

  • 1954
  • Approved
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
577
YOUR RATING
Philip Ahn, Wendell Corey, Nancy Gates, Evelyn Keyes, and Marie Windsor in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
ActionAdventureCrime

An American woman goes to Hawaii to search for her husband, MIA since the war, but he's a fugitive from the law and involved in a private feud against his former crime syndicate partners.An American woman goes to Hawaii to search for her husband, MIA since the war, but he's a fugitive from the law and involved in a private feud against his former crime syndicate partners.An American woman goes to Hawaii to search for her husband, MIA since the war, but he's a fugitive from the law and involved in a private feud against his former crime syndicate partners.

  • Director
    • John H. Auer
  • Writer
    • Steve Fisher
  • Stars
    • Wendell Corey
    • Evelyn Keyes
    • Elsa Lanchester
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    577
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John H. Auer
    • Writer
      • Steve Fisher
    • Stars
      • Wendell Corey
      • Evelyn Keyes
      • Elsa Lanchester
    • 16User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos16

    Elsa Lanchester and Evelyn Keyes in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Nancy Gates in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Philip Ahn, Marie Windsor, and Robert M. Luck in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Evelyn Keyes in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Wendell Corey, Nancy Gates, Evelyn Keyes, Leonard Strong, and Marie Windsor in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Philip Ahn, Wendell Corey, Evelyn Keyes, Leonard Strong, and Marie Windsor in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Wendell Corey, Nancy Gates, Evelyn Keyes, and Marie Windsor in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Wendell Corey, Nancy Gates, Evelyn Keyes, and Marie Windsor in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Wendell Corey, Nancy Gates, Evelyn Keyes, Leonard Strong, and Marie Windsor in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Wendell Corey, Nancy Gates, Evelyn Keyes, and Marie Windsor in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Philip Ahn, Wendell Corey, Nancy Gates, and Evelyn Keyes in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
    Wendell Corey and Evelyn Keyes in Hell's Half Acre (1954)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Wendell Corey
    Wendell Corey
    • Chet Chester
    Evelyn Keyes
    Evelyn Keyes
    • Donna Williams
    Elsa Lanchester
    Elsa Lanchester
    • Lida O'Reilly
    Marie Windsor
    Marie Windsor
    • Rose Otis
    Nancy Gates
    Nancy Gates
    • Sally Lee
    Leonard Strong
    Leonard Strong
    • Ippy
    Jesse White
    Jesse White
    • Tubby Otis
    Keye Luke
    Keye Luke
    • Chief Dan
    Philip Ahn
    Philip Ahn
    • Roger Kong
    Robert Shield
    • Frank Ulman
    Clair Widenaar
    • Jamison
    Robert Costa
    • 'Slim' Novak
    Leimomi Chung
    • Singer
    • (uncredited)
    Akira Fukunaga
    • Filipino
    • (uncredited)
    Lehua Lima
    • Singer
    • (uncredited)
    Robert M. Luck
    • Harry
    • (uncredited)
    Tiger Joe Marsh
    • George
    • (uncredited)
    Kuuleialihi Punua
    • Singer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • John H. Auer
    • Writer
      • Steve Fisher
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Goofs
      While Donna Williams and Lida O'Reilly are talking in Lida's cab, they drive past the same distinctive parked car (an MG-TD) three times.
    • Soundtracks
      Polynesian Rhapsody
      Written by Jack Pitman (as Jack Pittman)

      Sung by The Kaumakapili Choir

    User reviews16

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Case History of Chet Chester.
    Hell's Half Acre is directed by John H. Auer and written by Steve Fisher. It stars Wendell Corey, Evelyn Keyes, Elsa Lanchester, Marie Windsor, Nancy Gates and Leonard Strong. Music is by R. Dale Butts and cinematography by John L. Russell.

    Filmed and set in Hawaii, one could be forgiven for thinking this couldn't possibly work as a piece of film noir. In fact, the opening credit sequences lends one to think this could well be a frothy Elvis Presley type of movie - but it most assuredly isn't.

    Cash or Cave in?

    Story has Corey up to his neck in femme fatales, shifty criminal acquaintances and coppers. Which is not bad for a guy who was apparently killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor! The Hell's Half Acre of the tile is what is termed in the film as a shabby tenement district, this is the seedy underbelly of what we know as the paradise island. The location makes for some excellent atmospheric noir touches, with the production line abodes and the ream of wooden stairs and banisters making for a moody backdrop. At night the shadows come in to play, hanging nicely off of the alleyways and tawdry bars.

    Dirty Rat!

    Though a little too contrived for its own good, the many characterisations on show make the annoying itches easily scratched. From two-timing dames and thugs in need of anger management - to alcoholic slobs and batty taxi drivers, this has a roll call of colourful people drifting in and out of Hell's Half Acre. There's even some censor baiting going on, though the whiff of violent misogyny could have been less pungent.

    Some serious noir credentials are found with the makers, Auer (City That Never Sleeps), Fisher (I Wake Up Screaming), Corey (The Big Knife), Keyes (The Prowler), Windsor (The Narrow Margin), Gates (Suddenly), Lanchester (The Big Clock) and Russell (Moonrise), and that's only really scratching the surface. With its distinctive setting and well controlled unfurling of noir conventions, this is well worth a look by the noir faithful. 7/10
    helpful•8
    2
    • hitchcockthelegend
    • Mar 7, 2017

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 1, 1954 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • Japanese
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Razzia im Chinesenviertel
    • Filming locations
      • Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA
    • Production company
      • Republic Pictures (I)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White

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    Philip Ahn, Wendell Corey, Nancy Gates, Evelyn Keyes, and Marie Windsor in Hell's Half Acre (1954)
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