Pushover (1954)

Undercover cop falls for the beautiful moll of a bank robber on the run and together they plan to double-cross the hood and the cops.

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

Roy Huggins (screenplay), Thomas Walsh (novel)

Stars:

Fred MacMurray, Kim Novak, Philip Carey

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Fred MacMurray	...	Paul Sheridan
Philip Carey	...	Rick McAllister (as Phil Carey)
Kim Novak	...	Lona McLane
Dorothy Malone	...	Ann Stewart
E.G. Marshall	...	Police Lt. Carl Eckstrom
Allen Nourse	...	Paddy Dolan

Storyline

A bank heist yields $210,000. Soon, sultry Lona McLane, girlfriend of one of the robbers, meets Paul Sheridan and has a torrid affair. When she finds out Paul's a cop, to save herself she sets out to corrupt him. He's a pushover. But it won't be easy for Paul to get his hands on the money when he's part of a complex, peeping-tom stakeout. Soon, he's in much deeper than he'd planned, amid atmospheric night scenes.

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Plot Keywords:

voyeurism | voyeur | beat generation | movie theatre | song | 

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Taglines:

A STORY OF TEMPTATION! (original half-sheet poster-all caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Philip Carey starred in the movie advertised on the theater marquee, The Nebraskan (1953), also released by Columbia.

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Goofs

When Paul calls Lona in her apartment during the stakeout, it is clearly raining. When he meets her on the roof a few minutes later, it is not raining and there are stars in the night sky.

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Quotes

Rick McAllister: Money? It's nice, but it doesn't make the world go around.
Paul Sheridan: Doesn't it? Do you know anybody who's happily married who hasn't got plenty of it?
Rick McAllister: Sure, my old man...
Paul Sheridan: Yeah? My folks hated each other. Fighting all the time... and always about money.

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Connections

Referenced in The Red Balloon (1956)

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Soundtracks

There Goes That Song Again
Music by Jule Styne (uncredited)
Played by duo pianists at the cocktail lounge

User Reviews

Kim Novak & Dorothy Malone were Great

Enjoyed this great classic film from 1954 starring Fred MacMurray, (Paul Sheridan) who is a detective and gets involved with Lona McLane,(Kim Novak) who is connected with a bank robber and Lona cons Paul to kill her boyfriend so they can take the money for themselves. The only problem is that Paul Sheridan is assigned to watch Lona on a stake out with other detectives and have her apartment watched and her telephone wires tapped. There are many problems that face Paul and Lona and one of Paul's detective friends gets involved with a girl named Ann Stewart, (Dorothy Malone) who lives in the same apartment house as Lona and lives down the hall. This story becomes quite exciting as a crooked cop tries to cover his tracks and makes mistakes after mistakes. Don't miss this Classic it is great with outstanding acting and a great cast of actors. Enjoy.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 August 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Killer Wore a Badge

Filming Locations:

Columbia/Sunset Gower Studios - 1438 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$400,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1