Pushover

This was a pleasant surprise. I'd never heard of this film and gave it a try. It's the classic noir set-up of a plan that goes awry due to unforeseen variables. There are flashes of DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944), as Fred MacMurray and a beautiful woman (this time Kim Novak, in her breakout role) plot to get their hands on some money that isn't theirs, but only if they act their parts right.

The movie centers around an all-night police stakeout of Novak's apartment, after her boyfriend robs a bank and takes it on the lam. MacMurray is a cop and figures his inside knowledge of both sides of the investigation should allow him to pull off the proverbial "perfect crime": lifting the loot while delivering the crook.

There's some great suspense as things unravel and the 1950s black & white photography is great. There are hints of REAR WINDOW (1954) as the police watch the apartment during the stakeout. Dorothy Malone is adorable as Novak's next-door neighbor, who catches the eye of one of the cops through his binoculars. (It's a sweet romantic plot, not a creepy one.) E.G. Marshall heads a solid supporting cast. A very enjoyable film noir that may go under the radar. Check it out.