Beware of Ladies

Irving Pichel in his time directed some very interesting pictures. This 1937 B-effort from Republic is not one of them.

In the plot, such as it is, an unhappily married female reporter is assigned by her boss to beef up the public profile of a naive but honest politician who is running against the crooked incumbent in an upcoming election.

The far from stellar cast are competent in what they do, but you would not exactly call them the most charismatic group of actors ever assembled. The only cast member coming remotely close to being a "name" today would be Dwight Frye of Universal horror picture fame, and his role of a "spy" in the electoral office of our hero Donald Cook is of minimal significance to the picture.

I can't really say that this picture is bad...just of very little consequence, and ultimately, very forgettable.

Okay B-movie drama from budget-minded Republic Pictures. The plot concerns political intrigue between a naive reform-minded Martin for city DA, and a corrupt incumbent faction seeking to undo Martin's candidacy. At first the bad guys needn't bother since Martin's campaign is too passive to worry about. But then forceful female reporter White sees Martin's potential and helps develop his untapped skills. Alarmed now, the corrupt faction quickly takes action.

It's a no-name cast that performs ably enough with the exception of Judith Allen as reporter White. In short, she's quite effective as Martin's take-charge mentor, reminding me a bit of a feisty Barbara Stanwyck. Note too the unusual womanly subtext that shows White finally lifting Martin beyond listlessness to her level of skill and initiative. And guess what happens as a result. Also, get a load of the 30's style tin-lizzies then crowding the streets, so reflective of the era.

On the downside are the rapid-fire shenanigans between the opposing factions in an over-crowded 64-minute storyline. Too bad ace director Pichel-just then getting started-adds little to the mix. Still the pacing never lags, though the many characters keep ducking in and out; so, a scorecard might be needed. All in all, you might give the programmer a try, especially for the unusual Martin-White matchup and the political lessons that go with it.

(In passing- Maybe you can spot Perry Mason's favorite TV investigator, the handsome William Hopper, in a side role as a reporter. Too bad that I missed him.)