Apology for Murder

The minor Hollywood studios and companies usually waited a decent interval---say two or three years--- before they made their own version of a major company film, but good old PRC had an early-day version of the TV mentality that says if it was good last week, we'll make it again tomorrow. Rigor mortis hadn't set in on Fred MacMurray's "Double Indemnity" character before PRC had their own grind-house version playing. Nothing to it; just change the insurance salesman and company cop to a reporter and his editor; cast Ann Savage (who else?) in Barbara Stanwyck's scheming, double-dealing wife role and tell the exhibitors it will be ready in two weeks. And who needs Billy Wilder and James M. Cain when they have Sam Newfield and Fred Myton? Not any of us PRC-schlock lovers for certain. The super market scene-lovers could be disappointed.

Fun, fast-paced imitation of DOUBLE INDEMNITY, with Hugh Beaumont in the Fred MacMurray role and Ann Savage in the Barbara Stanwyck part. Savage does as good a job at being nasty as she did in DETOUR and Beaumont is fine, too. Prolific PRC director Sam Newfield keeps it moving and keeps it very entertaining. This is very hard to see, but highly worthwhile. Supposedly Paramount sued PRC to keep this out of theaters because it was far too similar to DOUBLE INDEMNITY. Too bad because it's good in its own right.

"Apology for Murder" is a very good film with one problem...the plot is a complete ripoff of "Double Indemnity". In far too many ways does this PRC film mirror the Paramount film from the previous year.

The movie stars Hugh Beaumont as a murderer. Although he was such an incredibly nice ordinary guy as the father on "Leave it to Beaver", he often played scum-bags or hardboiled cops in films. In this film, he plays a reporter named Kenny who visits the elderly Harvey Kirkland to try to get a story. He meets a young lady named Toni (Ann Savage) and assumes it's Kirkland's daughter--but it's his young and conniving wife. She feigns interest in Kenny...all to try to get him to help murder her husband. But when he does the dirty deed, he learns she's already picked out another boyfriend and that someone else is being blamed for the husband's murder!

This story has so much from the previous film...and it's obvious they were copying. But even with this, Beaumont is still excellent and the super-cheap film still exudes a nice, noirish atmosphere. Totally unoriginal...but still worth your time.

Investigative journalist "Blake" (Hugh Beaumont) is looking into a lucrative business deal that might be in the offing for the wealthy "Kirkland" (Russell Hicks). An impromptu meeting, though, introduces him to a new proposition - the man's much younger wife "Toni" (Ann Savage). She's unhappy, soon seeking solace in his arms and plotting his demise. "Blake" is initially unwilling to co-operate, but she's a clever woman and... The question is, can they get away with it and manage to frame "Jordan" (Pierre Watkin) for good measure? At just over the hour, this is quite a watchable crime thriller with plenty of feminine wiles, manipulation, betrayal and an ending that delivers just desserts a-plenty. No, it's not a great or especially memorable film and I could have done with someone like Barbara Stanwyck in the lead (they could have too, I guess) but if you like the genre you'll enjoy this readily enough.

I have to admit that I know nothing about Director Sam Newfield but, having watched this out and out ripoff of DOUBLE INDEMNITY, which came out in 1944, I am not likely to look for any more of his work because there is never a good reason to plagiarize, and that is what his studio and he did with this B pic.

I am amazed that no legal proceedings were started against the studio on the grounds of theft of intellectual property, plagiarism, and related charges.

It's a pity, because Ann Savage is quite convincing as the murderous merry widow who convinces naif Hugh Beaumont to murder her hubby so she can chalk up his fortune. Russell Hicks and Charlie Brown also deliver credible performances, though the fact that a newspaper editor should be allowed so much freedom to investigate does extend to snapping point your suspension of disbelief. Edward G Robinson as an insurance company investigator made far more sense in DOUBLE INDEMNITY.

The script deserves a fat zero, it is a blatant copy.