El asesino anda suelto

The Killer is Loose (1956)

The first hour of this movie is really tight, very believable, nicely low key but still with some narrative excitement. Joseph Cotten is very good, and if the filming is straight forward, it's effective all the same. Then the last twenty minutes come along and what is supposed to be high drama (very intense stuff) is just so clumsy and fake you can't believe it's the same movie.

That, in a nutshell, is what will strike you. There are some elements of a cop being loyal to his job and the cop's wife not liking being a cop's wife. And the bad buy, a weirdly detached and offbeat killer, is played to perfection by Wendell Corey. There's even a cross dressing moment at the end which is fun and almost high camp.

But now I'm dredging for dollars. Enjoy the ride, but don't expect too too much.

Budd Boetticher was getting his "Director's Day" salute on TCM when I watched this little known thriller starring Joseph COTTEN, RHONDA FLEMING and WENDELL COREY.

It's Corey who walks off with the film in what is really the central role as a crazed killer, angry when detective Cotten and his police officers accidentally kill his wife when trying to get him. He vows revenge when he's found guilty of a bank robbery where he was an accomplice, and the rest of the tale involves vengeance and a final comeuppance for Corey.

Joseph COTTEN gives only a middling performance, almost phoning in his job as though he knows his colorless role isn't worth much effort. The same for RHONDA FLEMING as his selfish wife, whose sole contribution is a shapely figure and a pretty face obviously ready for many a close-up.

What raises this above the level of an average B-film is Corey's nuanced performance as a nerdy man who appears almost sympathetic at times and chillingly ruthless when crossed. JOHN LARCH is especially good as an ex service buddy who used to taunt him for his lack of skill with a rifle. It's Corey's work in the film that puts it into a higher category and makes it a psychological crime melodrama worth watching.

Budd Boetticher's no-nonsense approach delivers a solid bit of film-making that lasts a mere one hour and thirteen minutes.

Note: The lower case for the name Joseph is either the fault of my keyboard or IMDb--I've been capitalizing it but it comes out each time as lower case for some unknown reason.

Two twists change this movie from what you expect to something else completely. In fact, the title doesn't even seem to match the plot, until those twists transpire. Then it hits its stride with a sense of lingering dread hanging over the proceedings, even when the antagonist is not on screen; actually it seems their absence simply serves to ramp up the tension - such is the skill with which this is directed and shot. Rhonda Fleming gives her usual slightly overwrought performance but it works for this movie as she senses the dangers others around her don't . Surprisingly, many scenes are written in far more depth and are acted with way more seriousness and earnestness (by Joseph Cotten and Wendell Corey) than they have any right to be in just a B-movie - but it works to add depth and empathy. Even the "killer" is not two-dimensional but seems plagued by doubts and confusion - all the while being quietly menacing, disturbing, and on the edge of an outburst of violence at any moment. There are touches of pathos, taut high-wire tension, intrigue and action - with at least one very memorable scene that still flashes in my mind - that make this a very worthy watch. Fans of Hitchcock will also enjoy the hints of perversion and cynicism - and some other key elements which that particular auteur would find appealing. A minor gem.

Watching "A Killer is Loose" it's not hard to see how Budd Boetticher garnered a reputation as one of the top B movie directors. With the limited resources allotted to the makers of B movies, not to mention the casting of often second rate actors, a lot of skill went into creating the few B movies which have endured.

Boetticher gets good performances from leads Joseph Cotton and Wendell Corey (not strictly B movie actors) as well a surprisingly convincing Rhonda Fleming. The work of veteran cinematographer Lucien Ballard contributes much to the success of this taut, well written thriller.

While not a classic, its remains a fine example of its genre and worth a look.

Killer is Loose, The (1956)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Budd Boetticher directed this highly intense police drama, which certainly deserves to be better known than it is. In the film, a bank robber (Wendell Corey) gets away from the scene of the crime but a detective (Joseph Cotten) tracks him down to his apartment. When the detective breaks the door in he accidentally kills the man's wife (Rhonda Fleming). The robber is eventually sent to prison but he escapes and plans his revenge by killing the detective's wife. There are plenty of twists and turns in this little gem that contains a huge amount of suspense and some terrific direction by Boetticher. This was the first film I've seen from the director but I'll certainly be seeking more out. Cotton is very good in his role as is Fleming but the film belongs to Corey as the deranged psychopath. He gives a wonderfully creepy performance and really adds a lot to the film. The start of the film in the apartment is wonderfully done but it's the ending that really packs a terrific punch. Hopefully this thing will hit DVD at some point.