A Fever in the Blood

A Fever In the Blood is a nice little package of a movie, and I don't mean this is a negative or condescending way. It has fairly low ambitions and achieves them nicely. It's a product of the tail end of the studio system, and was directed by the very able Vincent Sherman. The plot concerns political intrigue in contemporary (as of 1961) California. I saw the movie so long ago don't remember the details well but do remember being impressed by the performances, much stronger than I expected from such actors as Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Jack Kelly and Don Ameche. The ending was both predictable and highly satisfying. I recommend the film to those who want to see what studio film-making looked like when the studios were on their last legs, and for those curious about Hollywood's take on the American political system in the early, still optimistic sixties. There were a lot of much bigger and more ambitious films from the same time that are much better known--Advise and Consent and The Best Man come to mind--but A Fever In the Blood can hold its own in its modest way, especially as entertainment. It's not as thought-provoking as the bigger, more prestigious films from the same era but it has a retro charm all its own is easy to watch and plays fair with the viewer.

"Fever in the Blood," a 1961 film, was directed by Vincent Sherman and starred Jack Kelly, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Herbert Marshall, Jesse White, Angie Dickinson, Carol O'Connor, and Don Ameche.

Kelly is a DA, Zimbalist a Judge, and Ameche the current state senator, and they all want to run for governor. A high-profile murder case might be just the ticket, and DA Callahan (Kelly) jumps at the opportunity, with Leland Hoffman (Zimbalist) the presiding judge.

You'd think an old pro like Vincent Sherman would have known better than to let these actors play to the top row of the balcony, but the acting for the most part was way over the top, with most actors speaking at the top of their lungs. The result gives the film a very old-fashioned feel.

This isn't an A cast, but it is a likable one. A little more subtlety in the direction would have made for a less bombastic presentation.

Ridiculous melodrama from Warner Bros. and director Vincent Sherman has pipe-smoking judge in Capital City (a miscast Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) setting his political sights on the governorship, but sidelined by dirty doings during a high-profile murder trial in which the district attorney on the case also intends to be governor. Plainly-filmed, poorly-written and acted potboiler full of boring men who take turns ignoring Angie Dickinson, playing the wife of beady-eyed Don Ameche, a windbag senator who eventually wants to run for president. Dickinson, with lacquered blonde hair, has apparently settled for Ameche but still carries a torch for Judge Efrem, now a widower--however, since he seems indifferent to her, always staring intensely off-camera like an eagle, one has to wonder are these two men her only options? Other subplots are introduced and dropped carelessly, while Zimbalist walks through the proceedings like a sexless sleepwalker. *1/2 from ****

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. heads an all-star cast about the fever of politics, those running for office, and how those use others in their quest for getting what they want, no matter the cost. The film begins with a murder of a housewife, who's been straying. The district attorney, played by "Maverick" star Jack Kelly, has aspirations of running for Governor and means to get a conviction to help his chances of winning. Judge Efrem presides the case and has thoughts on running for governor as well. Senator Don Ameche even wants to be governor so he can stay in office while going back to his roots. The case gets very interesting quick, when the viewer knows more than they do - that they have the wrong man. They think the husband did it. For such a underrated film compared to Advise and Consent, this was a very well-made and enjoyable film, with a stellar cast, including also Angie Dickinson, who married Don Ameche, only because Efrem was already married. (She must have always loved him.) But when Efrem's wife died, she became more disenchanted with her marriage and filled with what if. Character actors Herbert Marshall and Jesse White costar, along with TV stars Parley Baer and Carroll O'Connor, in his movie debut. And the more I see of Efrem in movies, the more I like him; he always embodies the voice of reason and common sense. But more than that, he exudes a warmth not usually found in handsome leading actors. And he is still with us today, at the age of 95. A sign of a life well lived. "A Fever in the Blood" showcases good actors as politicians immersed in their worlds and being pitted against each other, all vying for the position of one. Who will be governor? Who deserves it? Watch and see for yourself.

A Fever in the Blood is the film title for uncontrolled political ambition. And quite a few people have it in this film as a murder trial has all kinds of political implications for those involved.

The nephew of a former governor of the state, Herbert Marshall, is murdered and his trial is sensationalized and covered like the O.J. Simpson trial. Mainly because prosecutor Jack Kelly knows that a conviction here will give him a big boost towards the gubernatorial nomination in his state.

Kelly will need all the help he can get because his main rival is a United States Senator Don Ameche, come home to seek the office of Chief Executive of his state. He's a formidable foe, but he's got a beautiful wife in Angie Dickinson with a roving eye.

Presiding over the trial and carefully avoiding all the traps as best he can is upright judge Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

A Fever in the Blood was Warner Brothers way of giving a little big screen exposure to TV Stars Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. from 77 Sunset Strip and Jack Kelly from Maverick. These guys acquit themselves well in their parts. But the days when studios could make stars was now in the past.

This is a very nice political film which for some reason is unjustly overlooked. Hopefully TCM or AMC will run it sometime so you can judge for yourselves.