Deadly Duo

It's quite obvious that Deadly Dull is the proper title for this United Artists release, which IMDb informs us played on many a double bill from the same studio's hit in Britain, "Dr. No". That fact reminds me of how B-movies also served as so-called chasers - designed to help empty theatres (as patrons like me would sit through show after show) in the days when double features flourished. After watching the magnetic Sean Connery dominate the screen as Bond, it must have been hard to adjust to staring at the permanent nonentity Craig Hill walking through his role in such an uneventful co-feature.

Over 60 years later, it was distracting to watch the "actress playing twins" gimmick - looking for any mismatching in the shots processed to have lead Marcia Henderson on screen twice at once, or the obvious double seen from the back of the head in other easier to shoot and process shots. Two wigs to differentiate the sisters are glaringly fake.

The plodding story is relentlessly uninteresting, leading to a busier (but way too late) final reel of contrived and unconvincing plot twists leading to a fake wholesome happy ending.

Both Hill and Henderson represent poor casting -neither capable of arousing or sustaining an audience's interest for an entire movie. And even more obvious, the rented T-Bird Craig drives in the fake Acapulco setting constantly upstages our yawn of a hero, quickly becoming the actual star of the picture.

Attorney Preston Morgan (Craig Hill) is hired by a very wealthy woman to travel to Acapulco to collect her grandson and bring him back to her. But when Morgan meets the boy's mother, Sabena (Marcia Henderson), he has a change of heart regarding his assignment. Complicating matters is Sabena's twin sister. She sees this as her opportunity to strike it rich - regardless of who gets hurt.

I completely understand that Deadly Duo is not what I'd generally call a good movie. In fact, it's got a load of problems, including: Craig Hill's acting, the Mexican accents, logic, the lack of real Mexican locations, and a look and feel of a 60s-era sitcom. But, there's just something about it that I found oddly appealing. First, there are a few plot twists that I enjoyed. This isn't Oscar caliber writing, but there are still some fine moments. Second, Marcia Henderson is very good in the roles of Sabena and her sister. She has a definite presence that works. And third, the scheming on the part of the twin and her husband. How on earth did they think they'd get away with it? Good stuff.

While Deadly Duo probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, I found it weirdly and surprisingly enjoyable. My rating may seem generous, but I rate primarily on entertainment value. And I was definitely entertained.

6/10.

And all that I can remember about it is that it starred Craig Hill (Kenneth Tobey's sidekick in "Whirlybirds") and I believe some of it took place in pre-Castro Cuba (although I could be wrong about that). Great memory, huh? I could swear it was more like 1959 instead of 1962, but in retrospect, what's a coupla years? (lol). I remember Craig Hill as a very attractive leading man-type who got zippo publicity in this country, but just scanning over his IMDb resume he has appeared in an incredible amount of films and TV work. How could someone who was so much in children's' eyes in the 1950's (i.e. Whirlybirds) manage to remain so anonymous, yet appear in so many different projects? Maybe I should write to the guy on Turner Classic Movies (hey, he was just talking about Kenneth Tobey tonight) and ask him.

The problem with "Deadly Duo" is that the script idea is very good and should have been the basis of a nice film noir drama. Unfortunately, the film just isn't that interesting and feels quite flat.

When the film begins, a rich old lady (familiar TV character actress Irene Tedrow) meets with a young lawyer and offers him a very enticing proposition. It seems that her son married some lady a few years back and since then, he died and she has been left with a kid...her grandkid. If he can manage to convince the daughter-in- law to give her custody, she'll pay the lawyer a bundle.

When the lawyer visits the mother, she seems like a decent person and a perfectly good mother. Not surprisingly, she won't sell her kid and tells the lawyer to take a hike. But, the lady has a nearly identical sister and she and her sleazy boyfriend concoct a plan to kill her and make it look like an accident. Then the new guardian, this sister, could sell the kid!! What's next? See the film.

I am NOT saying this is a bad film but the suspense wasn't handled properly. The ending came too quickly, seemed too pat and wasn't entirely satisfying.

Strictly a low-budget programmer, DEADLY DUO is a deadly boring attempt as a detective story involving twin sisters--one good, one bad, naturally. It's full of expository dialog, especially the first half-hour which sets up the entire situation in exposition--then drifts off into the main story with no distinction whatsoever.

Performances are mostly sub-standard--especially MARCIA HENDERSON as the twin sisters (one blonde, one brunette), and especially ROBERT LOWERY, looking a far cry from the young actor whose career began in the 1940s with small roles in big films. CRAIG HILL, as the lawyer on a mission for a wealthy client, gives the only credible performance in the whole film.

The story moves along at a crawl, never establishing any crackling tension or sparkling dialog--and hampered by a poor child performance from PETER OLIPHANT.

Summing up: Dreary to sit through--no tension at all. CRAIG HILL never did go on to full-fledged stardom but fit the requirements for leading man roles.