Sky Liner

To be honest, I got a little lost as far as the plot of this one.

Most of it takes place on a plane, and it's fun to look at how it was in the old days, with large, comfortable seats, people who could walk right into the cockpit, a washroom large enough for 3 or 4 people - which I doubt was ever the case, but never mind.

The biggest name in the cast is probably Rochelle Hudson, and Richard Travis plays a federal agent who is following someone involved involved in espionage. Then a dead body is found, and obviously, the killer is on the plane.

Also on the plane is a man carrying a great deal of money to take to his country, and two old biddies.

When there's a murder, the plane has to land unexpectedly.

Just okay.

I am sure that in time the overall rating of this film will change, but for now it's only 4.8. You'd think this would indicate that the movie is rather poor, though I thought the film was actually a bit better--and well worth seeing. However, one thing I need to point out is that although it's now on a DVD entitled "Forgotten Noir", this is really not an example of film noir--nor are many films in this series. It lacks the camera-work, dialog and grittiness you'd expect in noir. Instead, it's a rather straight-forward example of a crime film.

The film is set aboard an airliner (a Lockheed Constellation, if you really care). According to IMDb, the markings on the plane kept changing--a silly mistake but it didn't exactly ruin the film. A federal agent is on the plane--following a woman who is involved in some sort of espionage. However, when a dead body is found aboard, it's obvious that there is a killer on the plane! Who did it and how must be discovered before the killer is able to escape.

The film is enjoyable...even if the actual murder weapon is a bit far-fetched. Well-paced, interesting and a very good time-passer.

To start with I think the original run time was supposed to be 61 minutes but ended up actually being only 49 minutes. That's definitely the shortest run time of any film I've ever seen. Still, it wasn't half bad. Most of the action takes place on a plane, which provides an interesting and fun take on those early days of commercial flying. Most of the performances are passable but none really memorable. As for the story, it's not bad for such a brief window of opportunity. I thought Sky Liner was (just) fine and worth a viewing if your curious.

At least the movie never drags. Considering almost the entire time is confined to the passenger cabin, that's a genuine accomplishment on director Berke's part. The plot concerns foreign intrigue and a killing aboard the plane. It's not really a whodunit since the culprit's pretty obvious. Too bad the script didn't play up the whodunit potential since that would have generated more suspense, especially in such close quarters. This is another Lippert quickie, though more imaginative than most. Too bad, male lead Richard Travis couldn't get more interested in his part. Even though he looks the G-man part, Travis basically walks through the role. Note too presence of 1930's favorite Rochelle Hudson (Amy Winthrop). Unfortunately, she doesn't get much chance to shine. I suspect the film's airline motif was aimed at a US public just then getting used to affordable cross-country flights. One way or the other, we certainly get a lot of real airliner shots. Anyway, it's an okay little 60-minutes of the sort that would soon migrate to TV.

SKY LINER is a 61-minute B picture - short, effective, and reflective of the beginning of the Cold War and of commercial aviation (great publicity for the now defunct TWA. How the world changed in some 40 years!)

I do not know the actors but they do not compromise the product in any way. It is a riveting film from beginning to end, and characters have proper motivations for their actions.

No waste of time, this!