Double Jeopardy

Robert ("King Kong") Armstrong gets this very dull Republic Pictures movie off to a promising start playing a drunken low-life who gives his wife Gale Robbins a hard time. Unfortunately, it's all downhill after that opening reel.

The script by Don Martin (when I see that name I immediately think of the great Mad Magazine cartoonist, but this writer offers nothing in the way of entertainment) is bland, with an uninteresting central premise of John Litel as a real estate developer with a dark secret. His daughter is played by the great B-movie superstar Allison Hayes, who should be cast as a femme fatale but is wasted here as a "good girl".

She's going to marry lawyer Rod Cameron. Instead of a film noir hero, he is almost a Dudley Do-Right goody two-shoes hero, so boring I simply was waiting for him to earn his paycheck with a tiny bit of acting. Worse yet, Jack Kelly as a one-dimensional bad guy is preposterous casting of that so likable future Maverick who did so many cool & smooth leading roles on TV for series like Kraft Suspense Theatre.

The "who cares?" quotient for this picture is nearly 100%.

When real estate developer Emmett Devery (John Little) is charged with the murder of his alcoholic, unhappily married, former business associate (Robert Armstrong) who had been shaking him down to keep quiet about past dealings, his lawyer and future son-in-law Marc Hill (Rod Cameron) steps in to prove his innocence. Hill and his fiancé (Allison Hayes) try to unravel an extortion scheme launched by Armstrong and his gold-digging wife (Gale Robbins)

Double Jeopardy was helmed by veteran Republic Pictures director R. G. Springsteen. Springsteen who was better known for directing a string of Republic B-Western programmers, most notably the Rocky Lane series, does a good job in this gritty crime drama. Complete with blackmail, murder and duplicity, Double Jeopardy has the all the elements of later cycle noir. While the director, cast and crew do a nice job, the point A to point B script and short run time doesn't provide for much mystery or suspense.

By the mid 1950's Republic Pictures had been beset with a financial downturn due to the growing popularity television. Republic had dropped the number of productions down to almost half of what it was only a few years before. Bogged down by it's low budget, even by Republic standards, Double Jeopardy, while technically competent, just doesn't ever seem to be able to get much traction, making for a passable but nondescript movie.

5 of 10*

Some Above Average B-Movie Acting keeps Rather Routine Story Alive while Nothing Much in the Way of Action or Suspense Happens.

Republic Studios Completely Shut-Down Four Years Later in 1959. But at this Point was Still Maintaining a Good Looking Low-Budget Production.

The Voluptuous Allison Hayes is Slightly Miscast as a Bland Daughter/Fiance, with Rod Cameron also Askew from His Rugged Screen Persona Playing a Corporate Lawyer.

Robert Armstrong of "King Kong" (1933) Fame is Hardly Stretching it as an Alcoholic and Blackmailer. Jack Kelly is the Antagonist along with Gale Robbins as a Femme Fatale.

It's All Rather Unremarkable but Passable. But Not Much to Recommend.

Allison Hayes is a Couple of Years from Her Iconic Role as a 50 Foot Woman.

Actress PAULA KYLE, who was originally from Toronto, Canada, moved to Hollywood and became a star...or at least she thought she was. After leaving Canada in her XKE Jag, she landed many small roles and fizzled away in obscurity like so many other "B" grade actresses. Fabulous legs and blonde hair made her a natural for a career in modelling and some movies. Larry Anderson.

Not in the top 10 of classic film noir but worth watching for 75 minutes.

No cell phones.

The women were not only sensual and elegant but beautiful in those days.