coltras35

John Triton, a fake theatrical mind-reader (Edward G. Robinson) is terrified when he discovers he really can see into the future, especially as he foresees tragic happenings.

His life is irrevocably intertwined with those of Jean Courtland (Russell) and her father, who recently died in a plane crash.

John is concerned for Jean's life, having seen that within a week, she too will be dead.

Meanwhile, Jean's lover, Elliott Carson (Lund), believes John to be a fraud who wants Jean's fortune.

As they all gather at the Courtland estate, Jean grows increasingly afraid as the time of her supposed death draws near...

Night has a thousand eyes (Bobby Vee had a song with this title!) is an excellent blend of noir and supernatural thriller, it's compelling from start to finish, and that's helped enormously by Edward G. Robinson whose prose is superbly delivered. You do feel sorry for him as no believes him. The rest of the casting is superb, especially Gail Russell. William Demarest is funny as the dopey policeman. It is quite suspenseful and tautly directed.

Phyllis Tredman (Dorothy Malone) flies to Madrid to discover why her husband wants a divorce. She finds Lloyd (Robert Taylor), a pilot, has lost his nerve and his livelihood. He is haunted by his memories of the Korean War and refuses to fly.

When a Mr Smith makes a shady proposition, Lloyd refuses - pinning his hopes on a horse he part owns. But Smith is not to be denied ...

So when he loses his last dollar on a horse race fixed by a smuggler, he forces himself to accept a $25,000 offer to transport a box of contraband currency from Egypt to Spain.

But as Tredman makes the return flight home, he discovers his cargo also includes heroin as he races across the Mediterranean with Interpol hot on his trail.

Robert Taylor does really well as a former pilot suffering PTSD in this engaging adventure/drama tale set in Madrid. I didn't find it slow at all, and it was quite interesting, though maybe more of the effects of PTSD could've been underlined. Having said that, this film was made in a time when PTSD -known as shell shock then - wasn't well talked about. Still, it's a fine story, has great characters- liked the interaction between Taylor, Jack Lord, Gina Scala, Dorothy Malone and the comic sidekick of Taylor's and the character depth. What makes this picture plough along at a good pace is the characters and the dilemma that one of them has. There's some nice flying sequences which would make aviation buffs happy.

In the 1950's, Mr Taylor made a slew of films that moved away from his Golden Age romanticised image such as The Devil's Doorway, the Last Hunt, Rogue Cop, Saddle the Wind etc. There, he played a more mature hero. That trend continues here.

Webster Carey (Alan Ladd) is a captain in the O. S. S. Whose plot to sabotage a German railroad system is foiled by an unknown traitor, resulting in the apparent murder of his Italian girlfriend Giulia (Wanda Hendrix), who had been hiding Carey and his gang in the basement of her wealthy family's palazzo.

Years later, when Carey sees a painting from the palazzo in a New York art gallery, his rekindled suspicions take him back to the Italian village to find the traitor and exact revenge.

Returning to the palazzo of Countess Francesca de Cresci (Celia Lovsky), he encounters its new occupants, Baron Rocco de Greffi (Francis Lederer) and his very familiar new wife -Guila, his former lover believed to be dead. As Carey digs deeper into past events, he encounters black marketeers, mob violence, and multiple murders.

The title is misleading, making you think it's a comic book actioner, and Wanda Hendrix, though she acquits herself well and she's cute, doesn't suit the role of an Italian lady. She's too American pie and the girl next door, but aside from these, Captain Carey U. S. A is an entertaining mystery/action film with some noir lensing (thanks to cinematographer John F. Seitz) and a good atmosphere. The post-war effect is well conveyed.

Francis Lederer is quite a cool, sinister character, but that doesn't mean he's the culprit - you will have to watch this to find out. It's fast-paced, has an energy to it, the intrigue is strong, and the action towards the end is exciting. Ladd is quite nimble on his feet.