L'ultimo agguato

Yes, once, Angela Lansbury was young with a good figure (which I think she still has) and a sexy way about her.

In 1955's "A Life at Stake" she plays Doris Hillman, a woman who propositions a down-and-out architect, Edward Shaw (Keith Andes) with a business plan where she will buy property and he will put up houses. He had done this previously but he was bilked out of $37,000, (327,700 in today's money) some of which had been put up by friends. In the end he lost everything.

The flirtatious and seductive Hillman says that her husband (Douglas Dumbrille) will put up the money but that Shaw will have to buy keyman insurance for $250,000, which is $2.2 million today. This is business insurance that compensates for financial losses that would arise from the death or incapacity of an important member of a company.

Well it isn't hard to figure out what's going on, and it doesn't take Shaw that long either, even though he and Hillman fall for one another and begin sneaking around. He dodges several cars and a car where the brakes slip -- trying to stay alive is difficult around these people, but the police want proof. On top of this, he has met Hillman's sister (Claudia Barrett) and she's fallen for him.

Pretty good noir. I noticed on the reviews that many people aren't familiar with Keith Andes. He had a small but decent film career, in films such as The Farmer's Daughter, Clash by Night, Tora Tora Tora, and And Justice for All, as examples. He starred on TV in a series, This Man Dawson, and was in dozens of prime time shows up until 1980.

Most notably, he appeared on Broadway with Lucille Ball in Wildcat - he had a beautiful baritone voice; he also did Kiss Me, Kate on Broadway and toured in Man of La Mancha. At the age of 85, beset by health issues, he committed suicide.

Definitely worth seeing for young Angela and Keith Andes was certainly a hunk - he had his shirt off a lot of the time.

The main-character finds himself in a Hitchcockian situation when he suspects his female boss ( Angela Lansbury ) from wanting to kill him over insurance money. I didn't quite grasp how that works, it seems a bit far-fetched to me...Is he being paranoid? Or is there really a sinister plot to kill him over the dough? And what about the beautiful younger sister and her amazing story? The movie is as mediocre as a thriller can get, filled with illogical twists and weird choices from its characters. Angela Lansbury just doesn't convince as the seductress, but maybe that has to do with her current status as mystery solving-granny Jessica Fletcher. The main-character Keith Andes is decent enough. He's like any fifties ''hero''; a touch cynical, overly masculine and well-behaved.

A struggling architect named Edward Shaw (Keith Andes) gets involved with a rich woman named Doris Hillman (Angela Lansbury) who is in real estate. As their business relationship deepens, Shaw is urged to take out a big life insurance policy. Soon after, he encounters some dangerous "accidents".

A LIFE AT STAKE is a very engaging crime thriller. It's also a wonderful vehicle for Ms. Lansbury to show off her wicked side. Those only familiar with her TV work should watch this!...

That early scene at poolside with Andes in a tacky suit and Lansbury in a revealing swimsuit is a fine slice of fateful seduction. The movie's remainder may not rise to that level, but it has its moments. Andes, an unemployed architect, is inveigled into an insurance scheme by an unlikely couple-- an aging Dumbrille and his young sexy wife, Lansbury. The narrative unfolds in none to clear fashion, but at least we know someone's trying to kill Andes, probably for the insurance payoff. It's almost certain Lansbury's a part of it, yet the actress's performance doesn't suggest moments of deception, unlike Stanwyck's tour-de-force in Double Indemnity (1944). Then too, a spotty script doesn't help. As a result the climactic scene lacks the emotional force it should have.

In fact, the script, as others point out, contains a number of gaps—like Andes apparently walking away from a cliffside car plunge! Then too, director Guifoyle lacks any noticeable style that might lift the visuals. Had the production been done, say, 5-years earlier, I expect a 70-minute noir would have emerged. After all, the elements are there—a spider woman, a wobbly fall-guy, a fateful scheme. All in all, the potential is there, but muddy execution undercuts the result. (In passing, at least, worthy movie vet Jane Darwell picks up a payday in a tacked-on role. Thanks be to someone in production.)

Honest, I tried very hard to like this one. It came in a Film Noir DVD collection with several pictures I had never seen, or even heard of - this was one of those.

The plot was fair-to-middling and Angela Lansbury was, in current phraseology, a hottie. I didn't know Keith Andes could act as well as he did in this one - I had seen him when I was younger in the '50's in some action pictures and he didn't make an impression. Pacing was not good and I found myself checking my watch several times - it was made on the cheap and it shows in several areas.

Long story short, if you are confined to quarters or laid up in traction, this picture will kill 75 minutes for you. If you're looking for a real recommendation to see it, 'fraid not.