Apology for Murder

I too have seen this rather bad production and had a discussion with Anne Savage after. The film was shut down due to the larger, Paramount Pictures, who had just released Double Indemnity a year earlier. The story by James M Cain was actually based on a true story from the thirties. Appology was based on the actual story and not the Cain novel. Paramount wanted to sue the PRC studio because it felt that they stolen the story. This would have crippled the already small production house. And yes, while Double Indemnity is a much better movie, Apology is true to the real life story.

Hugh Beaumont and Fred MacMurray...Migrated to TV to Play "Wonderful", Highly Successful and Enduring TV-Dads on "Leave it to Beaver" and "My Three Sons"...

But Both Played the Lead in Almost Identical Movies, One an Academy Award Multi-Nominee and Top-10 Film-Noir,

the Other a PRC (Producers Releasing Co..."Pretty Rotten Crap..."Poverty Row Cinema") Quickie.

"Apology" has All the Pitfalls and Baggage that Accompany Movies Made on the Cheap...60 min. Run-Time...Mostly One-Takes, and Not a Whole-Lotta-Time or Money to Make a Better Movie.

But the Low-Rent Studios "Reason to Be" was Making "Watchable Movies for the Bottom-End of a Double-Bill while Making a Dollar-Bill.

Providing Work for Out-of-Work Folks that Worked in the Movies,

and through No Fault, but Resources, Sacrificial Lambs for "No-Shame" Ghouls to Pick the Bones Clean Laughing at 'Primitive Art" for Not Being "Legitimate" Art...Bullies All.

But "Apology for Murder" Makes No Apologies and "Respects" the Billy Wilder Film..."Imitation is the Greatest Form of Flattery"...

Anne Savage will Never Apologize for NOT being Barbara Stanwyck,

Her On-Screen Persona is Something to be Proud. If there Ever was an Actress "Born" to Play "Femme-Fatales", She's the One.

Hugh Beaumont is Fine "Playing the Sap", and the Ending is a Violent and Peaceful Wrap where He Delivers and then Some.

Ignore the "Deja Vu" when it Surfaces in this "Homage" and Enjoy.

If "B-Movies" Didn't Exist...There would be No "A-Movies".

Definitely...

Worth a Watch.

Supposedly, get this from IMDb: In 1951 RKO was to start a crime thriller called "The Sins of Sarah Ferry" about a courthouse clerk in Binghamton, NY, who falls herself falling in love with a beautiful liar who's accused of armed robbery and a hit-and-run charge involving a death. This project never materialized because the plot was considered too close to that of Double Indemnity (1944)

Well, gee, that didn't stop PRC studio from doing "Apology for Murder" which is identical to Double Indemnity except that this time, the easily-led murderer, played by Hugh Beaumont, is a newspaper reporter. He's talked into killing the husband of Ann Savage, who else. And his boss, like Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity, is hot on the trail of the killer. In this version, a man is convicted and sentenced to death for the murder.

Not much to say - it's a cheap version of the real thing. That Ann Savage was sure something.

Investigative journalist "Blake" (Hugh Beaumont) is looking into a lucrative business deal that might be in the offing for the wealthy "Kirkland" (Russell Hicks). An impromptu meeting, though, introduces him to a new proposition - the man's much younger wife "Toni" (Ann Savage). She's unhappy, soon seeking solace in his arms and plotting his demise. "Blake" is initially unwilling to co-operate, but she's a clever woman and... The question is, can they get away with it and manage to frame "Jordan" (Pierre Watkin) for good measure? At just over the hour, this is quite a watchable crime thriller with plenty of feminine wiles, manipulation, betrayal and an ending that delivers just desserts a-plenty. No, it's not a great or especially memorable film and I could have done with someone like Barbara Stanwyck in the lead (they could have too, I guess) but if you like the genre you'll enjoy this readily enough.

This film essentially involves an extremely wealthy businessman by the name of "Harvey Kirkland" (Russell Hicks) who has had the misfortune to have married a woman who is much younger than him and is interested in only one thing-his money. As it so happens, he is involved in a huge business deal and because of that the local newspaper sends a reporter named "Kenny Blake" (Hugh Beaumont) to try to get an interview with him. Although he is successful in meeting with him he is denied an interview and is asked to leave his house. On his way out, however, he meets Harvey's wife "Toni Kirkland" (Ann Savage) who immediately catches his attention. One thing leads to another and soon they become romantically involved. It's during this time that she convinces him to help her kill her husband so that they can have his entire fortune for themselves. But what Kenny doesn't know is whether she actually loves him or just wants to get her hands on her husband's money. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film started off well enough but slowed down after the first 30 minutes or so and ended on a very corny note. Even so, I suppose it helped pass the time fairly well and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.