Sede de Riquezas

Plot---Arch-criminal Steve Clark uses both charm and guile to trick working girl Julie into joining him in ruthless scheme to kill her aunt and launder his ill-gotten robbery money. So just how far will Julie go in trailing along with him.

All in all, the flick's a cheapo that over-stretches its spotty material. Too bad director Newfield's direction shows little imagination with a storyline that does offer some potential. In fact the staging of the implausible climax ends the flick on a particularly dreary note. Of course, the main attraction now is catching one of TV's favorite dads as soulless killer Steve, a difficult role Beaumont brings off in surprisingly effective fashion. In a better movie, his portrayal could have reached classic status. Trouble is his feminine foil, Julie (Rafferty), is poorly thought out and played in understandably bewildered fashion (where was the helping hand of the director). Julie goes from malt shop hooker (implied) to floor mat for Steve's many schemes, and crucially, without hint of depth the conflicted role requires. Had Julie some depth and had the script some irony, Julie could have turned the tables on her abuser in a way that shows he's underestimated her. Something surprising like that could have made the movie more memorable than the Beaumont showcase it finally is.

With MONEY MADNESS, Director Sam Newfield (using fake name of Peter Stewart on this occasion) manages to add yet another dud to his extensive collection. A word to the wise: rewatch the start to the flick to get what happens to Frances Rafferty, the wife.

Cinematography is clearly below par, though the persistently dark surroundings help set up and thicken the atmosphere. I regret to admit that the copy I watched was poor, with cuts and what appeared to be a loss of some lines, which clearly did not help elevate my rating of MONEY MADNESS.

Certainly, the best aspect about this flick is Hugh Beaumont's performance. He is a quick-thinking and acting criminal, ruthless to the chase. He has no qualms about getting lovely Rafferty to marry him and then he poisons her aunt for good measure, so that he has a roof to hide in while waiting to collect the inheritance. The way he disposes of aunt Cora and keeps his wife silent and cooperative is quite remarkable (safe guess that it must have raised many an eyebrow back in 1948!).

Beaumont would as soon as kiss as kill anyone. When in the middle of apparently amenable conversation he suddenly orders Frances Rafferty, "beat it!", you know this guy has no thought for anyone except No.1, and he will take no prisoners.

Pity that the rest of the movie does not live up to Beaumont's level. 6/10.

While this film has a few minor issues, it's a generally well made film noir picture and provides a wonderful opportunity to see Hugh Beaumont (the father on "Leave it to Beaver") playing a cold-blooded monster!

When the film begins, Steve Clark (Beaumont) blows into a new town and gets a job as a cab driver. In one of his first fares, he has an annoying drunk sexual harasser who is out on a date with a nice girl who is refusing his advances. Julie (Frances Rafferty) is thrilled with the cab driver intervenes and he looks like a really nice guy. And, through much of the film Steve appears to be a real sweetheart. However, underneath this veneer is a real sociopath and by the time the film's over, he's terrorized sweet Julie as well as killed a couple folks...and is about to kill more!!

The best thing about the film is Beaumont's performance. He is creepy and very convincing. Unfortunately, Rafferty is not very good and much of it could be the writing...as her character is too weak and a bit stupid. Plus, she believes that because she's married Steve that she cannot legally testify against him...which is NOT the case. She could not be COMPELLED to testify against him if she didn't want to...and there is also question as to whether or not they are actually married. Still, a very enjoyable film...one that I would strongly recommend to noir fans.

A starvation-budget noir riddled with implausibilities, Money Madness might have been a better movie given a snappier script and an inventive director. That said, it's not that bad. We open in a courtroom where a young woman (Frances Rafferty) is being sentenced; rushing to a phone booth, a reporter tells his rewrite man 'You never know what'll come in on the noon bus.'

Next, the noon bus pulls in, disgorging Hugh Beaumont (it's not entirely clear until the end of the movie that we're now in flashback). In his satchel is $200,000, loot from a bank robbery. But he takes a crummy room and gets a job driving a hack. Picking up some fares one night, he encounters Rafferty, out on a bad date. He either falls for her or sees in her his opportunity.

Rafferty lives in a stuffy old mausoleum on the charity of her crabby old aunt (Cecil – sometimes Cecile – Weston). Beaumont hatches a plan to bump the old witch off, marry Rafferty and say his money was stashed up in the attic of the house. He forges ahead despite Rafferty's reservations by dint of cajolery and intimidation. All unfolds according to plan, but for the fact that Rafferty's lawyer (Harlan Warde) takes a shine to her as well...

Before hitting the big time of '50s TV, Beaumont appeared in dozens of Poverty Row pictures (often, as here, starring). He was never memorable but, like the movie, he wasn't too bad, either. In fact, he's rather effective as the manipulative, controlling bastard (who may be a little bit mad). The movie, though, relies too optimistically on convenient coincidences (when the landlady of Beaumont's rooming house finds Warde rifling his quarters, she calls Rafferty's house to issue an alert. How did she know where to find him?) Money Madness' place in the alphabet is considerably south of B, but it's not quite into the letters that get the highest points in scrabble, either.

Hugh Beaumont marries Frances Rafferty, poisons her aunt and puts $200,000 from a bank robbery in the attic. Miss Rafferty is her aunt's sole heir, so everyone figures she was one of those batty ladies who doesn't trust banks. That's what Harlan Warde, the lawyer Miss Rafferty hires for probate thinks. He also thinks she is a dish, and unmarried. Then Beaumont's plans begin to come apart.

It's a pretty good, dark movie. Beaumont, for those of us who remember him as the father in LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, is excellent, and Miss Rafferty gives a fine performance. It will come to some as a surprise that this was produced by Sigmund Neufeld and directed by his brother, Sam Newfield (hiding under the name of 'Peter Stewart.' They had been associated so long with PRC, producing cheap movies for the bottom of triple features that it seems natural to believe that is all they were capable of. However, given a good script, good actors, and a halfway decent budget, they could turn out a good movie. Here's the proof.