Les Filles du service secret

For a Lippert Production, this sports a cast of A-picture performers. George Brent and Cesar Romero are FBI men. Audrey Totter, still at her prime and looking lovely, helps the Bureau out. Raymond Burr is a villain. Tom Drake plays a good guy. And hey! It even has Joi Landsing!

The plot is only slightly more than routine: A weak governor has a criminal past. His fingerprints could reveal that. So Burr sets out to switch those fingerprints around. At any cost.

As a sidelight, this movie features three actors who are now known to have been gay: Burr was not open about it. Romero took few pains to keep it quiet. Drake, Judy Garland's "boy next-door" -- I don't know. Not much is known about his life other than that proclivity.

This coincidence has no effect on the film, which is surprisingly good for something that was obviously made on the cheap. But it's a footnote to the sociological history of Hollywood.

A politician needs to tamper with FBI files to advance his career so uses his fixer, a menacing Burr, to influence the girls working there to do his dirty work; these plans go awry and turn deadly. Our stalwart agents Romero and Brent try to figure out what's going on as another FBI girl (Totter) gets roped in. The plot becomes knotty and hazy at times and there are a few coincidences thrown in but we are treated to quite a number of memorable and unusual scenes as well as an action-packed finale that must have blown this B-movie's budget. An entertaining ride with the players taking the roles quite seriously despite the clunky plot mechanics. 6.5/10.

This is a pretty good moderate budget Noir film. While it was produced by small-time Lippert Productions, it did have some relatively well-known names. The lead FBI agent was played by Cesar Romero and in a supporting role was George Brent. This was quite a change for Brent, as in the 30s and much of the 40s, he was a star. Here, his role is relatively forgettable--Romero is definitely "the man". In addition, Audrey Trotter plays a significant role in the film. However, although these three were bigger names at the time, the most important and interesting part in the picture was played by Raymond Burr. This was long before he gained fame from television, during the late 40s and 50s he was a perennial supporting heavy in Noir films. Here, however, his role is bigger and more interesting that ones he played in such Noir classics as BORDERLINE, HIS KIND OF WOMAN, DESPERATE and RAW DEAL. That's because instead of just another thug taking orders, here he is the schemer who makes all the decisions. And, when need be, he's tough as nails and ruthless--such as when he smacks Trotter around when she doesn't give him what he wants! The plot of the film is rather timely, as crooked politicians aren't exactly an unknown concept these days. The governor of a state (which one is never mentioned) is afraid because he's actually wanted for murder under another name for a crime he committed many years ago. With plans for running for the Senate, he's naturally worried that his true identity will come to light. So, it's up to his "fix-it man", Burr, to infiltrate the FBI and destroy his record. However, the Bureau finds out that someone did the theft but aren't sure whose record was stolen or why. So it's up to Romero and Brent to investigate--and investigation that eventually leads them to Trotter.

The film is very high on realism though relatively low on excitement. While there are some very sensational moments (especially the cool ending with Romero and his Tommy Gun), the film is much less concerned with way-out Noir sensibilities (such as camera angles and snappy dialog) and more on the realistic portrayal of procedures. In some ways, this is rather reminiscent of the radio and TV show "Dragnet" in mood and structure and that results in a very watchable and interesting film made even more so by Burr's exceptional performance.

Raymond Greenleaf is the governor of a generic state. He wants to run for senator, but he has a secret. He's an escaped criminal, and a campaign of that order will reveal it. So machine fixer Raymond Burr applies pressure and gets a girl in the FBI's fingerprint file to remove his card. Burr arranges for everyone else down the line to wind up dead.

The FBI won't stand for its own personnel being killed. They get a line on the original name on the file and assign agents Cesar Romero and George Brent to the case.

There are some fine actors in this, including Audrey Totter in a good-girl role (alas, she's far more interesting in her evil roles in noirs). Other well-known players include Joi Lansing, Byron Foulger, Marie Blake (grandma in THE ADDAMS FAMILY) and O. Z. Whitehead. Under-rated B cinematographer Jack Greenhalgh gets a fine night-time river pursuit, and William Berke directs the film with a nice arc of excitement.

The Lippert organization was not known for producing great movies. They had a chain of theaters, and with the slowdown in post-war B production, they used their connections to set up a releasing organization, including some Korda films, and began their own production with talent fallen on hard times. Although none of their approximately 150 movies, most produced between 1948 and the mid-1950s, can be considered great films, they showcased interesting talent. This is one of their best.

A Kefauver type racketeering Senate investigating committee is taking itself on the road for local hearings and that is of great concern to Governor Raymond Greenleaf. It seems as though way back in his youth and under a different name he committed a murder and if the committee uncovers any wrong doing he could be charged with its more than a stretch in Club Fed. That's because when he would be arrested and printed his prints would be on file with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Of course the state racketeering boss Raymond Burr has a lot invested in Greenleaf and he's not about to see his investment get flushed down the toilet. He hatches a scheme to get the fingerprint card out of J. Edgar Hoover's closely guarded files. It involves getting to one of the clerks in the Justice Department, Margia Dean through her brother, Don Garner. And when that doesn't work Burr tries to use another clerk Audrey Totter who is our FBI Girl.

I have to say that with that title alone I was expecting some paranoid Cold War story. So I was pleasantly surprised when FBI Girl turned out to be a nice noir thriller. It came from the Poverty Row studio of Lippert Productions, but not bad considering the source.

Caesar Romero and George Brent play the two agents on this case and Romero provides the narration for the film. The two agents are all business and the plot follows a straight line narrative to the source of their problems. Greenleaf may have been governor, but Burr is calling all the shots and his rackets have a big investment in keeping their see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil governor in office. And he's being talked about for even higher office. And as the state boss Burr outshines everyone in the cast.

Try to catch this one when broadcast and don't be put off by the title, it's better than you think.