Counterplot

What a disappointment this film turns out to be. It starts off slowly and the viewer keeps hoping something will happen - it never does! The thin plot is hardly worth the effort, the dialogue is stilted, the acting generally wooden, and the production values poor. The Dutchman must have the worst accent ever committed to film, and the whole thing is a total drag. In fact, the only reason for scoring any points at all for this borathon, is the presence of the beautiful Allison Hayes. Though even she cannot lift this sad effort off the floor, and it simply drifts along to a totally boring & unimaginative conclusion. Put quite simply - give it a very wide berth!!

Miller (forrest tucker) is hiding out in puerto rico. He has committed some crime, but we're not sure what. He sends manuel out for food and errands, but when the girlfriend connie (allison hayes) shows up, it's only a matter of time before the coppers close in. Miller is trying to get to south america, but hasn't been able to make a run for it. The story is pretty disjointed. We're never really told what miller is being framed for. But will it all be ironed out before the policia close in? It's okay. Character actor gerald milton almost steals the show here, as bergmann. He does go on and on, almost rambling at one point. Imdb tells us some filming took place november of 1957, but this wasn't released until october 1959. Rather odd. Tucker had worked with john wayne on four films, but was never the big name star. Directed by kurt neumann. He died young at 50. Hayes died at 46. The writer, richard blake, died at 48. A cursed cast!

One reviewer calls this a 'gobbler of the highest order' and another 'an irritating bore'. Yet, oddly, another refers to the film as a 'classic'! So what is this film--a bore, a gobbler, a classic or something else? There are quite a few clues that "Counterplot" is a very low-budgeted film. A major indicator is the filming location of Puerto Rico. It's a nice place (I've been there a couple times) but it's not the sort of location you'd think of for an action-adventure film. Forrest Tucker was a fine enough actor, he was NOT a leading man. Having a supporting player play the lead is some indication of the money behind the picture. And, aside from Tucker, no one in the film is anyone the average viewer would recognize.

As far as the plot goes, Tucker's character is in hiding. He is accused to killing a man, though what actually happened is quite different. A guy cheated him and when Tucker confronts him, the guy tries to take a poke at him and Tucker knocks the snot out of him and leaves. In the meantime, in a TERRIBLY PERFORMED SCENE, someone else kills the guy by softly smashing his head on the floor three times (it was SUPPOSED to be hard but the actor did it with so little conviction and energy it made me laugh). So, it's up to Tucker to prove someone else did it. However, I've got to be honest with you, I really didn't care. The two reviewers who hated this one were correct--the movie was unmercifully dull and put me (literally) to sleep.

(1959) Counterplot CRIME DRAMA

It has Brock Miller (Forrest Tucker) in hiding in Puerto Rico with the help of a young boy we find out he is a wanted man with a $1,000 reward for his capture. And by the time that young boy is seen on a pier hoping to get some money from tourists, he is then approached by a young lady, Connie Lane (Allison Hayes) who calls the young boy Banjo Eyes, we soon find out his actual name is Manuel (Jackie Wayne) who appear to be an orphan. Connie then tries to pressure Manuel to tell her where Brock is hiding but with no success, so she instead decides to hang out in the nightclub managed by Alfredo (Edmundo Rivera Alvarez) with Joe (Ted Smith) at the bar. Arriving at the same time is a sleazy lawyer, Mr. Fritz Bergman (Gerald Milton) also nicknamed as "The Dutchman" meeting his sleazy assistant, Spargo (Miguel Angel Alvarez). To help prove Brock's innocence required him to come to contact with the insurance man/ investigator, Steve MacGregor (Charlie Gibbs) or Mac for short. We find out that the disease Brock was supposed to have killed happens to have a partner, Ben Murdock (Richard Verney) who's name is on an insurance document in which he were to receive $200,000 if he were to be dead. Except that money cannot be made out to him until the alleged killer, Brock has been captured which he manages to achieve. Brock manages to get in touch with his love interest Connie so that both her and Brock can make a proposal to sleazy lawyer Duthchman for a sum of $15,000. To get in touch with the actual killer, Ben to fly from New York to come to Puerto Rico so that he can make a solid confession to him by means of a secret recording. Fritz in return then tries to extort $100,000 from Ben in exchange for info regarding the whereabouts of where Brock is hiding. So that Ben can get him before the authorities do.

Interesting premised without any suspense that has potential to be better if it had a much higher budget.

Ey Gods, nothing at all redeeming about this turkey. The acting is beyond stilted. The plot is plot less.

And who the devil cast the lawyer? This guy was obviously trying to imitate Sidney Greenstreet, with none of Greenstreet's charm, intelligence, and naughtiness. I kept thinking he was cast from the hotel staff at which the actors were staying. Probably the bartender in the hotel bar.

I get the feeling that everyone involved simply wanted a bit of vacation time in Puerto Rico.

If you love bad films, this one's for you!