I Live on Danger is a 1942 film noir thriller film directed by Sam White and starring Chester Morris and Jean Parker.
| I Live on Danger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Sam White |
| Screenplay by | Lewis R. Foster Richard Murphy Maxwell Shane |
| Story by | Lewis R. Foster Alex Gottlieb |
| Produced by | William H. Pine William C. Thomas |
| Starring | Chester Morris Jean Parker |
| Cinematography | Fred Jackman |
| Edited by | William H. Ziegler |
| Music by | Freddie Rich |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editJeff Morrell is an ambitious radio reporter. The news of the day is the prison release of gambler Eddie Nelson, who was the fallguy for a criminal named Joey Farr.
While exclusively covering a ship's fire, Jeff falls for Susan Richards, and knows her to be Eddie's companion. It turns out she's Eddie's sister, not his girl, and Susan resents it when Jeff's reporting gets Eddie arrested and convicted on a new charge.
District Attorney Lamber is in cahoots with the crooks. Farr tries to flee, and is tracked to a Pennsylvania coal mine. Jeff gets there first and manages to broadcast Farr's confession, then barely gets away when Farr sets off a blast of TNT. Susan loves Jeff for heroically rescuing her brother.
Cast
edit- Chester Morris as Jeff Morrell
- Jean Parker as Susan Richards
- Elisabeth Risdon as Mrs. Morrell
- Edward Norris as Eddie Nelson
- Dick Purcell as Norm Thompson
- Roger Pryor as Bert Jannings
- Douglas Fowley as Joey Farr
- Ralph Sanford as Angie Moss
- Edwin Maxwell as Wingy Keefe
- Patsy Nash as Dilly
- Joe Cunningham as Inspector Conlon
- Bernadene Hayes as Jonesy
- Billy Nelson as George "Longshot" Harrison
- Vickie Lester as Keefe's secretary
- William Bakewell as Mac
- Charlotte Henry as Nurse
- Anna Q. Nilsson as Mrs. Sherman
Production
editThe film was based on a story called I'll Be Back in a Flash by Alex Gottlieb.[1] He sold it to Pine Thomas Productions in August 1941. They bought it as the second in a three-picture deal Chester Morris had with Pine-Thomas Productions.[2][3] Lewis Foster was assigned to write the script.[4]
Morris' 38-year-old brother Arthur was meant to play a role in the film but died shortly before filming of a brain haemorrhage.[5]
Jean Parker signed to make the film as the first in a three-picture deal she had with Pine Thomas.[6]
Filming took place in December 1941. Anna Q. Nilsson had her first role in 13 years.[7]
Reception
editThe Los Angeles Times called it "a pretty good B".[8]
The New York Times said the film showed "very little than what we have already seen."[9]
References
edit- ^ "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times". Nov 21, 1941. p. 23.
- ^ "I Live on Danger". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 9, no. 97. London. Jan 1, 1942. p. 87.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (Aug 7, 1941). "Correspondent Tells Why Movie-Going Lags". Los Angeles Times. p. A10.
- ^ "Of Local Origin". New York Times. Aug 9, 1941. p. 9.
- ^ "Obituary 7 -- No Title". Chicago Daily Tribune. Dec 1, 1941. p. 20.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (Sep 22, 1941). "War Stories Proceed Despite Eastern Quiz". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.
- ^ "Rubinstein Will Return for Concert". Los Angeles Times. Mar 29, 1942. p. C4.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (Aug 28, 1942). "Berlin Musical Cinema Pleasant Divertisement". Los Angeles Times. p. A10.
- ^ "'I Live on Danger,' With Chester Morris, at the Rialto". New York Times. Aug 22, 1942. p. 16.
External links
edit- I Live on Danger at IMDb
- I Live on Danger at the British Film Institute[better source needed]
- I Live on Danger at the TCM Movie Database
- I Live on Danger is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- Review at Variety