During the 1950s, a man's car trip from L.A. to Texas turns into a Cold-War espionage drama after his car breaks down and he accepts a lift from a stranger.During the 1950s, a man's car trip from L.A. to Texas turns into a Cold-War espionage drama after his car breaks down and he accepts a lift from a stranger.During the 1950s, a man's car trip from L.A. to Texas turns into a Cold-War espionage drama after his car breaks down and he accepts a lift from a stranger.
Karl Ludwig Lindt
- Kissel
- (as Karl Lindt)
John Frederick
- Sheriff
- (as John Merrick)
Leonard Bremen
- Collision Shop Owner
- (uncredited)
Sidney Clute
- Mechanic
- (uncredited)
Ken Curtis
- FBI Agent Jim Anderson
- (uncredited)
Harry Hines
- Motel Owner
- (uncredited)
Tom McKee
- Man from Sanitarium
- (uncredited)
Bert Stevens
- Motorcycle Cop
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFilmed before, but released after Ruth Roman's fateful trip aboard the luxury liner, Andrea Doria. The ship collided with another and sank on July 26, 1956. Miss Roman and her young son were among the survivors. During their rescue, they became separated and she arrived in New York before her son did. She was hounded by the press and paparazzi while she waited for her son's ship to arrived at the dock.
- GoofsAfter Ann and John are handcuffed and escape from the sheriff and deputy, John drives the car. John and Ann are handcuffed with her right wrist and his left and so he has to drive with his arm across his body with Ann as passenger. It is Ann's car and she is a capable driver so why would they travel with the awkward seating. Later, when they stop and get out of the car and then get back in John is the driver again with the crossed arms.
Featured review
Let's get this out of the way. IMDb and the film itself do not credit a young Jack Elam as the thug Harry, who fails to do away with the principal characters. One of the spies later refers to him as "Harry". Elam looks almost ruggedly handsome here, not the messy, bugeyed, snaggletoothed psychotic he often portrayed in later years.
The real problem with this noirish road film is that the script is severely weakened from the plot and dialog of the novel "The Steel Mirror" by Donald Hamilton. The original novel had a very intricate plot that included psychological amnesia, guilt as a result of betrayal of resistance fighters in France in World WAr II, more fleshed out characters and motivations, etc. Kessler, the producer, director, and screenwriter failed to make anything of his material leaving the actors trying to salvage a dull script. Had this film been done by one of the noir specialists of the 40s it probably would have been a different film. If you can hunt down Hamilton's original version it is a fine read. I salute Sterling Hayden, Ruth Roman, and Werner Klemperer for their efforts.
The real problem with this noirish road film is that the script is severely weakened from the plot and dialog of the novel "The Steel Mirror" by Donald Hamilton. The original novel had a very intricate plot that included psychological amnesia, guilt as a result of betrayal of resistance fighters in France in World WAr II, more fleshed out characters and motivations, etc. Kessler, the producer, director, and screenwriter failed to make anything of his material leaving the actors trying to salvage a dull script. Had this film been done by one of the noir specialists of the 40s it probably would have been a different film. If you can hunt down Hamilton's original version it is a fine read. I salute Sterling Hayden, Ruth Roman, and Werner Klemperer for their efforts.
- albertayler1
- Jul 1, 2015
- Permalink
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 21 minutes
- Color
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