THEY MADE ME A KILLER 1946
A low rent programmer put out by Pine-Thomas and released through Paramount Pictures. This low rent noir drama was made by the "Dollar Bills", William Thomas and William Pine. The two Bills were known to be tight with a buck as they churned out low-budget fare for the bottom of the double feature. They were so good at this that they ended up in charge of the b-film unit at Paramount studios.
Robert Lowery, Barbara Britton and Lola Lane headline this quickie. Lowery is a mechanic from Chicago who decides to move to L.A. He loads up his car and heads for the big sunshine. His money however runs out and he needs to sell his car for some ready cash. He stops at a town to see what he can get for his heap.
Lowery is soon approached by Lola Lane with an offer to buy his car. But they need to wait till the next day because her boyfriend has the money. Lowery agrees and they all meet the next morning outside the local bank.
The deal though is not the one Lowery was hoping for. Lane's boyfriend, and his brother, Ed MacDonald and James Bush are really bank hold-up men. Lowery has been tricked into being the getaway driver for a bank robbery. Two men, a cop and a bank employee are shot with the Policeman being killed. The bank employee is taken to hospital in serious shape.
Needless to say Lowery ends up in Police custody while Lane and the other two make good their getaway. Nobody believes a word of his story about being forced into the crime. Lowery is sure the bank employee can clear him. But of course the man dies before he can do this. Lowery manages to get in a couple of quick punches and hotfoot it into the night.
The rest of the tale involves Lowery getting hooked up with the dead bank worker's sister, Barbara Britton. He convinces her to help clear his name as well as find her brother's killers. The clues lead them to a roadside diner ran by Elizabeth Risdon. Risdon just happens to be the mother of the two men Lowery and Britton are looking for. There are a few exchanges of flying fists and lead needed before everything is put right.
Not great, but, by no means is it a waste of time. It moves right along with only a 64 minute runtime.
The director was William Thomas. By directing their own productions, Pine and Thomas increased their bottom line.
The d of p was long time b-film and television man, Fred Jackman. Jackman worked in the industry from 1935 till 1981.
What is really of note here, is the writers, Geoffrey Homes (Daniel Mainwaring) and Winston Miller. Mainwaring is well known to film noir fans for doing the story or screenplays to, THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS, THE BIG STEAL, THE LAWLESS, THE TALL TARGET, ROADBLOCK, PHENIX CITY STORY, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, THE GUNRUNNERS and of course, OUT OF THE PAST. Winston Miller worked on the westerns, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, STATION WEST, RELENTLESS, Carson CITY, RUN FOR COVER and BOUNTY HUNTER.
A low rent programmer put out by Pine-Thomas and released through Paramount Pictures. This low rent noir drama was made by the "Dollar Bills", William Thomas and William Pine. The two Bills were known to be tight with a buck as they churned out low-budget fare for the bottom of the double feature. They were so good at this that they ended up in charge of the b-film unit at Paramount studios.
Robert Lowery, Barbara Britton and Lola Lane headline this quickie. Lowery is a mechanic from Chicago who decides to move to L.A. He loads up his car and heads for the big sunshine. His money however runs out and he needs to sell his car for some ready cash. He stops at a town to see what he can get for his heap.
Lowery is soon approached by Lola Lane with an offer to buy his car. But they need to wait till the next day because her boyfriend has the money. Lowery agrees and they all meet the next morning outside the local bank.
The deal though is not the one Lowery was hoping for. Lane's boyfriend, and his brother, Ed MacDonald and James Bush are really bank hold-up men. Lowery has been tricked into being the getaway driver for a bank robbery. Two men, a cop and a bank employee are shot with the Policeman being killed. The bank employee is taken to hospital in serious shape.
Needless to say Lowery ends up in Police custody while Lane and the other two make good their getaway. Nobody believes a word of his story about being forced into the crime. Lowery is sure the bank employee can clear him. But of course the man dies before he can do this. Lowery manages to get in a couple of quick punches and hotfoot it into the night.
The rest of the tale involves Lowery getting hooked up with the dead bank worker's sister, Barbara Britton. He convinces her to help clear his name as well as find her brother's killers. The clues lead them to a roadside diner ran by Elizabeth Risdon. Risdon just happens to be the mother of the two men Lowery and Britton are looking for. There are a few exchanges of flying fists and lead needed before everything is put right.
Not great, but, by no means is it a waste of time. It moves right along with only a 64 minute runtime.
The director was William Thomas. By directing their own productions, Pine and Thomas increased their bottom line.
The d of p was long time b-film and television man, Fred Jackman. Jackman worked in the industry from 1935 till 1981.
What is really of note here, is the writers, Geoffrey Homes (Daniel Mainwaring) and Winston Miller. Mainwaring is well known to film noir fans for doing the story or screenplays to, THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS, THE BIG STEAL, THE LAWLESS, THE TALL TARGET, ROADBLOCK, PHENIX CITY STORY, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, THE GUNRUNNERS and of course, OUT OF THE PAST. Winston Miller worked on the westerns, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, STATION WEST, RELENTLESS, Carson CITY, RUN FOR COVER and BOUNTY HUNTER.