GIRL IN THE CADILLAC is based on "The Enchanted Isle", of the last novels written by the legendary James M. Cain ("Double Indemnity", "The Postman Always Rings Twice") . The book was rejected by publishers during Cain's lifetime and not published until 1985, almost a decade after his death. Given it's history, it's a bit of a surprise someone decided to make a movie of it but here it is, an unheralded film from 1995 but not a bad one. Much of the plot of Cain's book has been changed, making this one of the most genteel film noirs you will ever see.
Erika Eleniak plays a teenager who runs away from home and hooks up platonically with a slightly older petty thief who is broke and on the way to participate in a bank robbery. Needing money, Erika is persuaded to drive the getaway vehicle but the robbery goes bad and McNamara's associates get shot, leading him and Erika to flee with the cash. Those bad guys are not too badly hurt though and manage to get away and are in pursuit of tracking down the young couple.
When I saw this was based on a Cain book, I was expecting a much grittier film and apparently the little-read novel was in classic Cain tradition (if not, apparently, in quality) but this is a ratherpretty almost family-film. The movie does manage some good tension, in part because one is expecting a gruesome classic Cain turn that never really happens. William McNamara is excellent as the kleptomaniac turned bank robber. His career seemed to be headed to the big time in the 1990's but alas a couple of wrong turns derailed him but he's still acting and perhaps one day will get a deserved comeback. One problem is you never know what era this film is exactly set in. The prices for a used Cadillac in terrific shape and a bus ticket seem pretty cheap for the 1990's yet color tv is everywhere so this can't be any earlier than 1970. It's also absurd how easy the bad guys find the young couple, not once but twice. Texas is not that small! Also crazy is the crooks shooting at them as they get away at close range but never do any real damage, never attempting to aim at their tires so they can't get away. This movie actually reminded me of 1950's B movie knockoffs of Cain themes, particularly Hugo Haas films with Michael Lerner (who actually looks and sounds more than a little like Haas), Erika in the Cleo Moore blonde bombshell role and McNamara in the John Agar-Vince Edwards part but it's actually not even as good as one of those films but still it's pretty entertaining if rather timid for a crime film.
Erika Eleniak plays a teenager who runs away from home and hooks up platonically with a slightly older petty thief who is broke and on the way to participate in a bank robbery. Needing money, Erika is persuaded to drive the getaway vehicle but the robbery goes bad and McNamara's associates get shot, leading him and Erika to flee with the cash. Those bad guys are not too badly hurt though and manage to get away and are in pursuit of tracking down the young couple.
When I saw this was based on a Cain book, I was expecting a much grittier film and apparently the little-read novel was in classic Cain tradition (if not, apparently, in quality) but this is a ratherpretty almost family-film. The movie does manage some good tension, in part because one is expecting a gruesome classic Cain turn that never really happens. William McNamara is excellent as the kleptomaniac turned bank robber. His career seemed to be headed to the big time in the 1990's but alas a couple of wrong turns derailed him but he's still acting and perhaps one day will get a deserved comeback. One problem is you never know what era this film is exactly set in. The prices for a used Cadillac in terrific shape and a bus ticket seem pretty cheap for the 1990's yet color tv is everywhere so this can't be any earlier than 1970. It's also absurd how easy the bad guys find the young couple, not once but twice. Texas is not that small! Also crazy is the crooks shooting at them as they get away at close range but never do any real damage, never attempting to aim at their tires so they can't get away. This movie actually reminded me of 1950's B movie knockoffs of Cain themes, particularly Hugo Haas films with Michael Lerner (who actually looks and sounds more than a little like Haas), Erika in the Cleo Moore blonde bombshell role and McNamara in the John Agar-Vince Edwards part but it's actually not even as good as one of those films but still it's pretty entertaining if rather timid for a crime film.