Highway Dragnet (1954) – Desert Chase in a Classic Film Noir

Highway Dragnet (1954) – Desert Chase in a Classic Film Noir

I just watched a pretty interesting little Film Noir, called Highway Dragnet (1954). The plots are not too complicated, and it’s pretty easy to figure out who the bad guy is, but it features some really great actresses and actors.

The lead is played by Film Noir tough guy Richard Conte. Some of his films include Cry of the City (1948), Thieves’ Highway (1949), They Came to Cordura (1959), Ocean’s Eleven (1960), and The Godfather (1972). I knew it was Barzini.

Conte plays Marine Sergeant Jim Henry, who has just returned from the Korean Conflict with a Silver Star and a Bronze Star with a cluster. So Henry is a guy who can handle himself.

Henry has a stopover in Las Vegas on the way home, just like Moe Greene planned. There is a problem with him being in Vegas that I will talk about later. Henry buys a .75-cent Martini for aging but beautiful Terry Smith (Mary Beth Hughes). Henry has a date later, and Terry pitches a fit, drawing the attention of the entire bar. But then they laugh and kiss.

In the morning, Henry hitches out of town. He is waiting about 7 miles outside of town for a ride. Suddenly, Lt. Joe White Eagle (Reed Hadley) and Sgt. Barnett arrive in a patrol car and arrest Henry.

They take Henry back to a motel in Vegas, where he sees the dead body of Terry. The police have Henry’s bracelet, which was found under the body. Terry was strangled by a leather strap. The search Henry’s bags and find a .45 and a bloody shirt. The cops also know about the spat in the bar.

Henry says he spent the night with an Army Captain, but when the police call the hotel, it can’t be verified. Henry says the Captain is on a secret mission and can’t use a real name. It looks bad for Henry, so he panics and gets the drop on the cops.

Before he escapes in the police car, he does what should be done in a lot of movies. He shoots a tire out on the other car so they can’t follow him immediately. Henry flees down the road towards the California border. Of course, crossing the state line doesn’t end a murder charge like in the cowboy days.

The police are some distance behind him when he sees two women working on a broken-down car. Mrs. H.G. Cummings (Joan Bennett) is wearing a fancy tea dress as she stands by the car, and Susan Wilton (Wanda Hendrix) is butt up under the hood.

These two actresses have some serious Film Noir chops. Bennett is known for being one of the best Femme Fatales with movies such as The Woman in the Window (1944), Scarlet Street (1945), and Hollow Triumph (1948).

In 1951, Bennett’s husband, Walter Wanger, shot her agent, Jennings Lang, because he thought they were having an affair. Lang was hit in the thigh and groin but survived. The incident had a profound impact on Bennett’s career, and she went on to make only five movies during the next decade.

Bennett starred during the entire television run of “Dark Shadows” from 1966 to 1971, appearing in 390 episodes. She also appeared in House of Dark Shadows (1970).

The other woman, Wanda Hendrix, was in the Film Noirs Ride the Pink Horse (1947) and Nora Prentiss (1947). She was also, for a time, married to the most decorated soldier of World War II, Audie Murphy.

Anyway, back to the movie. After seeing the women, with Susan butt up under the hood, Henry decides to ditch the stolen cop car. He gets rid of everything that would identify him as a Marine except the gun. He then walks back and offers the two ladies assistance in repairing their car.

Mrs. H.G. Cummings (Joan Bennett) is a professional photographer and comes across as very haughty. Her companion, Susan Wilton (Wanda Hendrix), is an assistant and model, and is very down-to-earth. Mrs. Cummings has a little white dog named Tiger that is running around on the highway with no leash.

Henry helps them fix the car, and they have a close call with the police. Mrs. Cummings doesn’t want to give him a ride. But Tiger is run over by a car, and Henry takes care of the dead animal. So, they are guilted into giving him a ride. Most people figure the murder out at this point.

The trio stops at a roadside diner for lunch. Susan keeps talking about Tiger’s missing leash. At the abandoned police car, they find a picture of Henry and send it to the newspapers.

When they are alone, Susan tells Henry that Mrs. Cummings lost her husband some time back. Two cops come in and tell the waitress that they are searching for a fugitive. They completely overlook the fact that the person they are looking for is sitting right beside them. Susan has her first inkling that Henry may be a murderer.

Susan and Mrs. Cummings try to abandon Henry, but he has the car keys. Henry has another close call with the police at the California inspection station, but they get through. Susan thinks Henry is not the strap killer because he has passed so many cops. Susan invites Henry to stay at the Inn.

The next roadblock is just after their destination at the Apple Valley Inn. Sgt. Barnett is at the roadblock and sees the car turn in.

The newspaper deliveryman arrives with papers that have Henry’s picture splashed on the front page. Henry sees his picture and stops the delivery to everyone. However, a paper is already being delivered to Mrs. Cummings and Susan. They now know they have been traveling with a killer. Susan starts to phone for help, but Mrs. Cummings stops. She tells that the murdered woman is Terry Smith, the “little tramp,” whom Mr. Cummings killed himself over.

Mrs. Cummings says they may even try to connect her to the killing of Smith. Susan mentions that she is the only one besides Mrs. Cummings who knows the story about her husband’s death and the now murdered girl. Henry comes in and holds the women as hostages. When the Inn owner arrives for the photography shoot, Henry pretends to be part of the crew.

Sgt. Barnett shows the owner a picture of Henry, but the man doesn’t make the connection to the photography assistant. Out at the pool, Mrs. Cummings uses a photography blank to warn the owner about Henry. The owner calls the police. In an attempt to warn the guests, the owner creates a panic.

Henry pulls his gun and loads Mrs. Cummings and Susan into the car, but it won’t start. Henry steals a station wagon. He drives through the wooden barricade going west and also runs over two parked police motorcycles. This minor crash destroys the front end of the car. The police are closing in on him.

Henry has to stop for gas. He is trying to hurry, but soon hears the sirens. Using his gun, he forces a trucker to block the road before he shoots out a couple of tires. Again, this should be featured in more movies. The police are blocked by the roadblock.

Sometime before the next roadblock, Henry drives the car into the desert. The police miss the pull-off. The car overheats a bit, and while he is in front, adding water, Mrs. Cummings tries to get Susan to run him over with the car. However, she won’t kill, even to save her own life. Also, Susan has a crush on Henry. Some girls have a thing for bad boys, I guess. 

Later, Henry gets it stuck in the sand. The police realize that Henry is in the desert.

Henry and Susan are trying to push the car out with Mrs. Cummings behind the wheel. Mrs. Cummings shovels the car in reverse and hits Henry. She takes the gun and is going to kill Henry, but Susan stops her. Mrs. Cummings escapes with the car, leaving the other two stranded in the desert.

Having no other choice, Susan and Henry follow the tracks of the car. Eventually, they find the car, but it is broken down, and Mrs. Cummings is nowhere to be found. Henry builds a fire that will lead Mrs. Cummings back, but it will also let the police know where they are. When the fire is reported to the police, Lt. White Eagle orders a helicopter out to investigate.

Henry tells Susan he is not a killer. He continues that he met with the Army captain about his house at the Salton Sea, which is flooded with four feet of water. He says the Army captain plans to meet him at the house in the morning. He tells Susan he is falling in love before leaving to fix the car.

Later that night, Mrs. Cummings returns and is about to murder Susan with a leather strap. However, Susan turns before the attack happens. Henry honks, signalling that the car is fixed. Both ladies head to the car.

Back at the station, the police realize that Henry is heading for his home on the Salton Sea.

Henry and company make it to the flooded house. He tells Mrs. Cummings and Susan that they are free to go. Susan follows Henry and comes around the corner holding his pistol. Henry carries her into the flooded home like a bride being carried over the threshold. Susan is making plans to move in when they find the note saying the Army captain can make the scheduled visit.

Lt. White Eagle steps out of the other remove and has Susan place Henry’s gun on the sink. Just then, Mrs. Cummings sneaks in and grabs the gun. She fires two shots at the cop. Henry and Mrs. Cummings fight over the gun before it drops into the water. Henry has to help Susan save the wounded Lt. White Eagle from drowning.

Mrs. Cummings retrieves the gun and announces that she is going to kill Henry and Susan and let the cop drown. She pulls the trigger, but the gun is empty. Mrs. Cummings runs from the house and eventually runs down a temporary boardwalk. Sgt. Barnett and another cop won’t fire because they think they might hit Mrs. Cummings.

Near the end of the boardwalk, Mrs. Cummings falls into the water and becomes stuck in quicksand. I thought this would be more of a problem as an adult. She confesses her crimes, and the police hear her. At this point, Henry tells her she won’t sink any deeper because the bottom is concrete.

Sgt. Barnett begins cuffing Henry, but the wounded Lt. White Eagle arrives with Susan, saying to let him go. This is one of my pet peeves. In many movies, when a character flees towards justice, the cops often seem to overlook the other charges that the hero has accumulated. At least in this movie, they mention some of the other crimes like kidnapping, shooting tires, resisting arrest, reckless driving, and felony flight. Kudos to this movie for mentioning the crimes before letting Henry go free.

So I guess Susan and Henry live happily ever after in their partially submerged house.

There are some continuity issues between the Apple Valley Inn and the Salton Sea. Susan’s dress changes from black to white about 17 times. It’s a little disconcerting.

I found it interesting because the Salton Sea was formed in 1905 by a flood from the Colorado River. For a time, it was a resort, and the likes of Sinatra entertained there. There were yachts and fancy nightclubs all around. The problem is that with little inflow and no outflow, the entire lake became toxic as it grew smaller. As it dries, wind-borne toxic clouds are blown from the lake bed. It is now most deserted.

One problem I have is that if Henry was returning from Korea, he would have come into the West Coast, and going to Las Vegas would be out of his travel direction.

I am very happy that they shot out a lot of tires. This reminded me of a quote. When asked why the Indians didn’t shoot the horses in Stagecoach (1939), Director John Ford would reply that if they did, the movie would be over. 

Anyway, this film is a nice little Noir. Not too complicated. You’ll figure it out early on, but it’s definitely worth the 71 minutes of watch time.

Beware the Moors