I lied to you, betrayed your confidence, and now I’ve fallen in love with you… too late.
Hello to all of the classic people that are returning. I am glad you are back. I want to welcome any new visitors. As a technical note, references and citations are listed for each show on the site at classicmovierev.com. Today on Classic Movie Review, we are taking on Film Noir The Price of Fear (1956).
The Price of Fear (1956) is rated a very low 6.3 on iMDB.com[1]. It is much worse on Rottentomatoes.com, where it has neither a Tomatometer nor audience rating[2].
I did not locate a review from the time of release. Eric Somer at the filmnoirboard blogs said:
“Irving Glassberg’s cinematography favors low and sometimes oblique camera angles that are commonplace in noir visuals, and sometimes objects in the frame are positioned to appear larger or more significant than the protagonists. The good woman Nina Ferranti (Gia Scala) is distinguished visually from the evil Warren woman by their difference in necklines. Wooden performances by the two leads detract from an otherwise enjoyable, well-paced film.[3]”
I didn’t feel too bad about their acting skills. Oberon, Barker, and Scala were a joy to watch. The movie had some surprising turns. The entire premise was original. And finally, the Femme Fatale for this movie deserves an honorable mention on my list of Great Femme Fatales of Film Noir.
Actors – The Price of Fear (1956)
Returning
We have a few returning actors for this movie. First, as a great Femme Fatale is Merle Oberon in the role of Jessica Warren. Oberon was first covered in the Southern Gothic Film Noir Dark Waters (1944).
Sicily raised Gia Scala, played Nina Ferranti, the daughter of a hit and run victim. Scala was first covered in the Film Noir The Garment Jungle (1957).
Warren Stevens played the heavy Frankie Edare. Stevens was first covered in Forbidden Planet (1956).
Bing Russell, the father of Kurt Russell, played the uncredited role of Maxie. Russell was first covered in the campy Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966).
New
Lex Barker played legitimate dog track owner Dave Barrett. Barker was born in Rye, New York, in 1919. His family was very wealthy, and the home was packed with staff. Barker graduated from the Phillips-Exeter Academy. He then attended Princeton but left to join a stock acting company. He also appeared for a short period on Broadway in 1938.
Barker was offered a film contract, but because he was underage, he failed to get the approval of his family. He worked labor jobs for a time before joining the U.S. Army in 1941, well before the U.S.A. was involved in World War II. During the war years, Barker rose to the rank of major. He was injured during fighting in Italy[4] or Sicily.[5]
After his recovery and discharge from the Army, Barker traveled to Hollywood, quickly obtaining a small role in Doll Face (1945). He started getting more roles, including a western titled Return of the Bad Men (1948).
In 1949, he obtained the role that made him famous. He replaced Johnny Weissmuller to become the 10th person to play Tarzan in a film with Tarzan’s Magic Fountain (1949). Barker was in five Tarzan films before striking out for more diverse roles.
After Tarzan, Barker obtained roles such as Film Noir Crossfire (1947), comedy Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Mystery of the Black Jungle (1954), Duel on the Mississippi (1955), and Away All Boats (1956).
In 1957, this polyglot actor left the U.S.A. and began working in Europe. During this period, he made over 40 films, including Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960). He eventually returned to the U.S.A. and was active on television. In 1973, he died of a heart attack at the early age of 54[6].
Phillip Pine played gangster and killer Vince Burton. Pine was born in 1920 in California. He had a face to play bad guys. Pine began making movies in 1945, and his career lasted until 1989. Some of the films Pine appeared in include The Set-Up (1949), Battleground (1949), D.O.A. (1949), and Hoodlum Empire (1952).
Around 1952, Pine began to work extensively on television. He also continued in movies with films like Men in War (1957), Murder by Contract (1958), Project X (1968), The Cat Ate the Parakeet (1972), and Money to Burn (1983).
Some of Pine’s better-known television roles include episodes on “The Twilight Zone” 1959, “The Outer Limits” 1963, and as notoriously evil human in a 1966 episode of “Star Trek” 1966-1969 Pine died in 2006.
Story – The Price of Fear (1956)
Following the credits, the movie opens at a busy dog racing track. Rusty, the rabbit, is circling the track, and the dogs are set loose to run. The narration begins that the dog track has nothing to do with the story but is that gangsters are trying to control the business.
Vince Burton (Phillip Pine) tears up his tickets when his dog loses the race. Vince walks into the secured area where the dogs are weighed and inspected. Half owner of the dog track, Dave Barrett (Lex Barker), questions the gangster about how he gained access to the area. Vince says that Barrett’s partner sold out to Burton’s boss, Frankie Edare (Warren Stevens). Barrett is shocked by the news and goes to see Edare.
At the Domino Club, Courtney (Frank Wilcox) is helping Jessica Warren (Merle Oberon) into her car. She seems a little wobbly from celebrating. Jessica is weaving across the lanes and sing to the radio.
Edare is having dinner with a woman when Barrett arrives. Barrett is not very friendly to Edare as he examines the sales contract. Barrett says he will not let Edare into the business. Edare offered to buy him out. Barrett implies that there will be trouble with the commissioners.
On the way out, Barrett runs into his old partner Lou Belden (Tim Sullivan). Lou says they broke three of his ribs and forced him to sell. Barrett says he will kill Lou if he ever sees him again.
Jessica is singing along until she runs down an old man who was walking his dog. She gets out, and the man is still moving, but she flees in her car. The man’s good dog waits by him in the street.
Jessica keeps driving and crying, dealing with what she has done. She stops at a gas station to make a call.
Barrett is riding in a taxi. He confirms to the driver Johnny McNab (Stafford Repp), that they are being followed. Barrett has to pay the driver extra to slow down enough so he can get out. Barrett runs down the street while McNab uses his taxi to block the other car. The driver of the tail car is Vince.
Jessica calls the operator and asks for the police. Barrett runs around the corner and steals her car. Jessica tells the police that her car was stolen.
Back in the restaurant, Edare is pouring booze into Lou. Vince lets Edare know what happened. He asks if Vince knows the cabbie McNab. Edare says he will take Lou home so Barrett doesn’t find him. Outside, Edare stalls until one of his men in a car drove by and shot Lou.
Barrett stops in Jessica’s car and is trailed by a motorcycle cop. Detective Police Sgt. Pete Carroll (Charles Drake) comes in to see Police Lt. Jim Walsh (Dan Riss). Walsh has released a story to the paper saying Barrett is wanted for the murder of Lou. Carroll says Barrett didn’t kill Lou. Carroll and Barrett are old friends.
Walsh brings in a pawnshop owner who says Barrett bought a shotgun from him on the day before the murder. Carroll punches holes in the man’s story. Walsh gets a call that Barrett has been picked on an auto theft charge. On the way down, a lab tech tells Carroll that Barrett is responsible for the hit and run on the dog walker. The time of the hit and run was 12:31 A.M.
Jessica comes into the police station about her car. Carroll finds Barrett and says he is in big trouble. Carroll asks about who killed Lou. Barrett had no idea who killed Lou. The time of the hit and run gives Barrett an alibi for the time of the murder.
Barrett is taken to be identified by Jessica and Nina Ferranti (Gia Scala). Barrett is told if the hit and run man dies, he will be charged with manslaughter. Nina is the daughter of the man that was hit. Barrett is sure the truth will set him free in time.
Jessica is an investment advisor, and it sounds like she is doing some insider trading. Barrett comes to see her. He explains why he took the car and says he didn’t hit the man. He asks her why she lied about the car’s location during the theif. Barrett wants to find who shot Lou. Jessica gives him an abrupt cue to leave her office.
Barrett is brought back to the police station to confess to the hit and run. Before he signs the agreement, a cop comes in and instructs him not to sign because it would be perjury, as they “know” he was on the other side of town killing Lou. Nina watches Jessica talk to Barrett. Jessica says she believes Barrett is innocent, and they leave for lunch.
Later Jessica is getting ready to go out when Carroll shows up at her door. The DA wants Barrett not to be charged for the hit and run so they can convict him of murder. Carroll asks what the odd of a single car being stolen twice in one hour are. The bell rings, and Barrett comes into the apartment.
Jessica tells Barrett that Carroll suspects her of the hit and run. Barrett asks her point blank, and she says she did not do it. Barrett says he has another alibi in McNab, the taxi driver. They get friendly.
The next day, Jessica goes to the taxi company looking for McNab. The manager says everyone is looking for McNab, but no one has seen him since Friday. She does let slip that Edare is looking for McNab also. As soon as she leaves, the manager calls Edare.
Later, Jessica gets in her car, and Edare shows up at her car. He gets in, and she drives to the most secluded spot in L.A. county. Edare says they are both looking for McNab. Edare realizes that Jessica wants to have Barrett convicted for the hit and run. He threatens her if she doesn’t turn over McNab when he is found. The hit and run victim is not expected to live through the night. Jessica makes a begrudging trues.
A delivery man brings a package that looks like flowers. Barrett arrives looking for Jessica. Barrett says he didn’t send flowers. When they open the box, it is the shotgun used to murder Lou. He immediately calls Carroll. They have already received a tip that the gun was in Jessica’s apartment. Carroll says he will have to get a statement from Jessica. Barrett talks him out of getting her involved. Carroll asks Barrett to come by the office in the morning.
Vince drops by the pawnshop in the morning. Vince runs into the back when he sees Carroll and Barrett coming in with the shotgun in a box. Carroll pretends to be Barrett. When they bust his story, the old man starts saying looking in the back of the store. Vince runs out the back door, and they can’t catch up with him.
Edare calls Jessica at work to tell her that Barrett has been cleared of the murder charge. Edare says he is not content to have Barrett convicted of the hit and run. Jessica bluffs him and says they are going to do it her way. Edare sends Vince to tail Jessica in hopes that she will lead him to McNab.
Barrett goes to the employment office. He calls to break his date with Jessica and tells her he thinks he has found McNab. She puts the phone on hold so she can come up with a plan. She says she can help and asks to go along. He gives her the address.
Barrett and Jessica go to McNab’s house and get his wife Ruth McNab (Mary Field) to let them inside. Ruth says her husband is out of town. She is very nervous. Jessica takes over the interrogation. She slips Ruth some money and a business card that says, “tell him nothing.” Ruth continues with the story that she has not seen her husband.
When the pair leave, Ruth opens a door, and McNab comes out. Ruth says Jessica gave her a thousand dollars.
When Barrett gets back to his apartment, Nina is waiting inside with news that her father has died from the hit and run. Barrett tries to defend himself, but Nina is not having any. She swears vengeance and then breaks down in tears. Barrett convinces her to sit and talk.
Back at the McNab’s, the couple is discussing their options. Ruth clearly doesn’t want her husband to get involved. Johnny wants to go out for a drink, but Ruth says she will go. From across the street, Vince sees Ruth leave.
Nina is getting ready to leave when the phone rings. It’s Johnny McNab wanting to talk to him. Too late, Vince comes inside.
Edare goes to Jessica’s apartment. He says someone stuck a knife in Barrett’s alibi, meaning that Johnny McNab has been killed. Edare says Jessica is on his team now, or she will have to explain her involvement. He tries to embrace her, and she gives him a hard slap before leaving.
Later Barrett arrives. They go to her bedroom so she can finish her makeup. When Barrett tells Jessica about the call, she slips and lets out that she knows about the murder. Barrett said he found Johnny McNab’s body. Jessica starts telling how Edare blackmailed her into helping. She spins quite a yarn about her innocence and the threats Edare made.
The bell rings, and it is Ruth. Ruth says Jessica is responsible for the death of her husband. Ruth tells about the money and the card that Jessica gave her. Ruth is determined to send Jessica to jail if Jessica doesn’t pay a large blackmail payment. Ruth leaves with the understanding that she will be paid.
Barrett tries to get the truth out of Jessica. She says she was trying to protect Barrett from Edare. She says she loves him, the desperate act of a murderous Femme Fatale. He buys it and sits by the fire. She tries to pour Barrett a drink, but her hands are shaking. He calls her out on the hit and run. She also admits that she saw Barrett steal her car. He says they have to go to the police. She is still singing the I love you story. Jessica wants him to forget and stay the night.
Barrett agrees. They get all kissy-face, and Barrett is shown putting new logs of the fire. Jessica says to Barrett that he will not turn her into the police. Barrett says she will turn herself in. He also says that no one loves a patsy and exits. She has until noon to turn herself into the cops.
Later that night, Barrett is hanging out at his place when Nina shows up with a B.S. story of why she came. She says she knows he is innocent, and she wants to help. Jessica calls to asks if he has told anyone about her being the hit and run driver. Jessica begs for one or two days to flee the country, saying she has left a full confession. She gives the train and coach number. Before he leaves, Nina asks if he is in love with Jessica.
Barret goes to the train, and unknown to him, Nina has followed. She phones Carroll and says Barrett and Jessica are leaving on the train together. Carroll can’t make it to the station before the train left, but he says he can intercept it at the next town.
On the train, Barrett tries to stop Jessica from running away. No dice. She gives him her confession to read.
Barrett says Jessica won’t need the confession because they are getting off at Clayport, which is where Detective Carroll is heading. Jessica agrees to surrender. Jessica and Barrett head to the club car for a drink. At the door, she pauses for a moment and then says, never mind. Barrett opens the door and inside the baggage car, waiting for him with pointed guns are Vince and Edare.
Edare’s plan is to throw Barrett into a southbound train past Clayport. Jessica still tries to defend herself, saying she was just weak. Jessica asks to go to her compartment, but Edare makes her stay.
When the train stops in Clayport, someone knocks on the door. Vince changes into a porter’s outfit and opens the door. He and the other porter load luggage. A dog in a cage starts barking. Barrett takes a chop at Edare’s gun and gives him a right. Vince throws a box and knocks Barrett back. Edare clunks Barrett on the head with the gun.
Carroll arrives just in time to jump on the moving train. Carroll begins checking the cars with a conductor. Vince is waiting by the door to throw Barrett into the oncoming train. Carroll finds Jessica’s room. He asks about the club car, but the conductor says it is close. A lady comes out and says she can hear her dog barking in the baggage car.
The conductor, the lady, and Carroll go to the baggage car and ring the bell. The conductor’s call is answered by Vince and he is told that the dog is okay. She leaves, and the conductor says that was not the right voice.
Vince and Edare are getting ready to throw Barrett out onto the tracks when he kicks Edare and starts beating down Vince. Edare pulls his gun. Jessica rushes to help Barrett. Carroll breaks in and shoots Edare. Barrett asks Jessica why she saved his life. She says she loves him and then jumps out in front of the southbound train. Carroll arrests Vince.
I’ll be back with the conclusions and World-Famous Short Summary.
Summary – The Price of Fear (1956)
The film is hard to summarize. There aren’t any stories or interesting sidenotes. I must say it was a tight Film Noir with some gorgeous actors. The Femme Fatale character was amazing. I kept waiting for her redemption with lines like “I lied to you, betrayed your confidence, and now I’ve fallen in love with you… too late.” Now Scala is no bum, but Oberon was so beautiful, and Barker looked he was Tarzan in street clothes. How could they not end up together?
A couple of things surprised me. The first was that the only redemption for the Femme Fatale was suicide, and she took that route in a somewhat gruesome manner. The second surprise is that the second female lead did not become the new girlfriend.
World-Famous Short Summary – Having the body of Tarzan doesn’t guarantee you will get the girl, but it’s still the way to bet.
Beware the moors.
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049636/
[2] https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_price_of_fear_2013
[3] https://filmnoirboard.blogspot.com/
[4] https://www.angelfire.com/my/mighty8th/hwood14.html
[5] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049636/
[6] https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/12/archives/lex-barker-dies-tarzan-of-movies-was-10th-to-play-the-role.html
