Highway Dragnet ** (1954, Richard Conte, Joan Bennett, Wanda Hendrix, Reed Hadley) – Classic Movie Review 4977

Director Nathan Juran’s 1954 film noir thriller stars Richard Conte as James Henry, a US Marine hitch-hiker, a Korean War veteran, who is picked up by driving freelance magazine fashion photographer Mrs. Cummings (Joan Bennett) and her young photo-shoot model gal Susan Willis (Wanda Hendrix).

The trouble is that he could be a killer, as he is on the run after being held by the police, suspected of murdering a Las Vegas showgirl (Mary Beth Hughes).

‘Suspicion‘ on the road, it is cheaply and teasingly done, but with enough gusto to make it work in its robustly basic B-movie way. It is co-produced and co-written by Roger Corman.

Also in the cast are Reed Hadley as Det. Lt. Joe White Eagle, Iris Adrian as Dolly, Harry Harvey as Mr. Carson, Tom Hubbard as Det. Sgt. Ben Barnett, Frank Jenks as Marine in Civvies, Murray Alper as Ice Cream Truck Driver, Zon Murray as Trooper in Cafe, House Peters Jr. as Steve, Joseph Crehan as Elderly Border Inspection Officer, Charles Anthony Hughes [Tony Hughes] as Chubby Border Inspection Officer, Bill Hale as Harry and Fred Gabourie as Trooper Al.

It is written by Herb Meadow and Jerome Odlum screenplay), with additional dialogue by Tom Hubbard and Fred Eggers, from a story by Roger Corman and U.S. Anderson. Corman sold his first screen story The House by the Sea for $3,000 to Allied Artists, who changed the title to the more commercial exploitation Highway Dragnet after the success of the TV series Dragnet and Highway Patrol. Parts of the film were shot in the Coachella Valley, California.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 4977

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