Private Hell 36 *** (1954, Ida Lupino, Steve Cochran, Howard Duff, Dean Jagger, Dorothy Malone, Dabbs Greer) – Classic Movie Review 4067

Director Don Siegel’s resolute and stalwart 1954 thriller tells the story of two disgruntled police officers Cal Bruner and Jack Farnham (Steve Cochran, Howard Duff), who are on the trail of tempting stolen money.

A $50 banknote from the New York robbery is traced to nightclub chantoose Lilli Marlowe (Ida Lupino), who leads the cops to one of the robbers and a quarter of the loot, which they decide to pocket.

Lupino also co-writes and co-produces with Collier Young this tart and subtly characterised movie. Siegel directs with flashes of the flair, imagination and energy that he was to show in his later great cop thrillers like Dirty Harry.

Also in the cast are Dean Jagger, Dorothy Malone, Dabbs Greer, King Donovan, Bridget Duff, Jerry Hausner, Chris O’Brien, Ken Paterson, George Dockstader, Jimmy Hawkins and James Anderson.

The baby at the start of the film is the daughter of Lupino and Duff. Lupino was married to Young (5 August 1948 – 20 October 1951, divorced) and then Duff (21 October 1951 – 1984, divorced). Respected as a pioneer for women film-makers, she was only the second woman to be admitted to the Director’s Guild, after Dorothy Arzner.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4067

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