Undertow

Director William Castle is best known for his gimmicky and schlocky thrillers from the 1960’s but he had also helmed a steady flow of crime films during the previous two decades, including the Whistler series, the Crime Doctor series, and a variety of noirs, most of which are unmemorable except for Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949), The Houston Story (1956), and this one, Undertow. Adopting one of the most common noir premises (framed man hunts down the real perpetrator), the film offers nothing innovative or spectacular, just a steadily entertaining story, solid performances, and the world’s most annoying landlady. Scott Brady plays recently paroled convict Tony Reagan, who, despite vowing to give up all criminal ties and marry his beloved Sally Lee (Dorothy Hart), finds himself framed for the murder of Big Jim, the head of the crime syndicate who funds a Reno casino managed by Reagan’s longtime friend Danny Morgan (John Russell). In his efforts to evade the police and find the real killer, Reagan’s assisted by another old friend, the morally conflicted Detective Charles Reckling (Bruce Bennett), and the sweet Ann McKnight (Peggy Dow), who fell for Reagan so hard on a recent flight that she agrees to shelter him in her apartment. Also on hand, in only his second film role, is Rock Hudson as a detective with very few lines. Neither exceptional nor embarrassing, Undertow exemplifies what B-movie noir was all about.