Jeopardy (1953)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Mel Dinelli (writer)
Maurice Zimm (story)

Release Date:

31 July 1953 (France)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

"I'll do anything...to save my husband!"

Plot:

The Stilwins are on vacation to an isolated beach in Mexico. Walking on a deserted jetty, Doug Stilwin gets his leg trapped under one of the logs...

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Jetty | Vacation | Beach | Map

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Helen Stilwin
Barry Sullivan	...	Doug Stilwin
Ralph Meeker	...	Lawson, the Fugitive
Lee Aaker	...	Bobby Stilwin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rico Alaniz	...	Officer at 1st Roadblock (uncredited)
Salvador Baguez	...	Officer at 1st Roadblock (uncredited)
Bob Castro	...	Police Machine Gunner (uncredited)
Carlos Conde	...	Tijuana Vendor (uncredited)
George L. Derrick	...	Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Paul Fierro	...	Mexican Lieutenant (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Captain's Driver talking to Helen (uncredited)
Margarita Martín	...	Mexican Mother (uncredited)
Victor Milner	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Alex Montoya	...	Officer with Walkie-Talkie at 2nd Barricade (uncredited)
George Navarro	...	Tijuana Vendor (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	...	Mexican Father (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	...	Officer at 2nd Barricade (uncredited)
Louis Tomei	...	Officer at 2nd Barricade (uncredited)
Juan Torena	...	Mexican Police Chief (uncredited)
Felipe Turich	...	Mexican Border Official (uncredited)
Natividad Vacío	...	Persistent Tijuana Vendor (uncredited)
Bud Wolfe	...	Lieutenant's Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mel Dinelli		writer
Maurice Zimm		story

Produced by
Sol Baer Fielding	....	producer
Charles Schnee	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Victor Milner

Film Editing by
Newell P. Kimlin

Art Direction by
William Ferrari
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Fred M. MacLean		(as Fred MacLean)
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Frank Delmar		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joel Freeman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Rose	....	costumes: Miss Stanwyck

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor
Manuel Emanuel	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

69 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16400) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Pioneertown, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Goofs:

Continuity: After Bobby makes coffee and takes the pot and cup to his father, in one scene he's holding the pot with one hand and in other scenes with both hands.

"Pretty Neat, Huh?"

Leonard Maltin must've been watching some other movie. (Though I find his Guide to be quite a valuable resource, please disregard his comments on this one.) He states "starts off well then fizzles" when it's really the reverse - "starts off tepid then catches fire". The plot is about as simple as it gets. Happy Mom, Happy Dad and Happy Son take a vacation at an isolated beach, Dad incapacitated in accident, Mom runs off to get help, meets up with dangerous escaped convict. Mom tries to trick convict into helping while Dad waits and hangs on for dear life.

Good white-knuckler given an electric jolt by Ralph Meeker, appearing suddenly (the director, John Sturges, films it in a clever way that will make you gasp) around halfway through as the cunning, desperate criminal. Meeker is an unusually flippant, reckless actor (at least here and in the classic "Kiss Me Deadly") and he happily snatches the keys to the film's narrative and speeds off with the top down. His character has a habit of grinning childishly and saying "Pretty neat, huh?" when he's especially pleased with his misdeeds. There is a funny break in the action when they get a flat tire and he tersely instructs his hostage, Barbara Stanwyck, "Don't go away". She fires back "Where would I go?" (they're in the middle of nowhere) and he realizes sitcom-ishly "Yeah, that's right". The friction between them is a hoot.

There are flaws, somewhat ridiculous ones. There's one scene where the police, who have been chasing after Meeker for some time, stop Stanwyck's car and to evade detection Meeker rests his head on her shoulder like a loving husband supposedly would, and pretends to be asleep as she's being questioned. A. He looks conspicuously un-masculine in this pose and B. I think it's safe to say that any adult who appears to be asleep during an encounter with law enforcement would certainly arouse suspicion.

Still a sturdy thriller which builds to an exciting and edifying conclusion.