Private Hell 36 (1954)

Synopsis: In a film that became a private hell for its director, Howard Duff and Steve Cochran star as police detectives Jack Farnham and Cal Bruner. Assigned to recover $300,000 stolen in a holdup, the cops learn that one of the marked bills was passed off to nightclub singer Lilli Marlowe (Ida Lupino) as... In a film that became a private hell for its director, Howard Duff and Steve Cochran star as police detectives Jack Farnham and Cal Bruner. Assigned to recover $300,000 stolen in a holdup, the cops learn that one of the marked bills was passed off to nightclub singer Lilli Marlowe (Ida Lupino) as a tip. Since she's the only one who can identify the man with the bill, she joins the detectives on a wild chase through the streets of L.A., which ends with the thief being killed. Bruner grabs $80,000 of the stolen cash and goes off to call for backup. Later he stashes the loot in trailer 36 and cuts in his unwilling partner for 50 percent despite the latter's protestations. Bruner keeps Lupino quiet by offering to cut her on the take--and throws himself in to sweeten the deal. The detectives' boss, Captain Michaels (Dean Jagger), suspects that Bruner might have something to do with the missing money, but he lacks enough evidence to make an arrest. Lupino is good and Burnett Guffey's camerawork is suitably atmospheric in this solid little noir that the actress wrote and produced with ex-husband Collier Young. [More]