HIDE-OUT

US, 1954, 89 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Montgomery, Maureen O' Sullivan, Edward Arnold, Elizabeth Patterson, Whitford Kane, Mickey Rooney, Edward Brophy, Herman Being.
Directed by W. S. Van Dyke.

Hideout begins as a gangster film of the 1930s, Chicago, protection rackets, with a suave gangster, Lucky Wilson (Robert Montgomery) as a standover man for pressurising clubs for protection money. He is also a womaniser, with a roving eye, especially for blondes. The police, in the form of Edward Arnold and Edward Brophy, are trying to catch him. When he escapes from the police, he is wounded and crashes his car in Connecticut.

He is taken in by a farming family, all kindness, Whitford Kane as the Irish father, Elizabeth Patterson as the all-concerned mother, Mickey Rooney, in one of his many junior roles at this time, as the young son who does what not want to be called WSillie. And Maureen O’ Sullivan is the attractive daughter, a teacher.

Wilson is attracted to the daughter, decides to stay, even involves himself in doing the farm chores with her even though he is clueless. He falls in love, the police arrive, a kindly cover-up for him and don’t reveal the truth to the family, yet he reveals the truth to the daughter and she promises to wait for him.

The gangster aspects are rather well done – but the transition to the homely family gives the film are quite different tone.The film was directed by W. S. Van Dyke, a prolific director at MGM at this period, especially the comedies and for Jeanette Mac Donald- Nelson Eddy musicals.

1. An entertaining film with the mixture of the gangster and standover tactics with life with a nice family on the farm?

2. MGM production values, black-and-white photography, Chicago sets, farm? The musical score?

3. The title, the irony of the hideout being very nice and having a good effect on the gangster?

4. Lucky Wilson, Robert Montgomery and his suave style, talking with all the girls, the dates, abandoning them, going to the club, being well received, his meeting the two owners, their prosperity, then nervousness, his pressurising them for protection and taking in the partner? The singer, his date with her? Going to the hotel, the police, the chase, his being shot, taking the car, pursued into the country, his collapse?

5. The Miller family, the father phoning thinking it was the doctor, the doctor coming in urging him to stay undercover? The character of the father, benign, the farm? The mother, consistently concerned, doing everything for Wilson? Willie, his age, not wanting to be called Willie, the rabbits, one for dinner, crying, the bets with Lucky? Pauline, teacher, helping Lucky, the tensions, falling in love? Her doing the farm chores, his joining her, showing him how, feeding the chickens, milking the cows?

6. The credibility of his change within the week, falling in love with Pauline?

7. The arrival of the police, their personalities, wanting to get Lucky? The family after the day, returning, finding the police, the police surprised at the family taking in Wilson, their concern? The meal, the ironies of the conversation, his leaving, business, time away? The farewell to Pauline, telling her the truth, the family not knowing?

8. The kind touch of the police letting him say goodbye? The mother giving them a parcel for the trip?

9. Happy ending – and the moralising story about gangsters and their possible reformation, especially by falling in love?