HIGHWAY DRAGNET
US, 1954, 70 minutes, Black-and-white.
Richard Conte, Joan Bennett, Wanda Hendrix, Reed Hadley, Mary Beth Hughes, Iris Adrian.
Directed by Nathan Juran.
Highway Dragnet is a crime and police chase thriller.
Richard Conte is a veteran from the Korean War, in Las Vegas to meet a friend, an encounter with a girl at the bar, her later being found murdered. He is accused, escapes from the police, teams up with two women in the desert, pretends to be their photography assistant at a resort. The police pursue, there is a final chase which leads out into the desert and, eventually, to the Salton Sea.
The two women are played by Joan Bennett, an older manager of a photography firm, and Wanda Hendrix as her model. Reed Hadley is the pursuing police officer.
Since it is clear from the beginning that Richard Conte did not do the murder, it becomes very evident the Joan Bennett has killed the woman – with the revelation that she had seduced her dead husband.
The two leads are strong, the action continuous, the creation of tension – and a climax at the Salton Sea.
Direction is by Nathan Juran, originally from Romania, and winning an Oscar for set design for How Green was My Valley, and the director of a lot of small budget films and television. This film is notable as the first production credit for Roger Corman who was to have a long career of producing small-budget films for more than 50 years.
1. Crime and chase thriller? Murder mystery?
2. Las Vegas, the Nevada desert, California, the desert, resorts? The musical score?
3. 1954, the background of the Korean War, the veterans, their experience, decorations, aftermath?
4. The title, the murder, the police, investigations, collaboration between Nevada and California, the roadblocks, connections with the police?
5. Jim, career, in Las Vegas, to meet his friend, the encounter at the bar, his comment about Terry and her looks, her reaction, the fight, the kiss?
6. Jim, the car, the police arresting him, the interrogation, the accusations, seeing the body taken out? His decision, panic, gun and escape? His saying it was like the foxhole in Korea?
7. The police, the sheriff, contacts, pursuit, the evidence? Finding Jim’s car, the torn photo on documents? The photo in the papers? Contacting local police?
8. Jim, driving, seeing the two women and the broken down car, stopping, changing, helping, the police passing? His driving with them?
9. Mrs Cummings and Susan, in Las Vegas, the job, photography and modelling? The information about Mr Cummings and his relationship with Terry? It seeming obvious that
Mrs Cummings was responsible for Terry’s death?
10. The diner, the police, the hamburgers? The tensions with Mrs Cummings and Susan? Susan reassuring her?
11. Going to the resort, more tensions, the two women afraid, Jim posing as their assistant, the manager of the resort and his excitement? Mrs Cummings and the slide with the
message? The manager panicking the visitors? Jim and the gun?
12. Taking the car, breaking through the roadblocks, the garage, the truck across the road? Going into the desert?
13. Susan, the ambiguity of her feelings? Using up the water, the sand, the branches? Mrs Cummings taking the car, lighting the fire, her return? Her opportunities against the two?
14. The background of the house at the Salton Sea? Arriving, the note from the friend, the house, the water, the arrival of the police? Mrs Cummings and the gun, Jim pursuing her, falling into the water, fearing quicksand? The confession? The police hearing, Jim and his release, the possibilities for the house and Susan?
