HIGH POWERED

US, 1945, 62 minutes, Black-and-white.
Robert Lowery, Phyllis Brooks, Mary Treen, Joe Sawyer, Roger Pryor.
Directed by William Berke.

High Powered was released just as World War II was ending. However, it focuses on programs of building in the United States for the war effort, this time a huge plant to produce oil for the war vehicles. It uses authentic locations, an authentic plant, quite huge in its way, especially with tall buildings, tall cranes which provide action and tension, especially in a finale with rescue work.

There are comic touches as well. The film opens with two young women driving to the plant in order to set up a mobile diner. Phyllis Brooks is the serious girl. Mary Treen (whose IMDb list of acting performances is 217, from 1930 to 1982) is the wisecracking one with an eye on men. They pick up a hitchhiker, Robert Lowery, are involved in an accident, hitting the car of an angry driver who turns out to be the local police chief.

Lowery’s character is headed for grape picking having previously worked on building sites but involved in the accidental death of a friend and suffering nerves as a consequence. However, he is persuaded by the boss, his previous employer, to go back to construction work.

There are many scenes with a light touch, Joe Sawyer (also a prolific actor, 214 credits, starting uncredited in 1931 with Public Enemy and finishing in 1962, uncredited, in How the West was Won) becomes infatuated with Mary Treen, but always comparing her with his ex-wife!
Phyllis Brooks is attracted to Lowery and allows herself to be persuaded to climb the crane in order to shame him into climbing. Then she discovers the truth, goes to a dance with him, watches on with the rest as he finally climbs a very high crane to rescue an injured worker.

Nothing particularly special but an entertaining programmer of the time.