Let's be realistic.

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Well hold on to your hats folks, I think even the Three Stooges might have had a hard time keeping up with Heather Angel in this feisty romp. Twenty five years old and getting older every day, her character Anne Gladden decides to live it up for a day and ends up in a stolen limousine with a dead body in the back seat. It's pretty incomprehensible for most of the story why a young man she picks up along the way gets involved in the escapade, but it's later revealed that the vehicle actually belongs to Larry Cameron (John King).If you're like me, you'll find yourself scratching your head over a number of scenes. Like society matron Mrs. Breckenridge - how is it she was holding a pet dog when a cop pulled her chauffeur over, but didn't have one earlier when she had tea with Anne at the filling station? And how about Cameron bringing Anne into his home - didn't it look like they stepped into a bright and shiny TV commercial for modern kitchen appliances of the day? But the best was the final scene when Anne brings Larry home to meet granny, and even though they're still at the front door, granny greets them from the comfort of her bed. Where exactly was that, in the living room?Yes, movie viewers, this one truly defies classification. Not exactly a murder mystery, and not exactly a comedy, but you'll probably think you've seen elements of both. It's certainly entertaining in an odd sort of way, but you'll have to leave your thinking cap at the door.

Comedy noir would seem to be a contradiction in terms, but there are in fact movies in this vein that deserve serious attention, particularly The Ladykillers (1951). A much lesser entry, however, is Universal's 1940 release, Half a Sinner, in which a none-too-flatteringly photographed and costumed Heather Angel is pursued not only by comic cops and comic crooks but by smiling bland man, John King. The second last of over 400 films (many of them shorts) directed by comedy giant, Al Christie, this Trouble with Harry/Midnight Manhunt effort is somewhat repetitious but pleasant enough to talk during and even come late for. The players do what they can with their something-borrowed (cf. the overcoat device in Manhattan Melodrama), something-thin material, but only Clem Bevans, Tom Dugan, William B. Davidson and ever-reliable Constance Collier really shine.

I'm sure this little comic piece was never meant to be taken seriously. It involves a snowball effect caused by a young schoolteacher out on a lark. She ends up with a car carrying a body and evidence against a crime boss. It's a series of escapes and puzzled cops, running back and forth, chasing the young woman and her wealthy handsome new acquaintance. The police are good hearted buffoons. The crooks are silly and pretty ineffectual. There are some narrow escapes, but no one ever seems to get all that flustered over the events. Reality takes a holiday in this one and that's OK. It's just so darned tongue in cheek and over the top that we never really feel much for the plight of the characters.

As school winds down Anne Gladden (Heather Angel), a single teacher, decides to throw caution to the wind, gets herself all dolled up and heads out to the park. There she is accosted by a rude gentleman and in order to get away takes his car and drives off. She is unaware that the car is stolen and that there is a dead body in the back seat under an overcoat. The coat belongs to the boss of the gangsters and he's not happy that the evidence that could put him away for a long time is now out and about on a joy ride. Soon Anne is not only being chased by the cops and the gangsters but she's managed to pick up a nice man as well.Suspenseful and silly this is a very enjoyable romp as the ever lovely Heather Angel tries very hard to get out of trouble and hang on to her man. Clearly a program picture this fun film manages to be considerably more especially when Constance Collier as Mrs Brenckenridge shows up and runs rough shod over everyone and everything. The woman is a pip.I really liked this a great deal. This is one to keep an eye out for since its an hour of your time well spent.