Violence

(1947) Violence CRIME DRAMA

Co-produced and directed by Jack Bernhard that has two men beating up a guy name Joe Donahue (Jimmy Clark) for some information before he is killed and murdered. All this ruckus was happening down inside a basement, and it appears that Fred Stalk (Sheldon Leonard) gives out orders while the person who does all the beatings his name is "Joker'(Peter Whitney), both of them are working for a wannabe politician, True Dawson (Emory Parnell) as he has just finished speaking on front of a group of war veterans. As they are interacting with the secretary, Ann Mason (Nancy Coleman) before True Dawson come out and takes him into a private office. We then find out that the guy both Fred and Joker had just murdered, Troy Donahue apparently used to work for the True Dawson campaign until he did some investigating of his own. And that Tony was able to uncover some incriminating dirt on the candidate True Dawson, the reason why he was murdered so that this info cannot get out. And during them discussing matters, is when Ann the secretary walks in to discuss her departure to visit friends in Chicago. We find out later by the time we see her at her apartment that she too is also investigating True Dawson's shady past for a magazine called "View" for an editor, Ralph Borden (Pierre Watkin).

Things takes a turn for the worse as soon as Ann comes off from the Chicago airport and she notices someone following her and she asks the driver to lose him. And gets into an accident that causes her to lose her memory wondering her purpose to visit Chicago in the first place. We are then introduced to another person, claiming to be her fiance who happens to be a war veteran himself, Steve Fuller (Michael O'Shea). And upon Ann return back to LA with Steve at her side, she very slowly begins to recount what happened as well as her purpose including her role as a secretary. And it is not long, Steve is doing some sleuthing himself, he does this by discovering a letter addressed with Joe Donahue's name on it. And of course, he also associates himself with Fred and his brute Joker after working for the True Dawson campaign called the "United Defenders". It becomes complicated when Joe Donahue's wife, Sally Donahue (Cay Forester) shows up looking for her husband and Ann gets involves her self in her husband's disappearance.

With a short running time of an hour and 12 minutes, this movie is not bad if not for the predictable scenes their is a happy ending.

From 1947, Violence stars Nancy Coleman, Michael O'Shea, Sheldon Leonard, and Emory Parnell.

Coleman is Ann Mason, a reporter working undercover as a secretary for United Defenders, a fascist group using veterans by taking their money and encouraging them to be violent over issues such as housing and jobs.

Veterans had problems readjusting to society after World War II, and in this and another film I saw recently, their disenfranchisement made them a target for both communist and fascist groups.

Nancy is gathering evidence for her editor in Chicago, but on a trip there, she's in a car accident and develops amnesia. She meets a man, Steve (Michael O'Shea) who claims they are engaged.

Little by little, Ann remembers she works for the Defenders but not that she's undercover. Steve returns to Los Angeles with her and goes to work for the organization.

Ann begins to believe Steve is working against the Defenders and informs her boss. Trouble follows.

Cliche-ridden noir with Coleman constantly touching her head when she's trying to remember. And we all know what brings a memory back - another hit on the head.

Well, Ann falls and hits her head. A woman staying with her, whose husband was murdered by the Defenders, puts a dry handkerchief over her forehead. Big help.

You knew that charming, lively Michael O'Shea could never be evil. Sheldon Leonard was your typical meanie.

Interesting for what was going on in the US at the time, but not great.

The movie has veterans of WWII being recruited to be part of a group that will use violence to accomplish the goals of bigger men. A young go-getter female reporter infiltrates it. Very early plot twist: on the way back to Chicago to file her stories, she gets in a motor vehicle accident, her typed-out stories are burned up in the car fire, and she gets amnesia. Dun-dun-duhhh....

Nancy Coleman is convincing as the reporter who is distressed about her loss of memory, although she rubs her temple too many times. Steve Fuller, who surely must have got his start as Kirk Douglas's stand-in, is a convincing male lead here, but he's clearly in support of Coleman.

It's gritty, adult fare for 1947. It might not be splattered-blood Bonnie & Clyde violence but sometimes implied violence is actually more dramatic.

At one of the rallies - these are all recently released WWII vets, remember - one guy stands up and gives a highly unlikely w0kified speech right out of 2024 about how "hate and violence alone won't solve any of our problems." He is quickly ushered out.

There are some unlikely plot twists that rely on characters making very bad decisions or things that happen a bit too conveniently to keep the running time tight and the sh00ting schedule on budget.

But it's an entertaining way to spend 90 minutes just the same.

There's enough meat to this plot that good writers with a respectable budget could churn out an excellent first season of a short-run prestige-cable show. Of course, the reporter would be a bl3ck tr2ns-g3nd3r and the underground club would all wear red baseball caps.

Which brings me to Eddie Muller's presentation of this movie on April 7, 2024. He suggested that movies such as Violence might have "inspired the House Un-American Activities Committee to launch investigations into 'purported' (here he gives an ironic hand wave) communist influences in Hollywood." It's well established by now that Hollywood (and Washington) were completely infiltrated by commies, as they are today. One's credibility takes a big hit to pretend otherwise. I expect better from Muller.

Don't go w0ke, TCM. Cause you know what rhymes with w0ke.

This 1947 Poverty Row film noir about some racketeers organizing returning vets into strong-arm squads has an awful score of overwrought music from Edward J. Kay. Nancy Coleman is investigating the organization, but comes down with amnesia.

Since we know the set-up before she comes down with memory loss, there's no sense of noirish what-in-hell-is-going-on suspense. It all comes down to a cozy non-mystery shot on small sets with occasional bouts of rear projection, punctuated by loud, frantic musical stings. Besides Coleman, we get Sidney Sheldon, Michael O'Shea and Emory Parnell.

Reporter Ann Dwire is undercover in a neo-fascist group as the secretary to the leader, True Dawson. They are recruiting disgruntled veterans returning from the war. She is ready to escape to report her findings to her Chicago newspaper but group member Fred Stalk is suspicious. Her cab is being pursued and ends up in a crash. She is left with amnesia and everything else burnt up in the fire. She recalls her fake identity Ann Mason. She returns to her fake job and speaking in support of the movement.

The premise is good but the execution is weak. There is good violent plot but it falters on execution. Lead actress Nancy Coleman is fine. It's mostly in the weak production and direction. I do like the general premise but this is not good.