THE WAY OUT (DIAL 999)

(director/writer: Montgomery Tully; screenwriter: based on a story by Bruce Graeme; cinematographer: Philip Grinndrod; editor: Geoffrey Miller; music: Richard Taylor; cast: Gene Nelson (Greg Carradine), Mona Freeman (Terry Moffat Carradine), Michael Goodliffe (John Moffat), John Bentley (Det. Sgt. Seagrave), Michael Golden (The Chief Inspector), Paula Byrne (Vera Bellamy), Sydney Tafler (Alf Cressett), Charles Victor (Tom Smithers), Arthur Lovegrove (George, Bar Owner), Cyril Chamberlain (Anderson, murder victim); Runtime: 90; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Alec Snowden; RKO; 1955-UK)

“Nelson and Freeman are American stars, who made films in Great Britain to try and revive their waning careers.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

In Great Britain it was originally released as Dial 999 (which is the emergency number to Scotland Yard). Brit director Montgomery Tully(“Glass Tomb”/”Battle Beneath The Earth”/”I Only Asked”) bases it on a story by Bruce Graeme.

Greg Carradine (Gene Nelson) tells his wife Terry (Mona Freeman) he’s being pursued by the cops for murdering his bookie while he was in a drunken stupor. He claims to be innocent and is being framed. Since he convinces her of his innocence, Terry and her brother-in-law (Michael Goodliffe) hide him, but when trying to reconstruct the crime scene and trying to find the real killer it becomes evident he’s guilty. When Greg no longer has their support, he’s killed when he’s run over in the street fleeing from them.

Not much of a story, but it successfully builds suspense and shows how manipulative desperate folks can be and how they sometimes can take others for a ride with their duplicity. Nelson and Freeman are American stars, who made films in Great Britain to try and revive their waning careers. Both give fine performances, in an otherwise plodding unimportant noir film.

REVIEWED ON 9/22/2014 GRADE: C+