HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Accomplice'' is a 1946 American
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
directed by
Walter Colmes Walter Colmes (1917–1988) was an American film director and producer sometimes billed as Walter S. Colmes. He directed six films between 1945 and 1947, including '' The Woman Who Came Back'' starring Nancy Kelly, '' Accomplice'' with Veda Ann B ...
and starring Richard Arlen,
Veda Ann Borg Veda Ann Borg (January 11, 1915 – August 16, 1973) was an American film and television actress. Early years Borg was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Gottfried Borg, a Swedish immigrant, and Minna Noble. She became a model in 1936 before ...
, Tom Dugan, and Archie Twitchell. The film, from
Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation (generally known as PRC) was the smallest and least prestigious of the 11 Hollywood film companies of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called " Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower St ...
(PRC), was shot in four days. The film is written by Frank Gruber, based on his novel ''Simon Lash, Private Detective''.


Plot

Blonde bombshell Joyce Bonniwell hires her ex-fiancé and Los Angeles attorney, Simon Lash. Her amnesiatic and wealthy husband Sam Bonniwell has gone missing. Sam is the vice president of the Sheridan National Bank in Los Angeles. Simon searches out what is going on at the bank. The bank's president, Vincent Springer, assures all is well with the bank and that Sam is on vacation. Simon's legal assistant, Eddie Slocum, is sent to check out Sam's gentlemen's club. He uncovers a letter to Sam from a Mrs. James Baker. A beautiful redhead, Evelyn Price, answers the door. She admits to having an affair with Sam but that she has not seen him for several days although he may be taking refuge at the Castleman's Mink Ranch, a place he owns near Palmdale. Simon starts to suspect that Joyce might be seeking out hard evidence of Sam's infidelity, possibly for divorce proceedings. Simon wants to drop the assignment as he does not investigate divorce cases. Simon enters Joyce's house and a phone call comes through from local sheriff Rucker. He tells Joyce that Sam's body is at Castleman's Mink Ranch with a gunshot to the head. Simon accompanies Joyce to the ranch to identify the body. When they arrive together to the crime scene, the sheriff starts to suspect that Simon and Joyce have murdered Sam to get his money from the inheritance. Castleman, however, believes that Bonniwell committed suicide. Simon determines that there is clear evidence of two shots, and understands that Bonniwell could not have killed himself. Joyce tells the sheriff that Sam had lost all his money. She denies any knowledge of the ranch and of Sam's relationship with Evelyn. Simon contacts Eddie by phone, and receives information that both Evelyn and bank president Springer have disappeared without a trace. Simon looks into a hotel that Sam frequented during his visits, and finds out that he used to come visit town in the company of a pretty brunette, whom he claimed to be his wife. Rucker later reports that a brunette that fits the description has been seen driving Sam's car into the desert. Simon learns from Joyce that the bank president's fiancée is a brunette, and decides to find the woman. Before Simon has time to leave, he gets information that both Evelyn and Castleman have been murdered. Simon tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and decides to travel to Mesa in New Mexico. When he arrives there he talks to the town marshal, Jeff Bailey, who tells him that a man named Stringer drove through town some time ago, in the direction of Pete Connors' large estate, known as the Castle. When Simon comes to the Castle, the owner Pete Connors reveals that Bailey is his nephew. Simon is taken by surprise. He is locked into an old harness room. He sees how Joyce arrives to the house by car and manages to break out of the room. Joyce explains that she headed for the Castle after she found out Springer had telephoned Connors' number. Joyce then tries to kill Simon, and he understands that she is the one who murdered all three victims. He tells her that he knows what she has done, and that he guessed she wore a brunette wig to masquerade herself as Springer's fiancée, and murdered Springer at the mink ranch because he discovered that Sam was embezzling from the bank. Simon then continues to explain that Evelyn, who was really Springer's mistress, not Sam's, and Castleman both were murdered to prevent them from revealing the truth. Sam, who is alive and hiding at the Castle, then appears. There is a gunfight, where Sam accidentally kills both Connors and Joyce, and then is himself killed by Simon.


Cast

* Richard Arlen as Simon Lash *
Veda Ann Borg Veda Ann Borg (January 11, 1915 – August 16, 1973) was an American film and television actress. Early years Borg was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Gottfried Borg, a Swedish immigrant, and Minna Noble. She became a model in 1936 before ...
as Joyce Kimball Bonniwell * Tom Dugan as Eddie Slocum * Archie Twitchell as Sheriff Rucker (as Michael Branden) * Marjorie Manners as Evelyn Price *
Earle Hodgins Earle Hodgins (October 6, 1893 – April 14, 1964) was an American actor. Career Early in his career, Hodgins was active in stock theater, including working in the Ralph Cloninger troupe of Salt Lake City, Utah, the Siegel Stock company of ...
as Jeff Bailey * Francis Ford as King Connors *
Edward Earle Edward Earle (16 July 1882 – 15 December 1972) was a Canadian-American stage, film and television actor. In a career which lasted from the 1910s to 1966, he appeared in almost 400 films between 1914 and 1956. He was born in Toronto and died ...
as Jim Bonniwell *
Herbert Rawlinson Herbert Banemann Rawlinson (15 November 1885 – 12 July 1953) was an English-born stage, film, radio, and television actor. A leading man during Hollywood's silent film era, Rawlinson transitioned to character roles after the advent of sound f ...
as Vincent Springer * Sherry Hall as Ben Castleman * Robert McKenzie as Barstow Gas Station Attendant


References


External links

* {{IMDb title, 0038285, Accomplice 1940s crime thriller films American crime thriller films American detective films Film noir Films based on American novels Films based on crime novels Producers Releasing Corporation films American black-and-white films Films directed by Walter Colmes 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language crime thriller films Films scored by Alexander László