''Without Warning!'' is a 1952 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

directed by Arnold Laven and starring Adam Williams, Meg Randall, and

Ed Binns Edward Binns (September 12, 1916 – December 4, 1990) was an American actor. He had a wide-spanning career in film and television, often portraying competent, hard working and purposeful characters in his various roles. He is best known for hi ...

. The film is shot in a semidocumentary-style with police procedural voice-over narration in parts. ''Without Warning!'' was released commercially for the first time on DVD in 2005. Previously, the film was considered lost and unavailable for viewings.

Plot

A quiet gardener living in Los Angeles, California picks up blond women and is murdering them with garden shears. The police attempt to track him down but the man continues to kill. The killer lives in a shack on a hill overlooking Los Angeles ( Chavez Ravine).

Cast

* Adam Williams as Carl Martin * Meg Randall as Jane Saunders *

as Lt. Pete Hamilton * Harlan Warde as Police Detective Sgt. Don Warde * John Maxwell as Fred Saunders * Angela Stevens as Janet Collier (Blonde) * Byron Kane as Police Chemist Charlie Wilkins * Charles Tannen as Wolf * Marilee Phelps as Virginia * Robert Foulk as Wilson, Motel Manager * Connie Vera as Carmelita * Robert Shayne as Dr. Werner, Police Psychiatrist * Lee Phelps as "Doc," the Police Coroner * Arthur Gardner (movie's co-producer) as Jackson, Rapid Transit Cab Co. Driver

Production

It was the first team from Laven, Gardner and Levy who met in the army. Sol Lesser liked the film and picked it up for distribution.

Release

Home media

''Without Warning!'' was released for the first time on DVD by

MPI Home Video MPI Media Group is an American producer, distributor and licensor of theatrical film and home entertainment. MPI's subsidiaries include MPI Pictures, MPI Home Video, Gorgon Video, and the horror film distributor Dark Sky Films. The company is l ...

on August 30, 2005.

Reception

'' TV Guide'' rated the film two out of five stars, calling it "A capable first feature by the production team, with talented unknowns as actors".

References

External links

* * * * {{Arnold Laven 1952 films 1950s crime thriller films American black-and-white films American police detective films Film noir Films directed by Arnold Laven Films scored by Herschel Burke Gilbert Films set in Los Angeles United Artists films 1952 directorial debut films American crime thriller films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films Rediscovered American films 1950s rediscovered films