SQUAD CAR 1960
This is a bottom of the barrel low renter which was the only film effort from producer and director Ed Letfwich. The cast is made up of Hollywood bit players and a few onetime only type actors. The entire production was filmed outside of Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona.
The film starts out with an aircraft mechanic at a crop dusting outfit being shot up. The Police are soon calling on the owner of the crop dusting service, Don Marlowe. Marlowe has an alibi for the time of the killing. He was keeping company with pretty young thing, Lynn Moore. Moore works at a local hotel so there are plenty of witness types.
The detective in charge, Paul Bryar, digs into the background of the dead man to see if there are any clues there. It turns out that the man had a record for moving counterfeit money. Now the boys from Treasury put in an appearance. It seems that local tourist spots are being hit with phony cash. The T Men want the local cops to keep them in the loop if they discover anything.
Detective Bryar soon tracks down the girl, Vici Raaf, of the deceased man. Raaf, all hips and upper-works, is a singer dancer type at a local night spot. She looks like the type of doll that would be high maintenance. No way, the dead mechanic could keep Raaf happy without extra income.
The cops pay Miss Raaf a call after her set at the night club. They tell her about the death of her paramour. Raaf does not seem all that broke up about the matter.
Detective Bryar is not sure who is in on the murder, but he is sure that crop duster Marlowe and Miss Raff are involved. The Feds now tell Bryar that the queer money is from Mexico. Bryar is sure that pilot Marlowe is making short hops south of the border and bringing back the fake stuff.
And right Bryar is. It also seems that there is a crooked Fed in the game. T-Man, Jack Harris, is taking the fake loot and exchanging it with government cash to be destroyed. It is a neat little enterprise that was queered by the now dead mechanic. The man had tumbled to the sideline his boss, Marlowe, had, and was lifting cash off the top. This was used to keep Miss Raaf in the style she liked.
Now we find out that Miss Raaf is not above a little blackmail to keep her cash pipeline going. She pays a visit to Marlowe and asks for a nice cut. Cough up or she rats to the District Attorney. Marlowe passes this info on to the crooked Fed, Harris.
Jack Benny look-a-like, Harris, decides he likes the split the way it is. He takes a few pot shots at Raff during her next show. Raaf, hotfoots to her rooms and grabs a piece. The wench is not above dealing out some violence herself. She soon has the gun stuffed up Marlowe's nose. She now wants the whole next shipment of cash. She tells Marlowe she will kill Marlowe's girl, Lynn Moore if he does not comply.
Needless to say this all gets nasty with everyone out to cut out everyone else. There is a rather strange chase with Raaf and now partner, Harris, heading to Mexico. The cops in their Squad Cars are hot on the trail. Joining in is Marlowe and his crop duster after hearing that Raaf had put several rounds into Miss Moore. This all ends up with the crooked Fed, Harris, and femme fatale, Raaf, on the wrong side of life.
This is not a good film. The only story movement is when the off-screen narrator chips in to speed up the pace. Director Leftwich shows why this was his one and only film.
Long-time bit player, Paul Bryar was on screen from 1938 to 1983. He had mostly unbilled parts in 500 plus film and television roles. Bombshell Raaf, was on display from 1950 to 1963. She had minor roles in HE RAN ALL THE WAY, THE PRIDE OF ST LOUIS, DREAMBOAT, THE SECOND WOMAN, THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN and a bit in, LET'S MAKE IT LEGAL with Marilyn Monroe.
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