The biggest mystery about this crime film
is how Tala Birell got top billing over Walter Pidgeon, Cesar Romero and
Walter Brennan not to mention character actors Franklin Pangborn, Jonathan
Hale and Warren Hymer. Who the heck was Tala Birell? Well, I will tell you.
She was to be the next Garbo or Dietrich. Born in Romania to German parents
she appeared in a number of German films. She even doubled for Dietrich.
Columbia brought her to Hollywood but she worked at other studios as well.
Obviously, she did not become the next big European product and generally
only appeared in B films. But she has striking features, not beautiful but
the sort you would definitely notice in a crowded room. When she first shows
up in the film with her lean figure, hair bobbed a bit and angular bone structure,
the word classy comes to mind. Good English as well with a charming accent.
But it wasn't enough.
The film begins with a clever robbery of $250,000 in bonds by Romero and
his gang. Romero is all snazzy in his fine clothes but has the morals of
a puddle of oil. When Birell walks in to a nightclub and slaps some guy,
his heart goes pitter patter. When he discovers she is a thief that heart
beats even faster. He brings her into the gang. A lovers mistake. Because
she is an undercover cop. Aren't they always. Just when you fall in love.
Now you have to kill her. I hate when that happens. Pidgeon and Brenner show
up later when the gang's plane goes down and they are taken in by those two
out in the wilderness. Brennan does his best Brennan. Mumbling and grumbling
about women in the house and hopping around. He must have played this character
100 times. Crotchety old woman hating character. Get Brennan. Decent enough
offering at 66 minutes.
