Hell's Half Acre (film)
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| Hell's Half Acre | |
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 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | John H. Auer |
| Produced by | John H. Auer |
| Written by | Steve Fisher |
| Starring | Wendell Corey Evelyn Keyes |
| Music by | R. Dale Butts |
| Cinematography | John L. Russell |
| Editing by | Fred Allen |
| Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 1, 1954 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Hell's Half Acre is a (1954) film noir set in Hawaii and directed by John H. Auer. It stars Wendell Corey, Evelyn Keyes, Elsa Lanchester, and others.[1]
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[edit] Plot
The drama tells of ex-racketeer Chet Chester (Corey) who is shaken down by his former criminal cohorts.
Chester's girl friend Rose (Nancy Gates) kills one of his enemies, and Chester takes the blame, assuming that he's still got enough pull to get off with a light sentence.
Dona Williams (Keyes) arrives in Hawaiie, certain that Chester is her long-lost husband.
[edit] Cast
- Wendell Corey as Chet Chester, aka Randy Williams
- Evelyn Keyes as Donna Williams
- Elsa Lanchester as Lida O'Reilly
- Marie Windsor as Rose
- Nancy Gates as Sally Lee
- Leonard Strong as Ippy
- Jesse White as Tubby Otis
- Keye Luke as Police Chief Dan
- Philip Ahn as Roger Kong
- Clair Widenaar as Jamison
- Robert Costa as "Slim" Novak
[edit] Critical reception
The New York Times gave th film a positive review and wrote, "Betwixt the start and the finish, an undemanding spectator will find enough sequences of merit to hold his interest. And the story of destined doom and back-alley murder is not entirely implausible. Miss Keyes, an innocent caught in the tangled web, is a luscious young thing who certainly earns her "A" in acting. She shines nicely in contrast to the denizens of Hell's Half Acre, ostensibly a very unsocial area of Honolulu. John Auer, the director, makes his camera capture the most in picture value of what appears to be some very dingy neighborhoods with a resultant atmosphere that creates a certain element of suspense. His method of direction, aided and abetted by Steve Fisher's economical script, is one of sensible brevity without unnecessary frills."[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Hell's Half Acre at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ The New York Times. Film review, February 27, 1954. Last accessed: February 7, 2008.
[edit] External links
- Hell's Half Acre at the Internet Movie Database.
- Hell's Half Acre at Allmovie.
- Hell's Half Acre at the TCM Movie Database.
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