6/10
Not great, but a not terrible stab at a thriller.
18 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This is a low-rent time-waster from prolific director, Edward L. Cahn.

Craig Hill is a new doctor just starting up his practise. He gets a late night call, which he answers and finds two men with a badly beaten third.

As Hill goes to work on the victim the other two jump in their car and take off. The man in the office now expires. Hill calls the cops who put in a quick appearance.

It seems that the dead man is really a Police detective. Hill is taken down to the precinct for a look see at some mug books. Hill identifies several men. One, Grant Richards, turns out to be the head of the local mob.

The Police Lt, Jack Mann, tells Hill he should stay in protective custody till they get Richards under lock and key. The mob will try and fix their mistake and kill Hill. Hill refuses. The Police send a cop home with him for his own protection.

Hill and the cop are not back at Hill's office 5 minutes when the cop is shot dead. Hill calls Mann and tells him he is leaving town. He will return to testify once he knows Richards is in custody.

Six months later we find the Doc working in a sporting goods store in a small mountain town. He has changed his appearance and is keeping a low profile.

Mob boss Richards is likewise on the lam. He has people out looking for our man, Hill. If he can kill Hill the case against him will fold.

Hill has taken a room at a local hunting lodge. The lodge is ran by a wheelchair bound retired Army Col., Willis Bouchey, and his daughter, Elaine Edwards.

Now a couple hoods, Shep Sanders and John Apone, who are in the employ of Richards, show. They ask around town if a new Doc or anyone has moved to town lately. They snap pictures of Hill and several others and send them to Richards for an id. Richards is not sure and has them check Hill's rooms at the lodge.

They discover an anatomy book in Hill's closet. Why would a sporting goods man need an anatomy book? They give Richards a buzz. Richards decides he will pay a personal visit to the lodge and see if this is his man.

While all this is going on, Elaine Edwards has fallen for Hill big time. Her timing could not be worse as Richards and his boys come a calling.

Throwing a monkey wrench into Richards plans is the local cop and game warden, Brad Trumbull. Being the start of hunting season, Trumball is making the rounds of the motels and lodges to make sure everyone has a license.

Trumball recognizes Richards from the wanted posters and pulls his pistol. Richards' boys, Sanders and Apone, however, are a bit quicker off the mark. They relieve Trumbull of his piece. They then load him in the car and drop him off in the woods with a bullet in his gut.

A local hunter stumbles across Trumball who happens to still be alive. The hunter, Ken Mayer, roars back to town to call a doctor. He stops in Hill's store to use the phone. Hill decides to step up and admits he is a doc. Mayer and Hill drive out to the Deputy and take him to the lodge.

Hill digs out the medical gear he had hidden in the basement and goes to work. He is just finished when Richards and his boys find him.

Hill bolts out a handy window with the gunsels and Richards in hot pursuit. They corner Hill behind some boulders just up the road from the lodge. It looks like game over for Hill.

Bouchey however, has grabbed a high-powered rifle and wheeled himself to a window. He plugs Sanders and Apone allowing Hill to put the grab on Richards. The cops are called and Edwards and Hill embrace.

By no means a great film, it is though, at 73 minutes an OK time-waster.

Director Cahn's work includes, INCIDENT IN AN ALLEY, WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES, THE WALKING TARGET, CAGE OF EVIL, 3 CAME TO KILL, VICE RAID, PIER 5 HAVANNA, INSIDE THE MAFIA, GUNS, GIRLS AND GANGSTERS, HONG KONG CONFIDENTIAL, GIRLS IN PRISON, BETRAYED WOMEN, TWO DOLLAR BETTOR, DESTINATION MURDER and the sci-fi classic, IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE.

The d of p was Gil Warrenton. (b/w)
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