THE SCARLET HOUR – 1956
It is late at night and a car is parked in a secluded hillside "lover's lane" area. A couple, Carol Ohmart and Tom Tryon are adjusting their clothing etc after an obvious bout of back seat mambo. The pair duck down when a car with a single occupant pulls up down the lane. Then a second car pulls up with two men inside arrives. A man, David Lewis, exits the first car and meets the two, Jacques Aubuchon and Scott Marlowe from the second auto.
Ohmart and Tryon are listening from behind the handy brush in front of their car. Lewis tells the pair that he has a job for them. He points up the hill to a large house. Lewis wants the men to break in and lift $350,000 in jewels from a safe. He gives the men the layout of the inside and where to find the safe. The owners will be on holiday when the job is to be pulled. They then all grab their own cars and drive off.
Tryon and Ohmart climb back into their own car. As they drive back into town, Ohmart says they could start a new life with that kind of cash. It seems that the two have been carrying on behind Ohmart's husband's back, James Gregory. A twist, here, is that Gregory is also Tryon's boss. Gregory is a big time housing contractor with several tracts of houses on the go. He is also tight with a buck, and Ohmart is sick of him. Not to mention that Gregory is a very jealous type who has threatened to kill her if she ever left him.
Ohmart suggests that they need money so they can "run away" from Gregory. "Why don't we rob the robbers?" $350 large would hit the spot cash wise. Tryon is a no go on this idea and thinks they should contact the police about the whole thing. "How do we explain what we were doing there?" ends that idea.
Over the course of the next few days, Ohmart needles Tryon about his lack of funds etc, till he finally agrees to her plan about the jewels. This of course pleases Ohmart no end. Now they just need to play it cool till the day the robbery is to happen. Unfortunately for them, husband Gregory sees the two together and quickly realizes he is being played. He comes up with a plan to kill Ohmart and Tryon the next time they have a rendezvous.
On the night of the robbery, Ohmart is going out for a few drinks with family friends, Elaine Stritch and Billy Gray. Gregory says he can't join them as he has a late meeting at the office. After a few drinks at the club, Ohmart asks pal, Stritch to cover for her. She needs to dash off for a visit with a friend. Stritch gives that knowing smile, Ohmart has a bit on the side, and agrees to cover if any questions are asked.
Ohmart grabs her car and roars over to pick up Tryon. They then speed to where the home robbery will be. They are there 30 minutes before the real robbers show. Tryon heads off to hide in some nearby bushes. Ohmart parks down the road and waits. What Ohmart and Tryon failed to notice, is that they were followed by Gregory. Gregory was not going to any business meeting. Gregory figured that the wife would duck out to visit Tryon, and he was right.
Gregory parks his car, then sneaks up on Ohmart, he pulls out a gun and jumps into Ohmarts's car. Needless to say this shocks the hell out of Ohmart. Gregory growls that he intends to kill both her and Tryon. Gregory of course has no idea about the robbery. The two struggle over the gun which discharges, killing Gregory. The frightened Ohmart then shoves Gregory out on the side of the road. She fails to notice that her very distinctive bracelet went out the door at the same time.
Back at the house, the two jewel thieves have pulled the robbery and exit the home. Tryon steps out of the dark and sticks a gun in their faces. He relieves the two, Jacques Aubuchon and Scott Marlowe of the swag, then hotfoots it down the road to Ohmart's car. The two thugs recover their senses and give chase, taking pot shots at Tryon. Tryon makes the car and leaps in, Ohmart jumps on the gas and they speed away. Aubuchon and Marlowe find Gregory's body and figure he must of caught a round that they fired at Tryon. The two give the body the once over and find the bracelet. This, they pocket before fading into the night.
Ohmart drops Tryon and the jewels off at his apartment and speeds back to the club. She has a need for a few drinks to steady her nerves. Afterwards the three, Ohmart, Stritch and Billy Gray come back to Ohmart's for a nightcap. Waiting there, are Police Detectives, E.G. Marshall and Edward Binns. Gregory's body has been found out on a hillside road. Of course Stritch and Gray give Ohmart an alibi. They all say that Gregory had gone to the office for a late meeting. The Police thank them and head off.
Tryon and Ohmart, new to this game, of course fumble the ball and things come unglued rather quickly. The bracelet is soon traced to Ohmart by the thugs. Without giving away the actual ending, suffice it to say that a few more bodies are soon joining Gregory in the morgue. There is a real unexpected twist involving the jewels.
Well worth a watch if you can find it.
It is late at night and a car is parked in a secluded hillside "lover's lane" area. A couple, Carol Ohmart and Tom Tryon are adjusting their clothing etc after an obvious bout of back seat mambo. The pair duck down when a car with a single occupant pulls up down the lane. Then a second car pulls up with two men inside arrives. A man, David Lewis, exits the first car and meets the two, Jacques Aubuchon and Scott Marlowe from the second auto.
Ohmart and Tryon are listening from behind the handy brush in front of their car. Lewis tells the pair that he has a job for them. He points up the hill to a large house. Lewis wants the men to break in and lift $350,000 in jewels from a safe. He gives the men the layout of the inside and where to find the safe. The owners will be on holiday when the job is to be pulled. They then all grab their own cars and drive off.
Tryon and Ohmart climb back into their own car. As they drive back into town, Ohmart says they could start a new life with that kind of cash. It seems that the two have been carrying on behind Ohmart's husband's back, James Gregory. A twist, here, is that Gregory is also Tryon's boss. Gregory is a big time housing contractor with several tracts of houses on the go. He is also tight with a buck, and Ohmart is sick of him. Not to mention that Gregory is a very jealous type who has threatened to kill her if she ever left him.
Ohmart suggests that they need money so they can "run away" from Gregory. "Why don't we rob the robbers?" $350 large would hit the spot cash wise. Tryon is a no go on this idea and thinks they should contact the police about the whole thing. "How do we explain what we were doing there?" ends that idea.
Over the course of the next few days, Ohmart needles Tryon about his lack of funds etc, till he finally agrees to her plan about the jewels. This of course pleases Ohmart no end. Now they just need to play it cool till the day the robbery is to happen. Unfortunately for them, husband Gregory sees the two together and quickly realizes he is being played. He comes up with a plan to kill Ohmart and Tryon the next time they have a rendezvous.
On the night of the robbery, Ohmart is going out for a few drinks with family friends, Elaine Stritch and Billy Gray. Gregory says he can't join them as he has a late meeting at the office. After a few drinks at the club, Ohmart asks pal, Stritch to cover for her. She needs to dash off for a visit with a friend. Stritch gives that knowing smile, Ohmart has a bit on the side, and agrees to cover if any questions are asked.
Ohmart grabs her car and roars over to pick up Tryon. They then speed to where the home robbery will be. They are there 30 minutes before the real robbers show. Tryon heads off to hide in some nearby bushes. Ohmart parks down the road and waits. What Ohmart and Tryon failed to notice, is that they were followed by Gregory. Gregory was not going to any business meeting. Gregory figured that the wife would duck out to visit Tryon, and he was right.
Gregory parks his car, then sneaks up on Ohmart, he pulls out a gun and jumps into Ohmarts's car. Needless to say this shocks the hell out of Ohmart. Gregory growls that he intends to kill both her and Tryon. Gregory of course has no idea about the robbery. The two struggle over the gun which discharges, killing Gregory. The frightened Ohmart then shoves Gregory out on the side of the road. She fails to notice that her very distinctive bracelet went out the door at the same time.
Back at the house, the two jewel thieves have pulled the robbery and exit the home. Tryon steps out of the dark and sticks a gun in their faces. He relieves the two, Jacques Aubuchon and Scott Marlowe of the swag, then hotfoots it down the road to Ohmart's car. The two thugs recover their senses and give chase, taking pot shots at Tryon. Tryon makes the car and leaps in, Ohmart jumps on the gas and they speed away. Aubuchon and Marlowe find Gregory's body and figure he must of caught a round that they fired at Tryon. The two give the body the once over and find the bracelet. This, they pocket before fading into the night.
Ohmart drops Tryon and the jewels off at his apartment and speeds back to the club. She has a need for a few drinks to steady her nerves. Afterwards the three, Ohmart, Stritch and Billy Gray come back to Ohmart's for a nightcap. Waiting there, are Police Detectives, E.G. Marshall and Edward Binns. Gregory's body has been found out on a hillside road. Of course Stritch and Gray give Ohmart an alibi. They all say that Gregory had gone to the office for a late meeting. The Police thank them and head off.
Tryon and Ohmart, new to this game, of course fumble the ball and things come unglued rather quickly. The bracelet is soon traced to Ohmart by the thugs. Without giving away the actual ending, suffice it to say that a few more bodies are soon joining Gregory in the morgue. There is a real unexpected twist involving the jewels.
Well worth a watch if you can find it.