Associate producer: William Jacobs. Copyright 19 September 1942 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. A Warner Brothers-First National picture. New York opening at the Palace: 24 September 1942. U.S. release: 18 August 1942. Australian release: 21 February 1946 (sic). 5,403 feet. 58 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: A Nazi agent attempts to place a bomb on a bus.
NOTES: Film debut of Eleanor Parker . COMMENT: It's hard to believe that this wonderfully suspenseful, well-produced "B" thriller comes from the hand of D. Ross Lederman, not exactly a giant in the art of creative film-making.
However, it's been well said that even the lowliest Hollywood hack has the makings of at least one really good movie. And in point of fact, Mr. Lederman has actually brought out at least two (1943's "Adventure in Iraq" is the other contender I have in mind), maybe even three or four.
Of course, for this one he did have a tautly solid script to start with, and a really professional cast to enact its interesting characters. Julie Bishop figures both most convincingly yet sympathetically in the lead as the stranded girl, whilst the support players led by Eleanor Parker, Willie Best, George Meeker and the personable Richard Travis, hover around her ingratiatingly.
What's even more important is that the plot comes to an all-action climax abetted by skillful editing and first-rate special effects.
This is probably a good place to answer a question some readers have been asking me: Why am I including "B" movies in my reviews on IMDb? Such films surely had no chance whatever of earning praise from critics, let alone winning any awards? Wrong! Quite a few "B" movies were nominated for awards and in 1956 "Marty" (a "B" movie if ever there was one) even won Hollywood's major awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Screenplay!
SYNOPSIS: A Nazi agent attempts to place a bomb on a bus.
NOTES: Film debut of Eleanor Parker . COMMENT: It's hard to believe that this wonderfully suspenseful, well-produced "B" thriller comes from the hand of D. Ross Lederman, not exactly a giant in the art of creative film-making.
However, it's been well said that even the lowliest Hollywood hack has the makings of at least one really good movie. And in point of fact, Mr. Lederman has actually brought out at least two (1943's "Adventure in Iraq" is the other contender I have in mind), maybe even three or four.
Of course, for this one he did have a tautly solid script to start with, and a really professional cast to enact its interesting characters. Julie Bishop figures both most convincingly yet sympathetically in the lead as the stranded girl, whilst the support players led by Eleanor Parker, Willie Best, George Meeker and the personable Richard Travis, hover around her ingratiatingly.
What's even more important is that the plot comes to an all-action climax abetted by skillful editing and first-rate special effects.
This is probably a good place to answer a question some readers have been asking me: Why am I including "B" movies in my reviews on IMDb? Such films surely had no chance whatever of earning praise from critics, let alone winning any awards? Wrong! Quite a few "B" movies were nominated for awards and in 1956 "Marty" (a "B" movie if ever there was one) even won Hollywood's major awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Screenplay!