Wednesday, April 3, 2019

THE BURGLAR 1957 (COLUMBIA)

I waited about 27 years to see this and I finally got the chance.

This classic film noir stars Dan Duryea as a small time crook named Nat Harbin. He and his friends plan to rob the safe of a phony spiritualist and then make it out of town for the easy life.

Harbin's friend Gladden (Jayne Mansfield) cases the mansion and comes back with the layout of the place and where the safe is. Harbin and his two friends, Baylock (Peter Capell) and Dohmer (Mickey Shaughnessy) attempt the heist and complications set in right away as a police car pulls up to their empty parked car.

This causes some problems, but the three men barely make the theft in time but what they don't notice a car following them. The valuable necklace they stole cannot be fenced right away, so they have to sit on it for a while.

Meanwhile the police try to identify who the man was stopped by the police and as things get hotter Harbin sends Gladden out of town and he fails to notice that she is being followed. Gladden heads to Atlantic City and is soon being wooed by a man whose face we don't get to see for a while.

Harbin meets a young and beautiful woman named Della (Martha Vickers) whom he falls for and tells her his innermost secrets. We learn that Della is working with the mysterious man dating Gladden and all soon becomes clear.

Della is involved with a cop and that cop just happened to be one of the men who stopped Harbin on the night of the crime. He too is looking for the necklace and wants it.

Everything gets out of control and Harbin finds himself fighting for the life of Gladden whom he has loved since they were very young. Paul Wedkos directed this little gem and he handles it very well.

I am a huge fan of Jayne Mansfield and thought she did her usual excellent job here. The film is tight, well done and a perfect example of how noir should be. The DVD quality is perfect. I actually used to own the original poster to this film until it got stolen. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

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