Cry Danger (1951) Trailer Trash Noir

"Trailers for sale or rent"                                          (Roger Miller)

Directed by Robert Parrish and an uncredited Dick Powell. 

It was written by William Bowers and was based on a story by Jerome Cady. The Cinematography was by Joseph F. Biroc the music was a communal affair lol with credits to Paul Dunlap, Emil Newman, with Hugo Friedhofer and Arthur Lange uncredited. 

The film stars Dick Powell as Rocky Mulloy, Rhonda Fleming as Nancy Morgan, Richard Erdman as Delong, William Conrad as Louie Castro, Regis Toomey as Detective Lt. Gus Cobb, Jean Porter as Darlene LaVonne, Jay Adler as Williams, Trailer Park Manager, Joan Banks as Alice Fletcher, Lou Lubin as Hank the Newsboy, and Hy Averback as Harry, Bookie.

The film economically uses some of the same second unit footage for it's credits that were used in Crack-Up (1946) and for The Narrow Margin (1952). There is particularly a shot of a distant, approaching, steam locomotive headlight traveling around a curve in the dark of night to shine tangentially at one point directly at the camera. 

This is followed by various shots of The Coast Daylight, originally known as the Daylight Limited. It was the passenger train on the Southern Pacific Railroad between Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. It case your are wondering it's color scheme was red, orange, and black. 

The exact same opening sequence used in The Narrow Margin and in another sequence in Crack-Up

The train is carrying ex-bookie and ex-convicted felon Rocky Mulloy. He was just released from San Quinten on the testimony of a wounded veteran. He did five years of a life sentence for a $100,000 robbery. His best friend Danny Morgan only got five to ten. 


Coast Daylight credit sequence

Union Station in a smoggy Los Angeles

Dick Powell as Rocky Mulloy

The train is carrying ex-bookie and ex-convicted felon Rocky Mulloy. He was just released from San Quinten on the testimony of a wounded veteran. He did five years out of a life sentence for a $100,000 robbery. His best friend Danny Morgan only got five to ten. 

Regis Toomey as Detective Cobb lt. and  Richard Erdman as Delong rt.

The marine, Delong, was getting rehabilitated in a VA hospital after losing a leg in the Pacific and happened to read about Rocky. He testified that was the only man left alive of the marines with Rocky and he verified and collaborated Rocky's alibi. Rocky claimed that he spent a drunken evening with a bunch of Marines who were about to ship out. The war hero's testimony gets Rocky a pardon from the governor. 

Rocky stepping out of the Union Station entrance

Rocky with bag in hand walks down the ramp to the access tunnel under the platforms and makes his was through the waiting room and out through the exit into downtown Los Angeles. Outside a newsboy greets him.

Newsboy: Welcome home Rocky [hands Rocky a newspaper] compliments of the house.

Rocky: Why?

Newsboy: It for all the big shots when they get off and on trains if they got their picture in the paper, the papers on me. Here take a look. Nice Picture huh?

Rocky: Add five years to it and it would look just like me. 

Newsboy: Gee It must feel great out of the jug and a big shot again, You do live some life huh Rocky?

Rocky: Yea a real dinger. 

Rocky is also met by Detective Lt. Gus Cobb and Delong who followed him unseen when he came down the ramp from the platform. Cobb offers to buy Malloy a drink, he wants to see the reaction of Malloy to Delong. When they leave the front of Union Station the newsboy goes into a phone booth and drops a dime on Rocky.

Dropping a dime

At the bar Rocky asks Delong what took him so long and he explains that he was on active duty till he got his leg shot off at Iwo Jima and he wasn't paying any attention to the news from home. Cobb tells Rocky that since the money from the job was never recovered they are going to put a 24/7 watch on Rocky. Delong is an alkie.

After Cobb excuses himself, Delong tells Rocky that he made the story up to match Rock's alibi so that he could collect a part of the robbery money as his reward. Rocky tells Delong that he did it all for nothing because he really didn't have anything to do with the robbery.

Rocky is glad to be out no matter how it happened. He tells Delong he knows who did it and he can put the screws to Castro, a local small time crook, who he figures, dreamed up the robbery and actually framed him and his friend Danny Morgan. 

Rocky tells Delong that he wants to introduce him to a lady and asks him to drive him to an address on North Hill Place.

Trailers for sale or rent

Rooms to let, 50 cents

No phone, no pool, no pets

I ain't got no cigarettes

Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom

Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room

I'm a man of means by no means. . . (Roger Miller)

Delong drives Rocky in his 1950 Nash Ambassador Six up to the near by Cloverdale Trailer Park. It sits actually North of Bunker Hill on N. Hill Place. Your views are Southeast to Downtown LA and South to Bunker hill if you can see them through the smog. 

The trailer park is a crummy quasi-shit hole with a number of sagging, disabled, never to see the road again, trailers. Those, are pealing paint and frosted with rust. Others are quaintly appointed with stripped awnings, short picket fences, fruit trees, and flower pots. The trailers are regimentally set up in level steps, on a dirt slope that drains towards the managers frame house. That house is anchored on one end by the edge of the slope and a cinderblock basement, the other end cantilevers over the hillside on piles. The path to basement has a sign that indicates there are showers, men's on one side and ladies on the other. It's probably also got a laundry room and storage space. Beside the post and beam entrance bearing the Clover Dale sign there is a small sign that states trailers for rent. 

The manager office trailer is at the top of the slope on the right. Williams, the manager, is sitting in front of it, strumming a ukulele and singing the blues. ".... she ran away from me to meet another man...."

The Nash Ambassador turns into the park, it's cowl vent is open. It pulls up a stop against a white wooden guardrail with old tire bumpers throwing minute puffs of dust from each braking wheel. A radio is blaring. 

Jean Porter as Darlene LaVonne

Sitting on a sun lounger in a two piece sun suit is a cute blonde, Darlene LaVonne, a local "part time model," "B" & "V" girl. Delong and Darlene like what each other sees. Rocky asks Darlene if the manager is around. 

"check the office."

She tells him to check the office. Rocky ambles over to the trailer marked office and knocks on the door. Williams stops playing the ukulele and calls Rocky around to the front. Rocky asks "Hey Godfrey got any trailers for rent?"

Rocky with Jay Adler as Williams, playing the ukulele

Williams tells him he's got one left but it aint much, and he shows it to Rocky and Delong. Its dilapidated but functional. 

Delong: Well, the place looks lived in.

Rocky: Yeah, but by what?

Williams: Take it or leave it ten bucks a week.

Rocky: Well you're a smooth salesman Mr. Williams [gives Williams a ten spot] be careful how you spend it it's the taxpayers money.

Rocky asks if a Nancy Morgan lives here. Williams tells him she's in trailer 8, but she is working across town someplace. She is out at the moment but gets back in an hour. 

So Rocky & Delong move their stuff in and then go hang out with the sunbathing Darleen.  

Delong: [to Darlene] Let's get out of this sun and into a nice cool bar.

Later, after Delong and Darlene leave for the bar, Williams is complaining to Rocky about Detective Cobb asking him questions. 

Nancy comes home with her groceries, she is surprised to see Rocky. Rocky & Nancy were lovers before she eventually drifted away and married his buddy Danny. 

Nancy is happy to see Rocky and a spark reignites a mutual desire held in check only by Rocky's friendship with Danny. Rocky tells Nancy he's going to try and clear her husband Danny. Nancy gets a bit concerned that he's going to blow the whole case up again. Danny's only got to serve another six months. 

Later, over a dinner under the smog, Nancy and Rocky reminisce about their past relationship. Rocky tells her that he crawled away and died for a few weeks after they broke up and she married Danny. Nancy replies that sometimes she wonders... But Rocky breaks her thought off with a "Don't! Not even sometimes." Nancey tells him to forget about the prison, even if he's innocent, which gets Rocky's dander up. "Even if I'm innocent!" Nancy tells him she didn't mean it that way. But Rocky is adamant that he's going to squeeze Castro to get the truth. Delong comes driving in drunk and hits an ash can.

Rocky introduces Nancy to him in their trailer and asks what happened to Darleen? Delong tells them they had many drinks and when he was tight she tried to pick his pocket for his bankroll. He slapped her hand and the bartender didn't like it so he hit him over the head with a peanut machine. Delong pulls out an automatic and waves it around. He tells Rocky and Nancy that he expects visitors.

Rocky takes Delong's Colt. 45 automatic and grabs his car keys. Outside the trailer he puts in a good word for Delong to the police who have just arrived. then he takes off to go to find Castro at his bar on Bunker Hill, The Los Amigos at the corner of Olive & 3rd. Castro, thanks to the call from the newsboy, has been expecting Rocky. 

Heading for Castro's

In Castro's office Rocky shows Castro the .45 and makes him get out of his chair. Rocky tells Castro that he's read a lot of detective stories and he naturally suspicious, so he checks Castro's top desk draw and pulls out a revolver. He empties it and puts the bullets in his pocket.

He tells him he's there to collect the money he figures he's owed for the time he did. Castro dreamed up the robbery and Rocky was supposed to be the wheelman but he didn't go in on it at the end, but Castro and others let him and Danny take the fall. Rocky says he only wants half of the money. Castro stands up and faces Rocky.

Castro: Would you kill me, Rocky?

Rocky: Wouldn't you?

Castro says I tell you what why don't I set you up in a new book. Rocky wants the money. Castro pulls out five C notes and tells Rocky...

Castro: Here's five hundred dollars put it on a horse called Dragonfly but place it with another book huh.

Rocky: Suppose it looses?

Castro: It won't, should pay about eight to one, that's four grand. 

Rocky: What about the other fourty-six

Castro: You know things have changed around here in the last four years Rocky, I'm sixty percent legitimate now.

Rocky: I see

Castro: I'm what you might call a pretty big man.

Rocky: Good then you won't miss the money so much. 

Castro: You know big men don't scare easy.

Rocky: Then big men must get popped off pretty regularly. Where do I place the bet

Castro: Call me in the morning.

Rocky: Big legitimate man like you still playing with loaded guns [tosses Castro's bullets on the desk], nice to have me back huh Castro?

Rocky drives back to Clover Dale and when he's rounding the corner of the trailer somebody takes a shot at him. He pulls his gun and tries to find the culprit. 

The next morning Nancy asks him how it's going and he replies he's probing sore spots. 

Today he tells her that he's going to check out a witness Arthur Fletcher from the trial. He goes to the apartment house but finds out that he's dead and his widow is horny. 

He also finds out that Arthur got a $5,000 dollar inheritance in cash around the time of the trial. This goes all deep freeze, frozen though when he asks to use Mrs. Fletcher phone and he mentions Castro.  It's an obvious tell for Rocky. He was calling to ask Castro where to place his bet on Dragonfly. 

astro tell him the Crosby Hotel (in reality the Grand) at 257 Grand Avenue, Bunker Hill is where he's to place the bet. The concession stand girl takes the bet on Dragonfly. She tells him if there is any payoff you collect from Harry down in the deli on the corner.  

The horse wins and Rocky collects four grand. He buys some presents, gives Delong a thousand and an orchid for Darleen and tells him they are going out on the town. 

They are having a good time until it all goes Noirsville when Cobb shows up and tells Rocky that the money he spent today on gifts was part of the Aetna payroll that was stolen.

Noirsville

This is a great little Noir that hit's on all cylinders. Dick Powell is excellent as Rocky. Robert Conrad plays sleazy well. Rhonda Fleming is good as the hard to read Nancy. The rest of the cast does a wonderful job of making it all very believable. The trailer park was a classic location (located on N. Hill Place), too bad a few more noir didn't use one. The only other I can remember was the one in The Clay Pigeon (1949). There is also a nice twist.

There's a running gag on Delong's (Erdman) drinking, and another on Darleen's (Porter) sticky fingers, and Williams the trailer park manager played by Jay Adler is a hoot. This film may even be the first or one of the first to depict a game of "Russian Roulette." A fave for me - 9/10.