Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 00:00:11

Not sorry I watched it but. . .

Not enough of Edward G. Robinson, who can do more with the bags under his eyes than most actors can do with their whole faces. Too much of Ginger Rogers in a horrible hair-cut and a horribly strained effort to play the "bad good girl." In fact, that's too mild; she's just horrible in this. Brian Keith does a very creditable job. There are some well played small parts - the policewoman, the sister, Lorne Greene as the gangster, who is a revelation for those of us who have never seen him in anything other than Bonanza. The script can't quite decide whether it's a suspense or a comedy and fails at both, but it has enough bright moments of each to make it worth watching.

terry_knapp 2012-05-24 10:45:46

Enjoyable Vehicle for Ginger

Ginger Rogers' performance (straight out of "Roxie Hart") makes thisfilm. Others have found Ms. Rogers to be too old for the film. I thinkthat the fact that she is a bit "past her prime" adds to her character,which has (let's face it) been "around the block" a few times. She andBrian Keith (doing his patented tough-as-nails copper) make a potentteam. It is a pity that they did no more work together. The film itselfis a strange mixture of Rogers' comic sass and Karlson's brand ofhard-hitting melodrama. Ultimately, the film is sunk by an unbelievableplot contrivance that leaves the audience feeling betrayed. However,the performances (including, of course, Robinson's) make this aworthwhile experience.

2012-05-21 17:25:17

A competent vehicle for Ginger Rogers, with a solid performance by Edward G. Robinson

Tight Spot has a potentially taut story going for it, as well as some noirish photography, a skilled performance by Edward G. Robinson and a solid, conflicted performance by Brian Keith. Unfortunately, it also is primarily a vehicle for a big star who was facing age and a new generation of movie goers. The film also was adapted from a stage play. Much of the movie feels declarative, with far too many opportunities for Ginger Rogers to "act."A key witness who can send vicious crime boss Benjamin Costain (Lorne Greene) into the slammer and then have him deported is shot down on Gotham's courtroom steps. Government lawyer Lloyd Hallet (Edward G. Robinson) discovers another possible witness who could incriminate Costain if she'll testify. She's Sherry Conley (Ginger Rogers), a feisty, smart-mouth con who is in prison doing a five-year term for a crime she says she had nothing to do with. Hallet pulls her out of prison and installs her in a fancy hotel. He assigns police detective Vince Slater (Brian Keith) and a team of officers to protect her. And then he tries to convince her to testify against Costain. He promises to cancel the rest of her sentence. He describes how bad a guy Costain is. He appeals to her sense of justice. But Sherry knows the other witness was gunned down. She's tough and no one's patsy. While this is going on, Costain has been busy. He's learned which hotel she's at, even the room. We know anyone staying in 2409 at the St. Charles Hotel is going to be in for an upsetting night. The hotel's lobby is dark and lonely. The hallways are empty and seem to go on forever. Sherry and Vince, who initially is tense and disdainful toward her, begin to warm up to each other. We learn Sherry isn't the playgirl her reputation would have us believe. When the first assassination attempt takes place, windows are smashed, a gunman almost breaks in and bullets go flying. Sherry and a police woman she has come to like are wounded, the woman seriously. It takes a death to convince Sherry that a man as ruthless as Costain must be put away. Despite another assassination attempt, we last see her sitting in the witness box, staring at Costain, as Hallet begins his questions.Rogers was 44 when she made this movie. She looks great but it's obvious she's playing below her age. She also has a tendency to chew the scenery. Her wise-guy persona simply doesn't ring true. We know it's Ginger Rogers acting. There are far too many opportunities for her to have dramatic moments...Sherry telling us about herself...Sherry and her sister arguing...Sherry describing her life when she was just 16. None of it seems authentic. The movie is a vehicle for an aging star who could still command above-the-title roles, but where those roles were more and more often in second-rate movies.Rogers might make us a little uncomfortable, but Edward G. Robinson made me really sad. Here was this great actor, placed unfairly and unofficially on the Hollywood blacklist at the start of the Fifties, unable to get roles worthy of him in first-rate films, having to take work in stuff like this. Remember films of his like Vice Squad, The Big Leaguer, The Glass Web and Black Tuesday? Didn't think you did. They were all scarcely more than programmers made by Hollywood journeymen. They were all from this period. Robinson, as far as I'm concerned, never turned in a bad performance despite all this. With Tight Spot he effortlessly dominates all the scenes he's in. He doesn't try to steal any glory from Rogers, but it is his performance which seems the most authentic and interesting. Tight Spot is at best a competent film tailored to the needs of Ginger Rogers. It's not bad; it's just workmanlike. If you like old films, Tight Spot may be worth a watch. The movie is only available on VHS. It looks good.

2012-05-21 12:27:44

B movie with academy award acting.

"Tight Spot" was a gem. Unexpected, to me, after the early part of the movie seemed to have an inevitable ending. It didn't turn out that way.Rogers was perfect for the plot, which was perfect for Rogers. Her actual age, 45, was perfect for the age of a society reject who was dragged from prison for one purpose: testify against a murderous criminal. The plot twists weren't brilliant, perhaps, but I did enjoy them, as well as the acting of all the key players.From the acting standpoint, I think Ginger was fabulous. I would give her a ten, on all counts.

Jay09101951 2012-05-20 19:11:11

Nice 50's Noir with a Twist

This film is among the group of "B" crime noir movies that Columbiamade in the early 1950's such as "The Big Heat" and "The Mob". It hasthe same taught story and good acting. Clearly nearing the end of herfilm career, Ginger Rogers is very good playing a mob witness that hashad enough of the justice system and needs to be convinced that bytelling what she knows in court, she can do something good for maybethe first time in her life. It should be noted that Edward G. Robinsonwas trying to recover his lost career after being black-listed by HUACand "B" movies were the best roles he could get until he was cast byCecil B. DeMille in the Ten Commandments after the release of thisfilm. Brian Keith, best known as "Uncle Bill" in the late 1960's TVshow "Family Affair" is also quite good in his role as a police Lt.

planktonrules 2012-05-20 05:26:03

Wow...this one was a surprise...

This is one of the best roles in the latter portion of Ginger Rogers'career. She is an incredibly earthy and entertaining bad girl--completewith a nice accent and a lot of sass. While a somewhat similar role wasgiven to her a decade earlier with "Roxy Hart", this film was prettyawful and lacked any sense of believability. In "Tight Spot", however,she gives a first-rate performance in a film where I expected verylittle.The film begins with Rogers being taken from her comfy prison cell andshe's whisked away to a hotel room. This is because the prosecutor(Edward G. Robinson) is intent on convincing her to testify against agangster (Lorne Greene). However, she has no intention on making a dealwith anyone, as she knows if she testifies she's a dead woman.Assisting Robinson in this is a matron (who you see very little of) anda detective (Brian Keith). Keith seems to have contempt for her anddoesn't hide it. However, Robinson treats her like a lady and hopesthis will loosen her resolve. A bit later in the film, however, there'san interesting twist, as Keith and Rogers seem to be developing somechemistry. Just at that interesting moment, an assassin is spotted atthe window--many floors from the street below. The assassin beginsshooting wildly--hitting the matron and Rogers. Rogers miraculouslyescapes but is even more determined not to testify. What happens nextwas really exciting and quite a twist. However, I'll say more, as Idon't want to ruin the film for you.Overall, this is a very well written noir-like film. Tough dialog andsome nice surprises make this one worth seeing--with nice performancesall around. A nice little surprise of a film.

bob-1070 2012-05-19 10:49:42

Mostly predictable, should have been better

As many reviewers have noted, Ginger Rogers was too old to pull offthis role, and her career of playing good girls works against her here-- a real "bad girl" type would have helped the believability of thestory and character.The location filming in the opening sections is very good, which hurtsthe film because the over-lit hotel room set where most of the storytakes place looks awful in contrast. Phil Karlson directed some decentnoir films, so it's a shame that there isn't any inventive lighting togive this stage-bound film some more style.A major problem here is that the characters simply aren't very smartabout their situation, so I found myself asking "why don't they dothat?" more than once. Lorne Greene is terrific in a small part as the Crime Boss; Brian Keithis good, Robinson is solid but not particularly memorable, and the filmhas one terrific scene between Ginger and her sister. Otherwise, exceptfor one twist, I found the plot very predictable and I knew exactly howit was going to play out within about 25 minutes. So in the end, it'sjust okay, but certainly not something I'd ever watch again.

pjyork88 2012-05-18 17:09:30

Not buying it, Ginger.

Tight Spot (1955) Dir: Phil Karlson Production: Columbia PicturesFollowing the bold, daytime assassination of a witness, the Feds areleft to make a deportation case against a ruthless mobster solelythrough the testimony of a "smart-talking, brassy, third classcitizen". Said smart talker is Sherry Conley (Ginger Rogers), safe forthe moment in a women's prison and quite unaware of her importance.She's quickly hep to the situation after District Attorney LloydHallett (Edward G. Robinson) procures her temporary release, holes herup in a hotel and gives her the low-down--testify against the mobster,Ben Costain (Lorne Greene), and your sentence gets commuted, or go backto the clink. As the big day in court nears, Hallett not only has toconvince the self-preservationist Sherry to testify, he has to keep heralive. Along for protection is hard-bitten cop Vince Striker (BrianKeith), who gets close enough to Sherry for sparks to fly.Let's be honest, Ginger spouting wise-girl dialogue in the lower classargot of her character is somewhat less than convincing. It soundsexactly like what it is, someone not within a galaxy of that lifetrying it out for the first time--"I don't suppose my civil rights isbein' violated?!" Yeah, right, Ginger. Much better is Alpo fan LorneGreene as 'Costain', commanding, authoritative, menacing (he remindedme of Herbert Lom in NIGHT AND THE CITY). Too bad he's only on thescreen for a few minutes. Edward G. and Brian Keith are also stellar.Ultimately though, the movie is dominated by Ginger's performance. Alot of people like it, so they like the film. Hell, I like almosteverything else about it (bit too much time spent on the willthey-won't they with Sherry and Vince, though). It's nicely shot byBurnett Guffey, with some vintage New York location shots--the openingsequence with the feds escorting a witness through downtown stands out.There is a good twist near the end that is cleverly hinted at earlier.And it's tense and engrossing at times.**½ out of 4

whpratt1 2012-05-18 01:20:19

No Dancing or Singing for Ginger

Never viewed this film and greatly enjoyed the acting of Ginger Rogers,(Sherry Conley) who played a rough and tough gal who was serving aprison term and she was involved with a big named mobster in New YorkCity. Edward G. Robinson, (Lloyd Hallett) plays a law enforcementofficer and his sidekick is Vince Striker, (Brian Keith). Lloyd istrying to find a witness he can use against the mobster, Ben Costain,(Lorne Greene) in order to send him to prison for life. Lloyd discoversthat Sherry was his girl friend, so he arranges to get her out ofprison in order to testify. However, many witnesses have been killedalready, so they hide her in a hotel room and try to protect her. Theentire story is about protecting Sherry and Ginger Rogers gives anoutstanding performance. Good Film.

howdymax 2012-05-17 09:31:21

Every cliché in the book

Full disclosure: I've never been a Ginger Rogers fan off the dancefloor, but she hits a new low in this one. A modest 2nd feature entryfrom Columbia, it should have been a pleasant escape. Instead, I foundmyself almost twisting in pain every time Ginger Rogers opened hermouth. The story is simple. It takes place in NYC where the feds aretrying to get the goods on a mafioso so they can ship him back where hecame from. Ginger is the witness they need to get it done. Problem is,she is a street wise con who would rather play games with the cops. Idon't know what kind of accent she tries to imitate, but it'sunrecognizable. Her wisecracks fall flat. The jokes left me wincing. Itwas directed by Phil Karlson, a usually reliable director, and thestory itself, though predictable, was generally interesting, butGinger's performance had me wishing I had tuned into the Home ShoppingNetwork instead. Miss it if you get the chance.

bkoganbing 2012-05-16 18:38:48

Another "heart of gold" moll

Ginger Rogers, who was usually more glamorous in her movie roles,invades territory normally occupied by Claire Trevor or Veda Ann Borg.She's a good time gal who happens to be on a pleasure cruise with mobboss Lorne Greene and Greene has smuggled another gangster into thecountry. U.S. Attorney Edward G. Robinson is seeking to deport Greene. Greene's enemies have a habit of ending up dead. And our story beginswith conflicted cop Brian Keith assigned to protect Ginger as Robinsontries to convince her to testify. Rogers's career was on the downside here, but she's still a dynamitepresence on the screen. Robinson and Keith are solid here and who wouldhave thunk of Ben Cartright as a mobster.Nice film, tightly edited, not a wasted frame in it.

David 2012-05-16 16:30:45

A Rough Little Noir With A Fine Cast

Ginger Rogers is good as the tough-talking woman sprung from prison totestify in a trial. What a strange career she had! Best known for hermovies with Fred Astaire, she was also a delightful comedienne. She didsome serious work in her prime, winning an Oscar for an only-OK soapopera. But she's good in "Primrose Path." She turned tough in many ofher fifties outings, and she looked tough too. Here she has sort of apixie haircut that doesn't quite work with the character and isn'tflattering to her. But she's excellent.Edward G. Robinson, billed second to her, is superb. He always was.That man was incapable of giving a bad performance, no matter how oddlycast he might have been at times. Brian Keith, whom many know for sunnyoutings in later television, is exceptional as a very tough cop. Hereally is the focus of this movie, though the Rogers character is thelead.Who in the world was Lucy Marlow, who got fourth billing? It saysprison girl. Hmm. The woman playing the matron, Katherine Anderson, isimportant to the plot. She is very touching as well.Lorne Green is another actor who played some mean hombres before hebecame the benevolent dad on TV's "Bonanza." His character is lessnuanced than the one he plays in "Autumn Leaves." But he does well byit.Phil Karlson was an excellent director, who had some of the nastiest,darkest, roughest noirs of the fifties under his belt. This is amongthe best of them.

DaveSFV 2012-05-13 14:25:43

Judy Holliday?

I'm surprised that no one thought that Ginger Rogers was a bit likeJudy Holliday in that she plays a rough and dumb blonde that says somewise and intelligent things. I thought the excellent dialogue kept youinterested in the movie since most of it took place in a hotel room.Although I'm a big fan of Brian Keith, I thought his roll was too"Hollywood" in that in the beginning of the film he and Ginger Rogersintensely disliked each other only to then fall for each other. Howmany films has that happened? Bunch! Robinson was just excellent asalways, no surprise there. Very good movie with excellent dialogue butno real surprises in how it ends.

2012-05-13 03:11:33

A brilliant thriller like they don't make any more.

There was a time when Brian Keith was the "hot young leading man" of hollywood. In his finest dramatic performance, Keith portrays a policeman who has sacrificed his principles. Ginger Rogers is equally great as a gangster's moll gone straight. Edward G. Robinson, in a change of pace, is a dedicated crime fighter. This film, made on a "B" budget proved to be the sleeper of the year. The violence is in the mind of the viewer and the performances uniformly excellent. This is a not-to-be-missed movie!

2012-05-10 16:54:07

Over verbose but competent thriller

Tight Spot was based on a play and it shows.Most of the action takes place on a single set and there is more dialogue than usual in thrillers of this type.Ginger Rogers plays a prisoner brought to the City by prosecutor Edward G Robinson in the hope that he can persuade her to testify against a mobster whom he is seeking to get deported.She is reluctant and the movie deals with attempts to persuade her ,and the bid by the mob to put the issue beyond all doubt by killing her.Another plot strand covers the growing attraction between Rogers and Brian Keith as the cop assigned to protect her .The movie is weakened by a rather forced performance from Rogers who seems to be trying too hard in a role that needs a stronger dramatic presence such as that of a Stanwyck or a Crawford.Robinson is fine as are the other cast members .It was interesting to see a pre Bonanza Lorne Greene giving an edgy performance as the mob chief.Modest and capable but not a top echelon movie

moonspinner55 2012-05-10 04:27:23

Co-starring Brian Keith as VINCE STRIKER!

From the play "Dead Pigeon" comes this overwrought confection withGinger Rogers chewing the scenery as wisecracking jailbird sprung fromthe pokey by police so she can testify against ruthless mobster at ahigh-profile murder trial. Talky, slightly claustrophobic piece reallyneeds Ginger's overacting to kick it into gear; she looks great in ashort, ducktail bob, and manages to create real sparks with the actressportraying her selfish sister (it's the best scene in the movie). BrianKeith is appealing in his modest, aw-shucks way as troubled cop VinceStriker (great character name); Katherine Anderson also fine as aprison matron. So-so film benefits from star-appeal. **1/2 from ****

2012-05-06 19:50:19

Witty dialog, interesting performances.

Tight Spot is a crime suspense movie with a bit of a comedy-drama feel from Ginger Rogers' crackly performance as a streetwise and otherwise wise convict. The situation: Prosecutor Edward G. Robinson has convict Rogers moved from prison to protective custody in a hotel room, guarded by cop Brian Keith, to persuade her to testify against mobster Lorne Greene. Rogers delivers witty dialogue by the truck load in spite of the dangerous situation, and finds a new dance partner in Brian Keith. The witty banter between cop & con as they fall head over heels for each other is entertaining, but unfortunately that detracts a bit from the suspense. Meantime the gangsters bungle their first attempt on her life, killing a police woman in the guard detail. I recommend the movie more for the witty dialogue than for the suspense, and even more than that for the trivia value if you're a film buff - it has both Keith and Greene in some of their earliest major roles, and Rogers and Robinson deliver outstanding performances.

2012-05-06 10:19:43

Gangbusters

A compact little drama with some nice twists... the kind of movie I loved watching on late night TV as a kid. But don't expect too much -- the situation of the film feels very theatrical and Ginger Rogers (sporting a disfiguring short haircut and one tight polka-dot dress) socks her performance home a little too hard. Edward G. Robinson is competent but has little to work with; Brian Keith comes off best. Not bad... just lower your expectations.

jwpappas 2012-05-03 01:56:29

a so-so pot boiler

Were it not for the presence of 2 screen legends (Rogers & Robinson) & 2 TVlegends (Keith & Greene), this would've been consigned to obscurity. Its notan awful film but merely an average B film pumped up with a decent budget &name actors. Rogers effects an absurd New Yawk accent & engages in eyerolling cliche exchanges with Keith for most of the movie. Robinson isrestrained & dull & looks bored with his cornball dialogue. The only brightspot is Lorne Greene who is terrific as the underworld crime boss who setsthe events in motion. Otherwise the film is an OK but forgettable way tofill up 90 minutes. If there is absolutely nothing on TV & the weatheroutside is awful & you have run out of things to read & you are completelycaught up on household chores, then perhaps TIGHT SPOT is worth alook.

David Atfield 2012-05-02 12:25:36

Stagey drama given life by gutsy Ginger.

Ginger Rogers gives one of her best performances here, as a tough gangster's"moll" turned state witness. Her gutsy, strong and sexy performance carriesthe conventional plot. Robinson and Keith are fine, but they don't havemuch to do except get dazzled by Ginger - and who wouldn't be. It is alittle hard to believe that Keith, at 34, would fall for Ginger, at 44, butthat's all part of the illusion of glamourous Hollywood. Ginger looksgreat, but she does look her age.The main problem here is the inadequate adaptation from a stage play - theaction is too confined in the one room, and there is too much dialogue. Butthis is worth catching for the original Ginger Spice in full fireworks'mode.