Trapped

The Secret Service is looking for a break in a counterfeiting case and they offer gang member Lloyd Bridges who is in prison a chance to squeal on his old mob. Bridges won't talk, but does pull off an escape. It's all a set up with the Treasury guys monitoring him and his moll Barbara Payton's every move. Like puppets on a string, but the strings come loose and they are working in the dark. As we learn what's the ending here is not the ending planned as Bridges is taken out of the picture because in real life he got ill. What happens isn't the most satisfactory conclusion, but it had to do. Even with making the change on the fly, Trapped is a nice satisfactory B film from Columbia with the ensemble cast fitted nicely in their parts.

This is a fine, dark, nasty little movie. It's very well directed by Richard Fleischer. It takes place in a scary night town version of San Francisco. Lloyd Bridges plays a character with the unusual first name Tris. Short for Tristan, I suppose. Real-life bad-girl Barbara Payton is no Isolde. Payton is good as his romantic interest, though. The film begins with a scene in which someone is discovered to have counterfeit money. Bridges is in prison but is tapped by the Feds to help break up the counterfeiting ring. And it takes off from there. There are double-crosses, confused identities. The supporting cast is excellent. Crime may not pay but we have some pretty interesting criminals in this story.

The opening of the film is a prolonged ode to the US Treasury in all its offices but particularly its role in the issuing of bank notes and prevention of counterfeit dosh. Then off we go with our hero released from jail (for counterfeiting) so he can help find who is now using his marvellous plates. This is no great noir but it is interesting enough and has its moments on the streets of LA. The finale in a tram shed containing LA electric street cars is effective and there are other set pieces making this worth a view. Bridges is most effective and Barbara Payton does well as the good looking moll. Predictable in parts but the action switches enough to maintain attention.