Noirvember 2016, Episode 7: Pushover (1954)

Pushover (1954) Richard Quine
(1:28)
Columbia Film Noir Classics Vol. II DVD

Paul Sheridan (Fred MacMurray, left) is a straight-laced cop who’s on a stakeout to find out if Lona McLane (Kim Novak, right) knows anything about a $200,000 bank haul that her boyfriend Wheeler (Paul Richards) was involved in. Only one problem: Sheridan starts falling for Lona, who wants Sheridan to knock off Wheeler so she and Sheridan can make off with the cash.

Sound a bit like Double Indemnity? Yeah, it kinda does… You definitely feel like you’ve been there before with MacMurray, but the film works fairly well, despite a fairly limited setting (mostly at an apartment complex) and several scenes that seem to do basically the same thing. There’s some nice cinematography by Lester White, who also shot some of the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies as well as some Andy Hardy pictures. Dorothy Malone also has a nice role as a brunette who lives next door to Lona. A familiar story, but nicely done; definitely worth a look, especially for Kim Novak’s first major role.

3.5/5

Photos: Trailer Addict, Tune Up, Film Noir Board