Monday, January 22, 2024

TCM Presents: Roadblock (1961)

I was scrolling through the TCM schedule and saw Roadblock starring Charles McGraw and recorded it. 

McGraw is insurance detective Joe Peters who encounters a beautiful "chiseler" Diane Morley (Joan Dixon) at the airport when he's returning from a successful business trip. He's attracted to her but she tells him he's not in her league and she's aiming for the World Series. 

They meet again in Los Angeles and suddenly they're in love. But Joe doubts he can keep Diane on his $350 a month salary after she's been with a rich gangster. Suddenly the (previously) straight shooter Joe gives Diane's ex inside information to rob a train for a third of the take. Then suddenly chiseler Diane decides she doesn't need all that money after all. 

It's a good film, that's weakened by the characters' sudden decisions that go against everything previously established in the film. 

McGraw is perfect in the lead. I had never seen Joan Dixon before; I thought she did a good job. One of the co-stars was Louis Jean Heydt who I wrote about here.

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