''Appointment with a Shadow'' is a 1957 American

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

directed by Richard Carlson and starring

George Nader George Garfield Nader, Jr. (October 19, 1921 – February 4, 2002) was an American actor and writer. He appeared in a variety of films from 1950 to 1974, including ''Sins of Jezebel'' (1953), ''Congo Crossing'' (1956), and ''The Female Animal'' ...

Joanna Moore Joanna Moore (born Dorothy Joanne Cook, November 10, 1934 – November 22, 1997) was an American film and television actress, who, between 1956 and 1976, appeared in 17 feature films and guest-starred in nearly a hundred television series episod ...

Brian Keith Brian Keith (born Robert Alba Keith, November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family film '' The Parent T ...

and

Virginia Field Virginia Field (born Margaret Cynthia Field; 4 November 1917 – 2 January 1992) was a British-born film actress. Early years An only child, born in London, her father was Sir John Field. He was the judge of Leicester County Court Circuit. H ...

. It is not to be confused with the

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

film ''

The Midnight Story ''The Midnight Story'' is a 1957 American CinemaScope film noir crime film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Tony Curtis, Marisa Pavan and Gilbert Roland. The film was originally slated to be titled ''The Eyes of Father Tomasino'', after the ...

'', which was known in Britain as Appointment with a Shadow.

Plot

An alcoholic, Paul Baxter has ruined his career as a reporter. After passing out in Pat O'Connell's bar, he is taken home by his friend, police lieutenant Spencer, to his sister Penny, who is romantically involved with Spence. Penny has a tip on a story that could change her brother's life, but will reveal it only on the condition that Paul can go 24 hours without drinking. Hungover and shaking, Paul tries. He needs to be sober and alert at 7 p.m. when a fugitive criminal, Dutch Hayden, is supposed to show up at a restaurant. Spence has information that Hayden has undergone plastic surgery to alter his appearance and is about to leave the country. Paul makes it on time, but in rocky shape. An accident causes his clothing to be soaked in liquor. Hayden arrives with his stripper girlfriend, Flo Knapp, but just as Spencer's men shoot him dead, Paul spots the real Hayden, whose face has not been changed at all. It's a set-up. Every attempt made by Paul to persuade Spencer and Penny of the mistake goes for naught because they are certain that he was drunk. When he sets about proving Hayden is alive, Flo takes him captive at gunpoint. Only in the end does Spence realize that Paul was right all along.

Cast

as Paul Baxter *

as Penny *

as Lt. Spencer *

as Florence Knapp *

Frank de Kova Frank de Kova (March 17, 1910 – October 15, 1981) was an American character actor in films, stage, and TV. Biography De Kova was born in New York City. He was a teacher at a school in New York before joining a Shakespeare repertory group. He ...

as Dutch Hayden * Stephen Chase as Sam Crews

Production

The film was originally entitled ''If I Should Die'' and was based on a magazine story by Hugh Pentecost. The story was originally adapted by Herbert Dalmas and bought by Paramount in 1950. Film rights eventually went to Universal. In 1956, head of production

Don Hartman Samuel Donald Hartman (18 November 1900, New York - 23 March 1958, Palm Springs, California) was an American screenwriter and director and former production head of Paramount Pictures. He and Stephen Morehouse Avery were nominated for the Acade ...

assigned the job of producing to his former assistant, Howie Horwitz. In 1956

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. H ...

signed to star and the film was going to be one of the studio's big productions of the year. Filming was delayed.

Alec Coppel Alec Coppel (17 September 1907 – 22 January 1972) was an Australian-born screenwriter, novelist and playwright. He spent the majority of his career in London and Hollywood, specialising in light thrillers, mysteries and sex comedies. He is best ...

did a script. In August 1957 it was announced

Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as ''The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings (1961 film), King of Kin ...

would star; Hunter was under contract to

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

but was allowed to do one outside film a year. The studio assigned Richard Carlson to direct. Carlson was better known for his acting, but also directed and had recently made ''

Hemp Brown ''The Saga of Hemp Brown'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film directed by Richard Carlson and starring Rory Calhoun and Beverly Garland. Plot A U.S. cavalry officer, Hemp Brown (Rory Calhoun), runs into some serious trouble when the p ...

'' for Universal. Filming began on 23 October 1957. Six days into filming Hunter fell ill with hepatitis and had to drop out; he had only filmed one day. Filming re-commenced on 27 November 1957 with Universal contract player

in Hunter's role.

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' said the film "has as much novelty and enchantment as the popcorn machine in the lobby."

References

External links