''High Powered'' is a 1945 American adventure film directed by

William Berke William A. Berke (born October 3, 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – died February 15, 1958 in Los Angeles, California) was an American film director, producer, actor and screenwriter. He wrote, directed, and/or produced some 200 films over a ...

starring Robert Lowery and

Phyllis Brooks Phyllis Brooks (July 18, 1915 – August 1, 1995) was an American actress and model. She was born in Boise, Idaho. Some sources have also inaccurately cited 1914 as her year of birth, but 1915 is the correct year according to Social Security r ...

. It is also known as ''High Man''.

Plot

Marian Blair and Cassie McQuade are running a small lunch establishment in their trailer. When they move the trailer from Los Angeles to the building site outside San Francisco, they pick up a hitchhiker along the road. His name is Tim Scott, and he is on his way to a job picking grapes at the vineyards. At one point, Tim takes the wheel, and accidentally drives into the curb, unhinging the trailer, sending it down the road and crashing into the sheriff's car. All three get arrested and sent to a local jail. Tim gets to share cells with a man named Spike Kenny. When Spike's boss Farrell comes to bail him out, he recognizes Tim from a high riser construction site and bails him out too. Tim is offered a job at the new plant being built at the construction site, and Tim accepts the offer, but only to impress Marian, whom he has taken a liking to. Spike has taken an interest in Cassie. Tim starts working as a chipper - a metal worker - and meets his work mate Bill Madden, a man who blames Tim for his brother's death. Bill's brother fell down from construction in a high rise, and pulled Tim with him in the fall. Tim only survived because he landed on top of Bill’s brother. Marian and Cassie are quite successful with their lunch trailer, and both women are invited to the Boilerman's Ball, by Rod and Spike respectively. Marian dares Tim to go up in one of the plant towers, fully aware he has trouble with heights, and Rod has to escort him down again. When Tim explains how he obtained his vertigo, Marian warms up to him. One day there is a gas leak at the plant and Tim manages to save Jeff's life when the gas is ignited by a spark from his car. Tim still gets the blame for the leak, but Marian stands up for him and takes him out on a date. They take a liking to each other and when Tim asks her to the ball she accepts. During the ball, Bill happens to overhear Marian when she explains she is only dating Tim out of pity. To get back at Tim, Bill tells him what he heard. Tim is furious and picks a fight with Bill, and the fighting spreads among the rest of the workers. Soon the sheriff arrives and arrests all of the people involved in the fighting. This time Rod is reluctant to bail the other workers out of jail, but continues the work with a handful of workers left. He changes his mind and decides to bail out Tim when he hears that Bill was the one responsible for the fight. However, both Tim and Spike has escaped jail already and are on their way to get work somewhere else. There is an accident at the construction site, in which Rod is trapped under a heavy metal cap, by a cable that has snapped from the weight. Tim sees Rod in trouble, overcomes his fear of heights, climbs up the tower and saves Rod. Rod decides to bail out everyone else from jail, Tim and Marian get married and go away on a honeymoon together.

Cast

* Robert Lowery as Tim Scott *

as Marian Blair *

Mary Treen Mary Treen (born Mary Louise Summers, March 27, 1907 – July 20, 1989) was an American film and television actress. A minor actress for much of her career, she managed to secure a plain, unassuming niche for herself in the Hollywood of the 1 ...

as Cassie McQuade *

Joe Sawyer Joe Sawyer (born Joseph Sauers, August 29, 1906 – April 21, 1982) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1927 and 1962, and was sometimes billed under his birth name. Early life Sawyer was born August 29, 1 ...

as Spike Kenny *

Roger Pryor Roger Atkinson Pryor (July 19, 1828 – March 14, 1919) was a Virginian newspaper editor and politician who became known for his fiery oratory in favor of secession; he was elected both to national and Confederate office, and served as a gen ...

as Rod Farrell *

Ralph Sanford Ralph Dayton Sanford (May 21, 1899 – June 20, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films and in at least 200 episodes on television between 1930 and 1960, mostly bit parts or supporting roles. Sanford frequently ...

as Sheriff * Billy Nelson as Worker *

Edward Gargan Edward Gargan (July 17, 1902 – February 19, 1964) was an American film and television actor. Career He was born of Irish parents in Brooklyn, New York. He was the elder brother of actor William Gargan. As soon as he had left college, he wen ...

as Boss *

Vince Barnett Vince Barnett (July 4, 1902 – August 10, 1977) was an American film actor. He appeared on stage originally before appearing in more than 230 films between 1930 and 1975. Early years Barnett was born July 4, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylva ...

as Worker

Production

The film was originally known as ''high Man''. It was intended to star

William Gargan William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 17, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967, and in 1941, was nominated for the Academy Award for Be ...

but he was assigned to ''Crime on Out Hands''. Instead the lead role went to Robert Lowery, the first under a new three-picture deal he signed with the studio. In September 1944 Phyllis Brooks, who had made ''Dangerous Passage'' for Pine Thomas, signed to co star.Looking at Hollywood Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 11 Sep 1944: 17.

References

External links

*
Review
at ''Variety'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:High Powered 1945 films 1940s adventure drama films 1940s English-language films American black-and-white films Films directed by William A. Berke Films set in California American adventure drama films 1945 drama films 1940s American films English-language adventure drama films