''The Threat'' is a 1960 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 Charles R. Rondeau, written by

Jo Heims Joyce Heims (January 15, 1930 – April 22, 1978) was an American screenwriter best known for her collaborations with actor-director Clint Eastwood. Born in Philadelphia, Heims moved out to the US west coast in early adulthood. She worked variou ...

, and starring Robert Knapp, Linda Lawson, Lisabeth Hush,

James Seay James Seay (September 9, 1914 – October 10, 1992) was an American character actor who often played minor supporting roles as government officials. Early years Seay demonstrated an interest in acting at an early age, as he and his mothe ...

Mary Castle Mary Ann Castle, ''née'' Mary Ann Noblett, (January 22, 1931 – April 29, 1998) was an American actress. She appeared in the films '' When the Redskins Rode'' in 1951, ''Three Steps to the Gallows'' in 1953 and '' Gunsmoke'' in 1953. In 1954 ...

and

Barney Phillips Bernard Philip Ofner (October 20, 1913 – August 17, 1982), better known by his stage name Barney Phillips, was an American film, television, and radio actor. His most prominent roles include that of Sgt. Ed Jacobs on the 1950s '' Dragnet' ...

. It was released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

on March 12, 1960.

Plot

Hotheaded cynical loner cop Steve Keenan (Robert Knapp) starts getting anonymous threats from someone who is upset with the fact that he killed a gangster kingpin in self-defense. Steve is casually seeing a beautiful torch singer named Gerri (Linda Lawson), who is in love with him and wishes he would commit to her. Steve is hesitant to do that, because he is still feeling burned about his ex Laura (Mary Castle) leaving him and taking up with the now-deceased gangster. His brother (and fellow cop) Harry (James Seay) tries to get him to take the threats seriously, but he just brushes them off until things start taking a deadly turn...

Cast

* Robert Knapp as Steve Keenan * Linda Lawson as Gerri * Lisabeth Hush as Sandy *

as Harry Keenan *

as Laura Wallace *

as Lucky * Richard Cowl as Chessner * Lew Brown as Jim Smiley * Art Lewis as Mousie *

Tom Gilson Tom Gilson (New York City; January 6, 1934 – Van Nuys, California; October 6, 1962) was an American actor in TV and occasional films from the 1950s. Biography Born in New York City, the tall, powerfully built Gilson played roles in TV western ...

as Junior *

Emile Meyer Emile Meyer (August 18, 1910 – March 19, 1987) was an American actor, usually known for tough, aggressive, authoritative characters in Hollywood films from the 1950s era, mostly in westerns or thrillers. Career Meyer had an uncredited ...

as Duncan *

Nicholas King Nicholas King (March 21, 1933 – April 3, 2012) was an American actor and horticulturist who was instrumental in preserving the Watts Towers. Robert Nicholas King was born in Sacramento, California. After graduating from high school in 1951, King ...

as Georgie * Alfred Shelly as Chessner Henchman *

Ric Roman Ric R. Roman (September 29, 1916 – August 11, 2000) was an American actor. He was perhaps best known for his roles in the films '' Lone Star'' (1952), ''Shadows of Tombstone'' (1953), '' Lizzie'' (1957) and '' The Wayward Girl'' (1957). He also ...

as Lucky's Underworld Contact * Bert Rumsey as Bert the Bartender

References

External links

* * * * 1960 films 1960 crime drama films 1960s police films American black-and-white films American crime drama films Films scored by Ronald Stein Films with screenplays by Jo Heims Warner Bros. films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films {{1960s-crime-film-stub