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‘Destination Murder’ boasts two fine performances but ultimately loses its way

‘Destination Murder’ boasts two fine performances but ultimately loses its way

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Destination Murder

Written by Don Martin

Directed by Edward L. Cahn

U.S.A., 1950

One night during an intermission at a downtown movie theatre Jackie Wales (Stanley Clements), a lowly driver, leaves his girlfriend for a few minutes to run a quick errand. Not just any old chore however, but murder! Driven to the house of a notable businessman by an accomplice, Jackie rings the doorbell, inquires as to the name of the older man who answers the door to make sure he knows who the target is and shoots the gentleman dead. As Jackie flees the premise the victim’s daughter Laura (Joyce MacKenzie) catches a glimpse of the fiend, a clue she latches onto the following days when the police begin their inquiries. Rather than remain sidelined from the action, Laura takes matters into her own hands and pretends to befriend the cantankerous Jackie. Through Jackie the intrepid heroine is led to the owner (Albert Dekker) and manager (Hurd Hatfield) of a local club, both of whom may have played a hand in her father’s death.

Director Edward L. Cahn’s Destination Murder follows a loopy trajectory in order to share its tale of deception and revenge, never establishing a strong footing with one character in particular over any others. In an peculiar decision the picture bounces from plot line to plot line, trying to create the feel of an ensemble rather than limit itself to developing the tribulations of the victim at the center of it all, Laura. This proves a double edged sword in the end as Destination Murder provides a wide canvas to depict how the true villain of the piece plays all the pawns against one another for their own advancement while wasting an opportunity to fully take advantage of the two more charismatic actors in the entire film.

On the topic of charisma, co-stars Joyce MacKenzie and Stanley Clements, playing completely different yet uniquely compatible characters, are above and beyond the best things about the movie. Each exude their own brand of wit and charm, infectiously so for that matter. MacKenzie is the chameleon, having to play the part of the cool seductress in order to better understand what the owner and manager of the club have to do with her recent tragedy. In is a bit of a stretch to imagine that her character, supposedly only a university student, has the know-it-all to pull off such an audacious infiltration operation but it is even more difficult not to be swayed by her very convincing allure, making it all the more easy to follow along for the adventure. Clements, as Jackie, is boisterous and cocky, two sides to his character that can just as easily help him out in a tight spot as they can land in even hotter water. There isn’t a whole lot to Jackie other than his unbridled desire to make money and have a good looking dame by his side but Clement plays the part effortlessly.

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The problem is that director Cahn and screenwriter Don Martin feel the need to frequently pull away from these two characters in order to construct a more complex story than is required. The wheeling and dealing exercised by Stretch (Hatfield) and Armitage (Dekker) are not nearly as intriguing as seeing how brave Laura faces the danger headstrong despite ample warnings from the police or how Jackie’s tempestuous attitude influences his every move. Another cog in the wheel is Armitage’s main squeeze Alice (Myrna Dell), a blonde bombshell whose only ties to the club’s owner is the latter’s impressive funds. What she really seeks is the comfort of Stretch’ arms although he is unwilling to reciprocate, especially once the beautiful Laura applies for a job as a cigarette girl.

The machinations involving the trio of antagonists (Jackie is also a villain but more a gun for hire than the brains of the operation) do at least provide a venue for one very pertinent idea: Stretch’s extremely effective gamesmanship. One by one he rids himself of all hurdles towards his main objectives. Try as his opponents might, each falls prey to his cleverness, meeting a grisly end in the process. That said, apart from Stanley Clements, none of the three other actors portraying antagonists bring much to the table. Because the character of Stretch is always trying to put on an affable face, the revelation that he is in fact the ring leader is surprising not because the viewer never saw it coming but because there is nothing about Hatfield’s performance that seems very threatening. Dell as Alice is merely serviceable as the ill-fated femme fatale, slogging through a series of clichéd character traits and Dekker portrays Armitage as little more than a bumbling, clueless fuddy duddy.

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Ultimately Destination Murder is an uneven picture. It starts off promisingly enough as it spends time with Laura and Jackie only to squander a sizeable portion of said potential by taking the spotlight away from them and laying it on far less compelling characters. As such the film ends up being a little frustrating, not because the ideas aren’t any good but rather because they are unevenly developed. It seems to know what it wants to accomplish  but unfortunately is ill equipped to fulfill its expectations. Noir fans need not concern themselves with Cahn’s picture as there are numerous superior representations of the genre to discover.

-Edgar Chaput

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