Bodyguard

Though this film is titled Bodyguard, that is a bit of a misnomer. Our lead character, Mike Carter (Lawrence Tierney), does very little actual bodyguarding. Instead, he spends most of the film playing private investigator, looking for clues that will exonerate him for a murder that he did not commit. This is a common trope in noir films from this era and it is in danger of feeling cliché. What ultimately saves it is the cute and witty repartee between Carter and his fiancée, Doris Brewster (Priscilla Lane). When Carter goes on the lam, hiding from the police as well as the real killer, Doris, who works at the police station, keeps him in the loop and aids him on his mission as much as she can. This relationship is an absolute delight to watch play out and one of the real highlights of this film.

When we first meet Carter he is being put on suspension by his boss, Lieutenant Broden (Frank Fenton). In his disgust, Carter punches Broden before quitting the force and leaving, knocking the man down in front of several witnesses. Later that day, he is approached by Freddie Dysen (Phillip Reed) who is looking to hire him as a bodyguard for his aunt, Gene Dysen (Elisabeth Risdon), a widow and head of Continental Meat Packing Corp. Carter initially refuses, but after meeting the family, he reluctantly agrees to the job. The first night, though, he follows Gene when she leaves the house at 4am, only to receive a knock on the head. When he regains consciousness, he is in his car, alongside the corpse of Lieutenant Broden, parked on the railroad tracks with a train barreling down on them. He escapes at the last second but now is wanted, framed for Broden’s murder. The rest of the film is him tracking down clues and putting together a picture that involves bribery, murder, and retail fraud, all the while dodging the police who are out to bring him in and throw him in jail. 

At just barely an hour in length, this film is easily digestible. There is barely any spare time for extraneous detail or unnecessary scenes. Instead, the pacing is taut and flows easily. This is greatly aided by the humor and chemistry between Tierney and Lane who are having a blast playing off of each other. This starts out almost entirely over the phone with one particularly memorable interaction actually happening over a vinyl recording, complete with back-and-forth dialogue that could have been a live interaction. This is capped off by one last response coming from Lane, clearly anticipating a response from Tierney that doesn’t happen, reminding us that while she knows him well, she cannot anticipate everything. Once these two start sharing the screen together things really liven up. There is a scene in an optometrist’s office where Lane has to improvise an escape when a police officer arrives at a bad moment that is tense, yet funny. Their escape is clumsy and is nearly thwarted multiple times, highlighting her quick thinking as well as her inexperience with this sort of thing. Moments like this elevate this film and make it a fun watch. 

While this isn’t considered a classic the way such films like The Asphalt Jungle or Ace in the Hole are, this is still one of the better film noir movies out there. The story isn’t all that original but, when done right, that doesn’t really matter all that much. After all, many of the Nick and Nora Thin Man movies don’t have the greatest plots, yet we come to them to see that couple interacting with each other. The same is true here. Priscilla Lane is a real gem and an asset to her films from this era. She sells the good-naturedness of this character as well as her excitement for some real adventure. But she also sells the vulnerability, especially in the finale when she is spotted by the villain and is staring down the barrel of his gun. 1948 - 62 minutes