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I recently watched the 1946 Monogram film: DECOY, with Jean Gillie. It has to be one of the best low-budget films I've ever seen. Really offbeat tale of a wicked femme fatale after the money her older criminal boyfriend buried (Robert Armstrong)--and brings him back to life after a prison execution, just to spill the beans. Seventy five minutes of suspense, with several gents dropping (at Gillie's hands) along the road to that cash box. Perhaps an overly melodramatic music score the only negative for this film (I think a minimalist score would have worked better).

Any fans of this film? Any low-budget Monogram noirs as satisfying as this one?

I mentioned it in another thread recently. In any case, I quite agree! Best, I haven't seen enough to know, but certainly it has to be up there.

Not even close to the best Monogram ever, since it's a PRC! But, Ann Savage is GREAT!

It is very well done--but too much cold-blooded killing for me. Plays more like a film from 1958, when movies were getting more violent.

Not even close to the best Monogram ever, since it's a PRC! But, Ann Savage is GREAT!

Not Detour, Decoy.

Mike Gebert wrote:

Not even close to the best Monogram ever, since it's a PRC! But, Ann Savage is GREAT!

Not Detour, Decoy.

Ah, yes, this is why it is a bad idea to post at 3:00 AM. Sorry to have reared my ugly head into this thread, now it's back to the sack. Oh, and BTW, DECOY is great, too.

Decoy is indeed excellent, but there are others that, while perhaps not quite as good, deserve a look. As a Cornell Woolrich fan I'm partial to Monogram's three CW adaptations: Fall Guy (1947), The Guilty (1947), and I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes (1948). The Hunted (1948) falls slightly short of Decoy but has some good moments and a reasonable taut script by Steve Fisher. I also recommend High Tide (1947), starring Lee Tracy and Julie Bishop.

HIGH TIDE is indeed very good. UCLA showed it about a year or so ago, and then the LA Noir Fest showed it.

Watched tonight. Aside from Robert Armstrong and Jean Gillie, who I can't recall in any other film, the acting is pretty bad. Herbert Rudley and Sheldon Leonard are downright awful. Edward Norris and Marjorie Woodworth are better. Good bits by Jody Gilbert and Virginia Farmer. Storyline is a bit over the top with the Frankenstein bit, but at least the story moves. For my money, Shed No Tears was a better low-budget noir and June Vincent every bit as rotten as Miss Gillie ... and that's saying something.

Is DECOY available to buy anywhere? A customer at my shop came in with a wants list, and it was top of it.

earlytalkiebuffRob wrote:Is DECOY available to buy anywhere? A customer at my shop came in with a wants list, and it was top of it.

Part of a DVD double feature:

http://www.amazon.com/Crime-Wave-Decoy- ... B000PKG7CA" target="_blank

Decoy and Crime Wave are also available on the Film Noir Vol.4 Collection, along with 8 other films:

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Collectio ... noir+vol+4" target="_blank" target="_blank

bradleyem wrote:

earlytalkiebuffRob wrote:Is DECOY available to buy anywhere? A customer at my shop came in with a wants list, and it was top of it.

Part of a DVD double feature:

http://www.amazon.com/Crime-Wave-Decoy- ... B000PKG7CA" target="_blank" target="_blank

Thanks for that. Ordering from England dearer, but will tell my chap.