Private Hell 36 main backdrop
Private Hell 36 main poster

Private Hell 36

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6.2/10 • 39

1954-09-031h 21m

CrimeDrama

These are night faces... Living on the edge of evil and violence!

In New York City, a bank robbery of $300,000 goes unsolved for a year, until some of the marked bills are found in a Los Angeles drugstore theft. Police detectives Cal Bruner and Jack Farnham investigate and are led from the drugstore to a nightclub, where singer Lilli is another recipient of a stolen bill. With Lilli's help, the partners track down the remaining money, but both Lilli and Jack are dismayed when Cal decides he wants to keep part of it.

Directors
Don Siegel
Writters
Ida Lupino, Collier Young
Editors
Ida Lupino, Collier Young, Stanford Tischler

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Ida Lupino

    Ida Lupino

    Lilli Marlowe

  2. Steve Cochran

    Steve Cochran

    Police Sgt. Cal Bruner

  3. Howard Duff

    Howard Duff

    Police Sgt. Jack Farnham

  4. Dean Jagger

    Dean Jagger

    Police Capt. Michaels

  5. Dorothy Malone

    Dorothy Malone

    Francey Farnham

  6. James Anderson

    James Anderson

    Patrolman in Locker Room (uncredited)

  7. William Boyett

    William Boyett

    Stimson (uncredited)

  8. Chester Conklin

    Chester Conklin

    Murdered Man in Elevator (uncredited)

  9. Richard Deacon

    Richard Deacon

    Mr. Mace (uncredited)

Reviews1

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John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Sep 9, 2019

Solidly Siegel? No, not really. Two detectives, Jack Farnham and Cal Bruner are deeply investigating a robbery in which $300,000 was stolen. As their investigation progresses, they, by way of a sultry woman called Lilli Marlowe, manage to find the perp and recover the cash. But Bruner has fallen for Marlowe, and realising she has expensive tastes and that his police salary can not sustain the relationship, he ponders turning to the dark side, with Farnham equally at odds with himself over the pressures of raising a family. Is Private Hell 36 a noir film? Well I'm no professionally paid expert on the subject, but it certainly has all the ingredients in place. Yet the film, in spite of some watchable attributes, is a largely character driven talky piece of fluff that isn't really raising the bar in the pantheon of film noir. Or, in fact, crime picture history. Certainly it's not a film that screams out that it was directed by Don Siegel. It's a solid premise to work from, and in Ida Lupino (Marlowe) and the great Steve Cochran (Bruner), the picture boasts two very fine performances, with each actor giving the film its emotional weight. A nod of approval also goes to the scoring of the piece by Leith Stevens, as jazzy blues like combos flit in and out to create an ear worthy alliance as our detectives battle with their very conscience. All things considered it's an enjoyable enough piece, but one that to me fades very quick from the memory. So, solid if unspectacular, and reliable if lacking in any major amount of thrills and brain tickling plotting. 5/10

Media

  • Private Hell 36 poster
  • Private Hell 36 poster
  • Private Hell 36 poster
  • Private Hell 36 poster
  • Private Hell 36 poster
  • Private Hell 36 poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
blackmailstolen moneywoman between two menfilm noirlos angeles, californiahorse trackset upgood cop bad copnightclub singerhonest copmissing moneyhard-boiled damecorrupt copcop shoots copnoir crime dramamarked currencycop partners