Shadowed (1946) User Reviews

Lloyd Corrigan Stars

[boblipton · 6/10 · 24 August 2018]

When Lloyd Corrigan's drive hooks into the woods, he follows it and, unseen, finds two people burying a corpse. The criminals find the ball and warn him not to go to the police and he worries about his duty and the risk to his daughters, Anita Louise and Terry Moore. Meanwhile, the murders are trying to track down Corrigan, because he's got the plates for their counterfeiting racket in John Sturges' second movie as director.

The most interesting touches to this Columbia second feature mystery is the way that cinematographer Henry Freulich shoots it. The early portions with Corrigan and his family are shot in bright lighting, with some light-hearted banter, while baddies Wilton Graff and Doris Houck are shot in noirish shadows. As the movie progresses and Corrigan's worries and situations worsen, the shadows lengthen and his own world grows dark and the musical cues agitato.

The movie never progresses much beyond its B roots, of a gemutlich, normal family menaced by criminals outside the pale of hard-working, well-meaning law enforcement. Within those confines, however, the cast and crew show themselves capable of good work.

Early John Sturges noir.

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 15 April 2009]

An early John Sturges film with character player Lloyd Corrigan in a rare lead. Corrigan is a widower who decides to take an afternoon off work for a round of golf. While out puttering around the course by himself, he gets a hole in one. He writes his initials and date on the ball before resuming play. He slices the ball off into a bunch of trees just off the course. Rooting around a brush filled gully looking for his ball he gets quite the shock. He finds a woman with more than a few extra holes in her. He checks her clothes for id and pulls out a small paper wrapped package. He then hears several voices coming up the gully. He beats the feet, climbs out and hides among the trees. A man, Wilton Graft, and a woman, Doris Houck reach the body and begin a search of same. They are not pleased with the absence of the package. The man does however find Corrigan's ball with his initials and today's date on it. The pair leave. Corrigan does likewise leaving a small piece of sweater on a barb-wire fence. Corrigan decides to say nothing to the police and stashes the package in his office drawer. Next day the papers are full of "Dead Show Girl found at Golf Course!" Corrigan's daughter, 17 year old Terry Moore, does nothing but talk about the murder. Moore and her beau, Paul Burns, are crime buffs and decide to go have a look at the scene of the murder. Needless to say, Moore finds the material from the sweater. She recognizes it as from her father's sweater and of course thinks he is the murderer. He must of went for the showgirl and then had a falling out with her!

Meanwhile, going back to the package. It seems it contains some plates for making counterfeit $20's. The gang is not amused with the missing plates. There had been an argument about the split and the girl had taken off with them. This of course resulted in the overdose of lead. The gang quickly hunts down whom the initial's belong to and plan a visit. The gang calls on Corrigan pretending to be the police. Corrigan tumbles to the play and tells them he is going to spill to the real cops. Corrigan quickly changes his mind when Graft informs him his gang has Moore as a hostage. He agrees to hand over the package only if he knows for sure Moore has been released. Moore is brought to Corrigan's office for the exchange. A quick couple of shots to the gangster with an axe settles things. Moore is safe and the law is called. Film starts off with a slight comic feel but gets darker as it goes. Not great, but quite watch-able as a 70 min time-waster.

This low–budget Columbia quickie was the second film directed by John Sturges . Sturges did, "Sign of The Ram", "The Man Who Dared", "The Walking Hills", "The Capture", "Bad Day at Black Rock", "Mystery Street" and "Jeopardy". He also did "The Magnificent 7", "The Great Escape" and "The Eagle has Landed".

Corrigan had parts in "The Chase" and "The Big Clock". Terry Moore was in "Shack out on 101" and "Portrait of Allison". And of course being involved with Howard Hughes is about as noir as can be!

The d of p was Henry Freulich who worked on " The Devil's Mask", "Chinatown at Midnight", "Bunco Squad" and "Miami Story". (b/w)

B pic limitations partly overtaken by Sturges' budding talent, Johnson's performance

[adrianovasconcelos · 7/10 · 11 December 2021]

John Sturges' second directorial effort is better than its B programmer status might suggest. The script relies on quirky dialogue, especially between the male lead and his two daughters and it rates reasonably credible in spite of the occasional hole.

Cinematography by Henry Freulich is adequate if nothing to write home about, It is interesting that the film's initial quarter happens mostly in the open, in broad daylight, then, as Fred Johnson begins to experience difficulties, it grows darker, ending on a heavy chiaroscuro note.

The standout item is Lloyd Corrigan's performance, far more complex than one might suspect at the outset, as bumbles about a golf course. It carries a very broad spectrum of sensitive emotions, from comic to deep concern as he begins to realize that his younger daughter might be in peril. Real virtuoso display from Corrigam within the limitations of a B pic.

Another pleasant aspect is the stunningly elegant. Anita Louise. Sadly, she does not appear much on the screen and her performance is rather quiet.

Not a top notch B programmer, but certainly no waste of time.

His golf game lead to some truly desperate hours.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 16 November 2018]

Veteran character actor Lloyd Corrigan gives a wonderful performance as the widowed man whose gregarious game of golf is disturbed when he comes across a corpse and somehow is identified by the killer, leading his family to be harassed and be put in grave danger. The film starts off on a comic note with Corrigan and elder daughter Anita Louise puttering the afternoon away from the office and sharing some amusing father and daughter moments together. But once the gregarious Corrigan begins to overhear the unseen criminals threaten him, he begins to fear for his family's safety, and the tides turn for him, as well as the film's mood.

Corrigan was best known for his easy going manner, and even when it hid some nefarious business dealings of his own, whenever he appeared on screen, the audience was aware that it was going to get a few light hearted human moments with the veteran character actor. This was probably his only leading role, and he is the heart and soul of the film. Young Terry Moore plays the typical teenager, the younger daughter whose obsession with crime gets her nosy self too far in deep with the discovery of a dead body on the neighboring property, even thinking that her father may have been the killer. This leads her to an encounter with seemingly friendly neighbors (Wilton Graff and Doris Houck) that may end up with somebody joining the discovered dead body in the morgue!

You don't think for the first reel of this B film that you are entering the world of film noir, and once it switches gears, it is a roller coaster ride like no other. Corrigan has a great moment where his worry over the situation has him erupt in a sudden burst of temper, and he does it very realistically. Louise shows the strength of the typical maturing oldest daughter, and while Moore's character might be a bit of a pest, at least her intentions are in the right place, making her grow on you. Great black and white photography with some terrific shadowing (especially when Corrigan investigates the pipes where he lost his golf ball and found something much more revealing) help make this obscure crime drama a true sleeper, and one that will get you hooked from the very start!

On the lighter side of Noir, Lloyd Corrigan just might put a smile on your face.

[cgvsluis · 6/10 · 25 September 2023]

Sweet, innocent and a little bit bungling is Lloyd Corrigan as fencing salesman Fred J. Johnson. Fred is a widower with two lovely daughters and an affinity for golf. On one fateful day, he is on the golf course alone practicing and he gets a hole in one. Without anyone to witness the event he dates and signs the ball...then he proceeds on his next shot to loose it in the woods. While looking for his special ball...he comes across criminals in the midst of a crime. He doesn't get all of the details, but he gets enough and when a body shows up the right thing to do would be to go to the police, only they threaten his family!

The best part of this noir is Lloyd Corrigan! His interactions with his daughters in particular are endearing. Sweeter and more comedic than most film noirs, I still think this should be on Noir lists to see. They can't all be hardboiled!!!!

Oh! And I loved Lester Binkey's obsession with true crime! It reminds me of the current times.