Fri 24 Aug 2018
BODYGUARD. RKO Radio Pictures, 1948. Lawrence Tierney, Priscilla Lane, Phillip Reed, June Clayworth, Elisabeth Risdon, Steve Brodie, Frank Fenton. Director: Richard Fleischer.
Lawrence Tierney plays an ex-cop who’s hired as a bodyguard for the wealthy lady owner of a meat-packing company, but his usual tough-guy performance is toned down a bit by the fact that he has a girl friend who sticks by him when a case of murder develops.
And she is Priscilla Lane, a blonde with the juiciest lips this side of a 1950s paperback cover. Apparently this was her last movie, which was a terrible injustice to all B-movie detective fans around the world — and at the age of only 31. Other than talking about the two stars, however, there’s not much else to say. As a detective story, strictly minor league.
August 24th, 2018 at 9:13 pm
If it were possible, I think I’d ask for a recount. I remember liking this movie a whole lot more than I said in this old review.
Maybe somebody was masquerading as me at the time.
August 24th, 2018 at 10:21 pm
I was going to ask if we were talking about the same movie. Small, but professional and entertaining of it’s type with better than average cast.
August 27th, 2018 at 1:41 pm
Eddie Muller has commentary up re Lawrence Tierney, fascinating and heartbreaking.
August 27th, 2018 at 9:11 pm
This is from 1999, so it may not be the article you’re referring to, Barry, but it’s certainly worth reading:
http://www.eddiemuller.com/tierney.html
August 27th, 2018 at 10:06 pm
That ‘s the one. Covers, or at least touches on his mother’s suicide, his relationship with Ed Tierney, and his difficult life. Someone to love and admire, but not to know. Unmentioned, Scott did the best he could for his brother, but this was not an easy task. And I knew the Seinfeld story, but in black and white…
August 27th, 2018 at 10:52 pm
There does not appear to be a standard biography of Lawrence Tierney yet. But the magazine, FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE #82, has a long 30 page article by Laura Wagner on him. She’s a book reviewer who writes a column for CLASSIC IMAGES and I’ve often enjoyed her reviews. It’s a recent issue from a couple years ago and copies are available from the publisher. I just ordered a copy.
August 27th, 2018 at 10:56 pm
Excuse my error, it’s issue #83. I’ve read about the Seinfeld episode where it was planned to have Tierney return for a few episodes but he acted so strange that the cast was afraid of him. I’ve read that he lifted a knife from the set and hid it under his clothes which made everyone nervous.
August 31st, 2018 at 3:50 am
I wrote a review of this
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=43253
August 31st, 2018 at 10:27 am
And you also liked to=he movie more than I did. I really have to watch it again!