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20th Century Fox
Michael Shayne Collection
Private eye Mike Shayne encounters a large amount of trouble while attempting to guard a murder witness.
CinemaSerf
Dec 6, 2023 · via TMDB
"Long Distance? I need to place a call to the Denver Tribune... In Denver, yes..." Veteran P.I. “Shayne" (Lloyd Nolan) is escorting "Helen" (Mary Beth Hughes) on a train journey so she can give vital evidence that might acquit "Callaghan" of murder charges. Needless to say, she's a bit nervous and when she meets "Everett" (Louis Jean Heydt) and explains the purpose of their journey, he plants seeds of doubt in her mind and "Shayne" is now facing quite a task keeping her on message. Add to his woes the suspicious journalist "Kay" (Lynn Bari) who is also travelling and, well, it's all going to get a bit messy. The conclusion is all a bit rushed, but the scenes with Nolan and Bari are usually quite sparky as they spat and outmanoeuvre each other both on and off their train. Trains always make for a good conduit for crime-noirs and here, as it rattles along, we get a sense of a slightly claustrophobic menace building with other passengers equally determined that "Helen" will keep her trap shut. Permanently! It's not the most memorable of films and is just a bit on the long side, but it does move along entertainingly enough and passes the time ok.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Lloyd Nolan
Michael Shayne
Lynn Bari
Kay Bentley
Mary Beth Hughes
Helen Carlson
Louis Jean Heydt
Everett Jason
Edward Brophy
George Trautwein
Don Costello
Carl Izzard
Ben Carter
Lender Jones, a Porter
Donald Douglas
—
Oscar O'Shea
McGowan, a Engineer
Harry Hayden
—
Ferike Boros
—
George Chandler
—
Ralph Dunn
—
Harold Goodwin
—
Paul Kruger
Brakeman (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel
Porter (uncredited)
Charles Meakin
—
Charles R. Moore
Porter (uncredited)
Syd Saylor
Magazine Vendor (uncredited)
Harry Strang
Railroad Conductor (uncredited)
Charles Tannen
Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones
Waiter (uncredited)
Mantan Moreland
Porter (uncredited)
Jesse Graves
Waiter (uncredited)
Sol M. Wurtzel
Producer
Brett Halliday
Characters
Murder Is My Business
Black Magic
Contract on Cherry Street
Michael Shayne: Private Detective
Blue, White and Perfect
The Man Who Wouldn't Die
The Maltese Falcon
Dressed to Kill
Time to Kill
Larceny in Her Heart
Too Many Winners
Three on a Ticket
TekWar: TekLords
I, the Jury
Just Off Broadway
Blonde for a Day
Summertime Killer
I, the Jury
The Mad Bomber
To Kill For
The Black Book
The Glass Key
The Blue Gardenia
Cult Killer
Crooked House
A Walk Among the Tombstones
Desert Dawn
The Late Show
The International
The Mean Season
God Is a Bullet
The Mirror Crack'd
Marlowe
Cleaner
Shimmer Lake
The Virtuoso
The Locksmith
Righteous Kill
Absolution
Killer Heat
Mar 14, 1941
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The Long Goodbye
1973
G.I. Joe: Spy Troops
2003
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
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