My Gun Is Quick
Encyclopedia
My Gun Is Quick is a 1957 mystery film
based on the novel My Gun is Quick
by Mickey Spillane
. Written by Richard M. Powell
and directed by Phil Victor and George White, the movie stars Robert Bray
as private investigator
Mike Hammer
, Pamela Duncan
as Velda, Hammer's secretary.
The story begins when a private detective helps a prostitute being assaulted, and notices that she is wearing a distinctive ring. She is later found murdered and there is no trace of the ring, which turns out to be part of a cache of jewelry stolen by the Nazis during World War II
and smuggled out of France
after the war by an American army colonel. The private eye decides to try to find the ring, and runs into numerous troubles with other parties that are also looking for the jewels.
diner, tough private detective Mike Hammer (Robert Bray
) takes pity on Red (Jan Chaney), a young woman who has come from Nebraska
to try to break into movies, but is now down on her luck. After Mike buys Red some soup, she is threatened by Louis (Richard Garland), a thug, who tries to get her to leave with him. Mike beats up Louis, then provides Red with money for her bus fare back home and gives her his name and address so that she can let him know when she arrives. As they part, Mike notices a unique ring on Red's finger. A few hours later, police detective, Capt. Pat Chambers (Booth Colman
), questions Mike about Red, because his name was found among her belongings after she was killed in a hit-and-run car accident. When Pat shows Mike the girl's possessions, Mike realizes that the ring is missing and makes a sketch of it for Pat, who recognizes it. Pat then shows Mike photographs of the ring and other jewelry, explaining that it was part of the Venacci collection. He adds that the collection was stolen in Germany
at the end of World War II
by American
intelligence officer Col. Holloway (Donald Randolph
). Both the French
and American governments caught up with Holloway, and he served ten years in prison, but the Venacci collection was never recovered.
Mike suspects that Red was murdered because of the ring and returns to the diner where he learns from the counterman that Red had been working at The Blue Bell nightclub where she was friends with a Mexican striptease dancer named Maria (Gina Core). After Maria's act, Mike asks her about Red and, when she takes him to the building where she and Red lived, they discover that Red's apartment has been ransacked. Maria tells Mike that Red received the ring as a present from Jean (Terence De Marney
), a mute Frenchman whom she befriended at the club, where he works as a cleaner. Jean, saddened by Red's death and wanting to help, informs Mike and Maria that he has something to show them at his apartment, and Mike arranges to meet Jean there later. When Mike arrives, however, he discovers that Jean has fallen to his death from a window. In the distance, Mike spots Louis and follows him as he drives to a house at the beach. Mike introduces himself to the owner, young widow Nancy Williams (Whitney Blake
), and after Mike tells her about his encounters with Louis, who is her butler, Nancy promptly fires Louis then hires Mike as a bodyguard until she can find a replacement.
During an outing on her motorboat, Nancy tells Mike that she has been in Europe
for several years and was involved in a major scandal when the wife of a man with whom she was having an affair committed suicide. When they return to the beach house, Mike and Nancy discover the missing ring on the floor. Suddenly, a man bursts out of hiding and heads for a waiting speedboat. Mike follows him, and they fight on the dock until an accomplice, a man with a hook for a hand, knocks Mike out, enabling him and the other man to escape. Later, Mike and Nancy try to figure out how the ring wound up on her floor. As Nancy had rented out the house while she was in Europe, Mike has his secretary, Velda (Pamela Duncan
), contact the rental agency and finds out that Holloway was among the tenants.
At The Blue Bell, Mike recognizes Holloway among the customers and, eventually, he and Holloway meet. Holloway, who thinks Mike knows the whereabouts of the jewels, offers him twenty-five percent of their value if he can produce them, as he intends to cut them up and extract the valuable diamonds. He then explains that when he went to prison, he left the jewels with his friend, Jean, whom he had rescued from the Nazis, but Jean carelessly gave Red the ring because she was kind to him. Holloway adds that a Frenchman named La Roche (Peter Mamakos) is the leader of a gang that also is searching for the jewels. When Mike goes to Maria's apartment, he is mugged by La Roche, the man with the hook, and his accomplices. Mike then drives to Nancy's house and tells her what he has learned, after which she gives him a drugged drink, causing him to and pass out.
The next day, Mike learns that Maria has been murdered, and Holloway informs him that Ludwig Teller, a Dutch diamond cutter, whom he tried to hire, is already on board a ship to Los Angeles. Holloway assumes that La Roche has found the jewels and contracted Teller. Mike tries to intercept Teller at the docks and narrowly escapes death in a scrap metal yard where La Roche's henchmen work. On his car radio, tuned to the police wavelength, Mike hears that he is wanted for questioning over an incident at Nancy's house. When Mike arrives at the house, he secretly observes Louis' dead body being carried out just as Teller is suffering a heart attack. Mike also sees Chambers examine a large hole, which apparently housed a concealed wall safe. Holloway is waiting for Mike at his car and tells him that the La Roche gang has taken the jewels and is preparing to leave from the docks.
After a gunfight between the two factions, La Roche falls on his own hook and Holloway is mortally wounded. Mike recovers the bag of jewels and shows them to the dying Holloway. Nancy then pulls alongside in her motorboat, Mike jumps on board and they leave. When Mike gives Nancy the jewels and asks if they are all there, she reveals her involvement in the case by stating that the collection is intact, except for the ring, then admits that she and Louis were partners in searching for the jewels. She also states that she had not intended for Red to be killed, and Jean was murdered to prevent him from telling Holloway that she and Louis now had the jewels. Maria was also killed to prevent her talking about the case. Nancy has assumed that she and Mike have a future together, but Mike informs her that he intends to hand her over to the police. Nancy pulls out a revolver, but Mike easily gains possession of the weapon, then heads the boat toward the shore.
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
based on the novel My Gun is Quick
My Gun Is Quick
My Gun Is Quick is a 1957 mystery film based on the novel My Gun is Quick by Mickey Spillane. Written by Richard M. Powell and directed by Phil Victor and George White, the movie stars Robert Bray as private investigator Mike Hammer, Pamela Duncan as Velda, Hammer's secretary.The story begins when...
by Mickey Spillane
Mickey Spillane
Frank Morrison Spillane , better known as Mickey Spillane, was an American author of crime novels, many featuring his signature detective character, Mike Hammer. More than 225 million copies of his books have sold internationally...
. Written by Richard M. Powell
Richard M. Powell
Richard M. Powell was an American screenwriter.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he wrote scripts for a number of episodes of popular television series as well as for feature length films....
and directed by Phil Victor and George White, the movie stars Robert Bray
Robert Bray
Robert E. Bray was an American film and television actor probably best remembered for his role as the forest ranger Corey Stuart in the long-running CBS series Lassie.-Life and career:...
as private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
Mike Hammer
Mike Hammer
Michael "Mike" Hammer is a fictional detective created by the American author Mickey Spillane in the 1947 book I, the Jury .-Description:...
, Pamela Duncan
Pamela Duncan (actress)
Pamela Duncan was an American B-movie actress who starred in the cult classic Attack of the Crab Monsters and later appeared in an Academy Award-nominated documentary, Curtain Call a documentary made in 2000 that focused on the lives and careers of the residents of the Lillian Booth Actors Home in...
as Velda, Hammer's secretary.
The story begins when a private detective helps a prostitute being assaulted, and notices that she is wearing a distinctive ring. She is later found murdered and there is no trace of the ring, which turns out to be part of a cache of jewelry stolen by the Nazis during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and smuggled out of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
after the war by an American army colonel. The private eye decides to try to find the ring, and runs into numerous troubles with other parties that are also looking for the jewels.
Plot
In a Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
diner, tough private detective Mike Hammer (Robert Bray
Robert Bray
Robert E. Bray was an American film and television actor probably best remembered for his role as the forest ranger Corey Stuart in the long-running CBS series Lassie.-Life and career:...
) takes pity on Red (Jan Chaney), a young woman who has come from Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
to try to break into movies, but is now down on her luck. After Mike buys Red some soup, she is threatened by Louis (Richard Garland), a thug, who tries to get her to leave with him. Mike beats up Louis, then provides Red with money for her bus fare back home and gives her his name and address so that she can let him know when she arrives. As they part, Mike notices a unique ring on Red's finger. A few hours later, police detective, Capt. Pat Chambers (Booth Colman
Booth Colman
Booth Colman is a film, television and stage actor. The actor today usually plays older authority figures like doctors and lawyers in films. Colman has been appearing in films since 1952 when he appeared uncredited in The Big Sky directed by Howard Hawks...
), questions Mike about Red, because his name was found among her belongings after she was killed in a hit-and-run car accident. When Pat shows Mike the girl's possessions, Mike realizes that the ring is missing and makes a sketch of it for Pat, who recognizes it. Pat then shows Mike photographs of the ring and other jewelry, explaining that it was part of the Venacci collection. He adds that the collection was stolen in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
intelligence officer Col. Holloway (Donald Randolph
Donald Randolph
Donald Randolph was a film, television, and radio actor. The actor, who appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz , acted in dozens of radio dramas, television programs, and over thirty films....
). Both the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and American governments caught up with Holloway, and he served ten years in prison, but the Venacci collection was never recovered.
Mike suspects that Red was murdered because of the ring and returns to the diner where he learns from the counterman that Red had been working at The Blue Bell nightclub where she was friends with a Mexican striptease dancer named Maria (Gina Core). After Maria's act, Mike asks her about Red and, when she takes him to the building where she and Red lived, they discover that Red's apartment has been ransacked. Maria tells Mike that Red received the ring as a present from Jean (Terence De Marney
Terence De Marney
Terence De Marney was a British film, stage, radio, and television actor, as well as theatre director and writer.-Actor:...
), a mute Frenchman whom she befriended at the club, where he works as a cleaner. Jean, saddened by Red's death and wanting to help, informs Mike and Maria that he has something to show them at his apartment, and Mike arranges to meet Jean there later. When Mike arrives, however, he discovers that Jean has fallen to his death from a window. In the distance, Mike spots Louis and follows him as he drives to a house at the beach. Mike introduces himself to the owner, young widow Nancy Williams (Whitney Blake
Whitney Blake
Whitney Blake was an American film and television actress, director and producer.Blake was born as Nancy Ann Whitney in 1926 in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, the first child of Martha Mae Wilkerson and Harry Whitney...
), and after Mike tells her about his encounters with Louis, who is her butler, Nancy promptly fires Louis then hires Mike as a bodyguard until she can find a replacement.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for several years and was involved in a major scandal when the wife of a man with whom she was having an affair committed suicide. When they return to the beach house, Mike and Nancy discover the missing ring on the floor. Suddenly, a man bursts out of hiding and heads for a waiting speedboat. Mike follows him, and they fight on the dock until an accomplice, a man with a hook for a hand, knocks Mike out, enabling him and the other man to escape. Later, Mike and Nancy try to figure out how the ring wound up on her floor. As Nancy had rented out the house while she was in Europe, Mike has his secretary, Velda (Pamela Duncan
Pamela Duncan (actress)
Pamela Duncan was an American B-movie actress who starred in the cult classic Attack of the Crab Monsters and later appeared in an Academy Award-nominated documentary, Curtain Call a documentary made in 2000 that focused on the lives and careers of the residents of the Lillian Booth Actors Home in...
), contact the rental agency and finds out that Holloway was among the tenants.
At The Blue Bell, Mike recognizes Holloway among the customers and, eventually, he and Holloway meet. Holloway, who thinks Mike knows the whereabouts of the jewels, offers him twenty-five percent of their value if he can produce them, as he intends to cut them up and extract the valuable diamonds. He then explains that when he went to prison, he left the jewels with his friend, Jean, whom he had rescued from the Nazis, but Jean carelessly gave Red the ring because she was kind to him. Holloway adds that a Frenchman named La Roche (Peter Mamakos) is the leader of a gang that also is searching for the jewels. When Mike goes to Maria's apartment, he is mugged by La Roche, the man with the hook, and his accomplices. Mike then drives to Nancy's house and tells her what he has learned, after which she gives him a drugged drink, causing him to and pass out.
The next day, Mike learns that Maria has been murdered, and Holloway informs him that Ludwig Teller, a Dutch diamond cutter, whom he tried to hire, is already on board a ship to Los Angeles. Holloway assumes that La Roche has found the jewels and contracted Teller. Mike tries to intercept Teller at the docks and narrowly escapes death in a scrap metal yard where La Roche's henchmen work. On his car radio, tuned to the police wavelength, Mike hears that he is wanted for questioning over an incident at Nancy's house. When Mike arrives at the house, he secretly observes Louis' dead body being carried out just as Teller is suffering a heart attack. Mike also sees Chambers examine a large hole, which apparently housed a concealed wall safe. Holloway is waiting for Mike at his car and tells him that the La Roche gang has taken the jewels and is preparing to leave from the docks.
After a gunfight between the two factions, La Roche falls on his own hook and Holloway is mortally wounded. Mike recovers the bag of jewels and shows them to the dying Holloway. Nancy then pulls alongside in her motorboat, Mike jumps on board and they leave. When Mike gives Nancy the jewels and asks if they are all there, she reveals her involvement in the case by stating that the collection is intact, except for the ring, then admits that she and Louis were partners in searching for the jewels. She also states that she had not intended for Red to be killed, and Jean was murdered to prevent him from telling Holloway that she and Louis now had the jewels. Maria was also killed to prevent her talking about the case. Nancy has assumed that she and Mike have a future together, but Mike informs her that he intends to hand her over to the police. Nancy pulls out a revolver, but Mike easily gains possession of the weapon, then heads the boat toward the shore.
Cast
- Robert BrayRobert BrayRobert E. Bray was an American film and television actor probably best remembered for his role as the forest ranger Corey Stuart in the long-running CBS series Lassie.-Life and career:...
as Mike Hammer - Whitney BlakeWhitney BlakeWhitney Blake was an American film and television actress, director and producer.Blake was born as Nancy Ann Whitney in 1926 in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, the first child of Martha Mae Wilkerson and Harry Whitney...
as Nancy Williams - Donald RandolphDonald RandolphDonald Randolph was a film, television, and radio actor. The actor, who appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz , acted in dozens of radio dramas, television programs, and over thirty films....
as Colonel Holloway - Gina Core as Maria Teresa Garcia
- Pamela DuncanPamela Duncan (actress)Pamela Duncan was an American B-movie actress who starred in the cult classic Attack of the Crab Monsters and later appeared in an Academy Award-nominated documentary, Curtain Call a documentary made in 2000 that focused on the lives and careers of the residents of the Lillian Booth Actors Home in...
as Velda, Hammer's secretary - Booth ColmanBooth ColmanBooth Colman is a film, television and stage actor. The actor today usually plays older authority figures like doctors and lawyers in films. Colman has been appearing in films since 1952 when he appeared uncredited in The Big Sky directed by Howard Hawks...
as Det. Pat Chambers