Where Danger Lives (1950)

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Faith Domergue, the latest of Howard Hughes' protegees, made her film debut in 1950's Where Danger Lives. Domergue plays Margo Lannington the wife of Frederick Lannington (Claude Rains), an elderly millionaire possessed of a sadistic streak. Robert Mitchum co-stars as Jeff Cameron, a poor soul who… More Faith Domergue, the latest of Howard Hughes' protegees, made her film debut in 1950's Where Danger Lives. Domergue plays Margo Lannington the wife of Frederick Lannington (Claude Rains), an elderly millionaire possessed of a sadistic streak. Robert Mitchum co-stars as Jeff Cameron, a poor soul who falls in love with Margo without knowing that she's married. During a violent confrontation with the jealous Frederick, Cameron knocks the older man out and stumbles out of the room. Upon his return, he discovers that Frederick is dead. Margo had smothered her husband during Cameron's absence, but she insists that Cameron is the killer. The desperate lovers flee to Mexico, where Cameron at long last discovers that his travelling companion is more than a little unhinged. Masterfully directed by John Farrow, Where Danger Lives might have been one of the classic "film noirs," were it not for the acting deficiencies of Faith Domergue, who flounders in a role that Jane Greer could have played blindfolded. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 24 min.
Directed By: John Farrow
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Jul 14, 1950 Wide
On DVD: Jul 31, 2007

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Mitchum saves the day.

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Overwrought drama that was years in the making while Hughes was trying to make a star of the somnambulant Faith Domergue. Mitchum and Claude Rains are good but this is a turgid dull affair.
Veronique K

"where danger lives" is one of those rko film noir pieces robert mitchum had been tackling since the 40s after his legendary "out of the past". mitchum, as howard hughes' number one investment of superstars, was craving for better roles instead of the central… More
"where danger lives" is one of those rko film noir pieces robert mitchum had been tackling since the 40s after his legendary "out of the past". mitchum, as howard hughes' number one investment of superstars, was craving for better roles instead of the central criminal characters or hard-boiled detectives in most of his movies, so he attempted to demonstrate some diversity by playing a straitforward middle-classed doctor messed with luring but suspicious femme fatale. this time, mitchum is still the imperious man who fancies challengingly provocative woman despite she might detonate his doom, and he dives into the trap without hesitation jusy as he says in "out of the past"...."BABY, I DON'T CARE!" the first 20 mins of the film is mesmerizingly romantic on the affair between a doctor and lonesome beautiful woman with suicidal tendency. (impersonated by faith domergue, whose fickleness and angelic beauty rival jan greer in "out of the past")...then the gallant mitchum intends to rescue the wretched woman from her seemingly overbearing father(played by claude rains, a brief screen occurence.)....BUT the aging father turns out to be her husband, then the elder man dies of an accidental hit. after that, mitchum suffers from concussion, and these two flee to mexico. gradually, more dark secrets are discovered on the road. the whole movie might appear like a strip-tease which conceals the crucial details as foreshadowing then bares it all at once as gratitous treats to the audience. there's nothing too unique about it but it sticks to its noir patterns: seedy, shadowy cinematography, un-trustworthy attractive woman and gullible man who is trouble-magnet, then a gruesome twist in the end, so the audience is aware of what exactly to expect. somehow it does have the embellishment of desperado road movie in the paradise of outlaws, mexico. mitchum doesn't do chain-smoking as he does in "out of the past" but this movie lacks an emulating villain, and the 5 mins screen presence of claude rains doesn't make a competent impact like kirk douglas' whit in "out of the past", even though the woman is devious enough as the bait to man's self-ruin. but inevitably, this movie follows the cliche of saint/demon when it comes to romancing the women, mitchum re-embraces the bosom of the good-gal, maureen o'sullivan. and the metaphor is blatant: red rose for the stimulating bad girl, so the white rose would be the gentle woman who demurely always awaits her beloved man.
Michael G

A couple of interesting things happened towards the end but otherwise it was really typical.

Cast

            Robert Mitchum as Jeff Cameron

            Faith Domergue as Margo Lannington

            Claude Rains as Frederick Lannington

            Maureen O'Sullivan as Julie

            Charles Kemper as Police Chief

            Ralph Dumke as Klauber

            Billy House as Mr. Bogardus

            Harry Shannon as Dr. Maynard

            Philip Van Zandt as Milo DeLong

            Jack Kelly as Dr. Mullenbach

            Lillian West as Mrs. Bogardus

            Dorothy Abbott as Nurse Clerk

            Stanley Andrews as Dr. Mathews

            Tol Avery as Honest Hal

            William Norton Bailey as Man

            Clifford Brooke as Butler

            Helen Brown as Nurse

            Gordon B. Clark as Attendant

            Lester Dorr as Assistant Police Chief

            Jimmie Dundee as Taxi Driver

            Julia Faye as Nurse Seymour

            William E. Green as Doctor

            Earl Hodgins as Man

            Stuart Holmes as Man

            Sherry Jackson as Girl in Iron Lung

            Jack Kruschen as Casey

            Ethan Laidlaw as Man

            Ruth Lewis as Nurse Collins

            Gaylord "Steve" Pendleton as Policeman

            Joey Ray as Policeman

            Elaine Riley as Nurse Bates

            Julian Rivero as Pablo

            Carl Saxe as Policeman

            John Sheehan as Quartz Miner

            George Sherwood as Quartz Miner

            David Stollery as Boy

            Ray Teal as Joe Borden

            Marie Thomas as Stewardess

            Ernö Verebes as Waiter

            Geraldine Wall as Annie

            Duke York as Cowboy

            Phil Boutelje as Pianist

            Herschel Daugherty as Desk Clerk

            Robert Stevenson as Clerk

            Gerry Ganzer as Stewardess

            Leonard Henry as Policeman

            Linda Johnson as Airport Announcer

            Robert Coleman as Airport Official

            Philip Ahlm as Customs Officer

            Hazel Boyne as Woman

            Art Dupuis as Intern

            Maxine Gates as Girl in Act

            Jerry James as Policeman

            Michael Lally as Customs Officer

            Frank Leyva as Mexican

            Allen Mathews as Waiter

            Tina Menard as Cashier

            Carlos Albert
            
            Betty Hannon as Girl

            Don House as Policeman

            Marvin Jones Darrin Smith as Policeman

            Jeri Jordan
            
            Ann Zika as Woman
See full cast