Leofwine_draca FALLGUY is a cheap and dreadful indie drama that feels like it was made by somebody trying to be the next Hitchcock. It's a classic wronged man premise in which a teenager stumbles upon a car accident one night and is soon involved in a plot in which he gets accused of murder and must fight to clear his name. It's a gloomy story with very little in the way of life or effort, mainly consisting of shady characters hanging around in shady locations. The dialogue sounds very creaky to the modern ear.

XhcnoirX While driving home one night, Ed Dugan spots a car accident. When he goes to check up on the driver, the badly injured driver pulls a gun on him. He forces Dugan to drive him to local doctor Don Alderette, where he dies, after accusing the doctor of double-crossing him. Dugan is taken into custody by police chief Louis Gartner, but when he realizes Gartner is trying to use him as a fall guy by faking an accident, Dugan manages to escape. Soon Dugan finds out that Alderette, Gartner and local newspaper owner George Mitchell are the main guys behind a local crime syndicate. There really isn't much to say. Most of the principal cast & crew members have a handful of credits on here if that, and it shows. Aside from the nicely done opening credits, obviously inspired by Saul Bass's work, and the 'hip' jazzy score the movie feels amateurish on almost every level. One-time actress Madeline Frances as the doctor's daughter is a welcome breath of fresh air, I actually enjoyed her performance. Then again, she had very little competition here, when at times some of the actors seem to have trouble remembering their lines. I can forgive a lot of stuff for these low/no-budget movies. But there's just too much that needs forgiving here. The movie takes itself way too serious, which is its biggest crime. 'Fallguy' tries too hard to be better than it is. It's probably for the best that director Donn Harling produced and directed only one movie. Avoid. 4/10

tom-horse This film was being shown on a specialty TV channel named "Drive-In" that plays obscure B movies. Right away, the low "production values", i.e. the money spent on sets and location, became apparent, so much so it reminded me of a 1940s era episode of a serial like Space Gordon.True to it's B movie stature, there are obvious flaws, primarily the "wooden" performances. Occasionally, the actors' dialog would hesitate as if the next line of the script was forgotten. Some of the acting was altogether unbelievable, bordering on the ridiculous. For example, in a scene toward the end of the movie, the lead actor was slapped across the face with a left hand, but his head spun to the right so that he would fall through a doorway and down a flight of stairs! Was a director on the set?I suppose this movie with it's dim lighting was attempting to be a "film noir" of some variety. But no matter what the genre, the film seemed too dark and shadowy, at least as it appeared on my TV. After awhile, a daylight scene came as a relief! Finally I found the abrupt and otherwise amateurish scene transitions and loud jazzy score intrusive. So much so they were not only distracting, they competed with the plot for interest. As the film skipped along, it became fascinating to see what laughable scene the movie would stumble into next. The movie suddenly ends with no credits, just the film title!As much as I thought I could make an amateur movie that would compare favorably, the movie had enough merits to hold my interest. And even seem likable. The plot, such as it is, does move quickly, the culture of the late '50s and early '60s was fascinating and you couldn't predict how the next plot twist, or yet another incongruous exchange of dialog, would unfold. So in the end, I found I couldn't take my eyes off it!

plcassata Ed Dugan became a fixture on the early court TV series. This was his first and last film. Like many actors he gave in to drink, drugs and the "Hollywood" scene. His legacy is this film. This film illustrates the transformation of late 50's cop-u-drama mixed with a hint of the modern underworld. Most of the actors never became household names although Fabian as a cop is one interesting character. Film becomes interesting as the story progresses and the love/hate relationship blossoms between the lead actors. Some great scenes illustrating LA before the population explosion. If you like a script of predictable lines and cliché' this film is one to watch!