Storm Warning

Some similarities to A Streetcar Named Desire, but with a more interesting plot/set-up. Woman comes to town, witnesses a crime, finds sister pregnant by no-good husband (Doris Day is oddly happy with husband who is CLEARLY no good, making her unsympathetic); woman has to decide whether to protect him with her testimony. Movie shows how a KKK-type organization preys on the worst and weakest in people's natures. Weird to have a movie about the Klan with no mention of race, nor any black people.

If you wish to see Ginger Rogers whipped by the Ku Klux Klan, this is your movie! It's actually good, with a fine performance by Doris Day, Reagan as a crusading liberal D.A., great brooding noir photography, and a Deep South "Streetcar Named Desire" atmosphere, with Steve Cochran as a bargain basement Stanley Kowalski. The portrayal of the Klan is odd--the only person they kill is white, and their most heinous crime seems to be embezzlement by leaders--but it is definitely worth a look.

Classic good vs evil - noir-style. A lot of aspects of Storm Warning (1951) felt ridiculously exaggerated, but it was so visually striking and stinking of filth, I ended up loving it. The way Ginger Rogers was used was near perfect. Her strong screen presence really captured the mood and attitude needed. Ronald Reagan's shabby detecting fit him too, and was a relaxing counter to all the aggression boiling in the little town. That massive climax was truly something. Gimmicky and insane!