Reviews


Too Tough to Kill (Columbia Classics)

The title sells it.

Jonathan Hale's construction company is supposed to be digging a tunnel through a mountain, but 'accidents' keep happening and they're months behind and he's about to lose his contract. So he calls in Victor Jory, the most bad-ass construction foreman in the history of construction foremanism, to beat up and/or fire the guys behind it. Jory is tough, but not all that bright: he can't figure out his own 'assistant' is behind the sabotage, secretly working for the guy who'll get the bid if the contract's cancelled. Well, into this subterranean subterfuge comes Sally O'Neil and Johnny Arthur(!), two newspaper reporters looking for (a) a scoop on the calamities befalling the project, and (b) in Sally's case, romance with Mr. Jory. Victor's aided by tough Ward Bond, and very few of the men in this film wear shirts. Under an hour and quite brisk (the entire plot takes a few seconds over the first three minutes of the film to lay out, including the opening credits; I checked), but marred by Mr. Arthur, who should go back to Darla Hood's house where he belongs. He spends the entire film whining... Well... Million-dollar Dialog: Mr. Arthur: 'I wish I were in Pomona!' Miss O'Neil, an actress with whom I am unfamiliar, is stunningly beautiful and quite charming. Funny who has a career and who hasn't, huh? Robert Gleckler is the guy behind the evilness part of the plot. Great title for an okay programmer from Columbia Pictures. Really, the title sold this darn thing. Gorgeous print one finds on these old movies that weren't re-released too much.