Producer: Maury Dexter. Photographed in black-and-white CinemaScope. Copyright 7 May 1963 by Associated Producers, Inc. Released through 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: May 1963. U.K. release: 24 November 1963. Australian release: 17 October 1963. 5,700 feet. 63 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Arriving in Southern California from Seattle after receiving a frantic telephone call from her sister, Grace, Nurse Joan Olson (Merry Anders), finds Grace dead from an overdose of sleeping tablets. She calls Sergeant Art Devlin (Ken Scott), of the police department, who was divorced by Grace ten months earlier. Devlin takes charge of the case. He is stunned by the autopsy report that his ex-wife had had given birth to a child two months earlier. Knowing that it must be his youngster, he receives permission from his superior, Captain Pete Ingersoll (Byron Morrow), to continue on the case. He finds his first lead through the sleeping pill bottle. The pharmacist (Justin Smith) leads him to Dr C. F. Sears (Ivan Bonar), who says that the prescription was issued to Irene Kersey (Barbara Mansell), a nurse.
Irene denies any knowledge of Grace, but Devlin follows her to the hospital of Dr. Leon Claudel (Oscar Beregi). Claudel also denies knowing Grace, and when Devlin presses his charge Claudel has his orderlies beat Devlin and throw him out. He alleges Devlin hit him without provocation, and Devlin is suspended from the force pending a hearing.
COMMENT: "Police Nurse" rates as a very routine "B"-picture of little distinction. Like most of the Associated Producers products (successor to Regal Films), the accent is firmly on talk, rather than action. The characters stand around and talk and talk. With few exceptions (Justin Smith as a surly pharmacist, Jerry Murray as a quiet-spoken hatchet man and to a lesser extent Beregi as a dapper abortionist and Mansell as a cynical nurse), they are all both uninteresting as written and as played. The writing is totally one- dimensional.
Neither of the two principals seem particularly attractive, either as actors or physical specimens. Harsh photography doesn't help. Direction (aside from one or two shots like the crane shot following Terry's feet down the stairs) and other credits remain steadfastly routine. Production values can aptly be described as either very tight or non-existent.
SYNOPSIS: Arriving in Southern California from Seattle after receiving a frantic telephone call from her sister, Grace, Nurse Joan Olson (Merry Anders), finds Grace dead from an overdose of sleeping tablets. She calls Sergeant Art Devlin (Ken Scott), of the police department, who was divorced by Grace ten months earlier. Devlin takes charge of the case. He is stunned by the autopsy report that his ex-wife had had given birth to a child two months earlier. Knowing that it must be his youngster, he receives permission from his superior, Captain Pete Ingersoll (Byron Morrow), to continue on the case. He finds his first lead through the sleeping pill bottle. The pharmacist (Justin Smith) leads him to Dr C. F. Sears (Ivan Bonar), who says that the prescription was issued to Irene Kersey (Barbara Mansell), a nurse.
Irene denies any knowledge of Grace, but Devlin follows her to the hospital of Dr. Leon Claudel (Oscar Beregi). Claudel also denies knowing Grace, and when Devlin presses his charge Claudel has his orderlies beat Devlin and throw him out. He alleges Devlin hit him without provocation, and Devlin is suspended from the force pending a hearing.
COMMENT: "Police Nurse" rates as a very routine "B"-picture of little distinction. Like most of the Associated Producers products (successor to Regal Films), the accent is firmly on talk, rather than action. The characters stand around and talk and talk. With few exceptions (Justin Smith as a surly pharmacist, Jerry Murray as a quiet-spoken hatchet man and to a lesser extent Beregi as a dapper abortionist and Mansell as a cynical nurse), they are all both uninteresting as written and as played. The writing is totally one- dimensional.
Neither of the two principals seem particularly attractive, either as actors or physical specimens. Harsh photography doesn't help. Direction (aside from one or two shots like the crane shot following Terry's feet down the stairs) and other credits remain steadfastly routine. Production values can aptly be described as either very tight or non-existent.
