East Baton Rouge Parish Library

The Las Vegas story, RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. ; presented by Howard Hughes ; producer, Robert Sparks ; director, Robert Stevenson ; screenplay, Earl Felton and Harry Essex

eng

videorecording

The Las Vegas story

812174417

Location shooting took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Moroc Naval Air Base near Mojave, California, and in the Mojave Desert

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. ; presented by Howard Hughes ; producer, Robert Sparks ; director, Robert Stevenson ; screenplay, Earl Felton and Harry Essex

87

Film noir archive collection

"On the train to Los Angeles, sophisticated Easterner Lloyd Rollins suggests to his wife Linda that they spend a few days in Las Vegas, her home town. Although reluctant to revisit her past, Linda agrees, and the couple disembarks in the desert city. Lloyd immediately starts gambling in the hotel casino, requesting a $100,000 credit limit, and insists that Linda show off an expensive diamond necklace he gave her. Linda, who has read a telegram addressed to Lloyd in which Monty, his Boston business associate, reveals that their company's trustees are demanding money, cautions Lloyd about gambling, but he dismisses her concerns. Unknown to Linda and Lloyd, they have been followed from the train by a man named Thomas Hubler, who watches Linda with interest. Outside the hotel, meanwhile, Linda's embittered ex-lover, Dave Andrews, a sheriff's lieutenant, learns that Linda is in town with her high-rolling husband. Later that night, Lloyd encourages the distracted Linda to confront her past, and she goes to the Last Chance, the bar at which she used to sing. There, she recalls her wartime romance with Dave and reunites with pianist Happy and Mike Fogarty, the bar's former owner. As she and Happy perform a favorite old song together, Dave enters, then angrily reminds Linda that she did not say goodbye to him the night he shipped out. Although Linda insists that her failure was due to a simple misunderstanding, Dave refuses to forgive her, despite his continuing attraction to her. The next day, Hubler approaches Linda in the hotel swimming pool and expresses interest in her necklace. Linda then tells Lloyd that she knows his credit request was limited to $10,000 and begs for a chance to help him with his financial troubles. Lloyd again shrugs off her concern and tries to act nonplussed when she relays a phone message that Monty has committed suicide. Drucker, who oversees the casino, then informs Lloyd that he cannot extend him additional credit based on the value of Linda's necklace and requests that he check out. Later, following an unpleasant encounter with Dave, Lloyd decides to visit the Last Chance with Linda before leaving Las Vegas. As he is exiting the hotel, he is accosted by Hubler, who identifies himself as an insurance investigator and demands to know where Linda's necklace is. Lloyd states that the necklace is in the hotel safe, but at the Last Chance, Hubler finds Linda and reveals that the necklace is missing. Furious, Linda questions Clayton, the Last Chance's owner, and he admits that he gave Lloyd $10,000 credit in exchange for the necklace. Disgusted with Lloyd, Linda leaves with Dave, and the two spend a romantic evening together at Dave's house. Meanwhile, at the Last Chance, a desperate Lloyd asks Clayton for more credit, but is refused. At Dave's, Linda announces that she has to return to Lloyd, and Dave angrily calls her a taxi. Later, Dave learns that Clayton was murdered at the bar and Linda's necklace stolen. Because Hubler states that he saw Lloyd leaving the Last Chance at the same time that Clayton was killed, Lloyd is arrested. At Clayton's inquest, Linda declines to give Lloyd an alibi, but does offer to bail him out after he is arraigned. Hubler then informs Linda that he observed her leaving the Last Chance soon after he saw Lloyd depart and escorts her to the bar. There, in front of Happy, Hubler tests a confused Linda to determine whether she saw Clayton's body near the piano, then shows her a blood spot overlooked by the police. After Dave finds out that Linda was also at the Last Chance the night before, he talks with Happy, who repeats Hubler's claims that Clayton died near the piano. Aware that Clayton was found behind the bar, Dave suddenly realizes that Hubler killed Clayton for the necklace. Dave telephones Linda to warn her about Hubler, but an armed Hubler has already appeared at her door. Hubler takes off with Linda in a rental car and, after the police set up a series of roadblocks, murders a tourist fishing at Lake Mead and steals his car. In a helicopter, Dave spots the stolen vehicle speeding along a desert road and forces Hubler into an abandoned airport. There, Dave and Hubler fight, and Dave finally corners Hubler on a tower and shoots him. Later, Dave gets word that the just-released Lloyd is being extradited to Boston on embezzlement charges and that Linda is filing for divorce and remaining in Las Vegas"--AFI catalog, 1951-1960

live action