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THE LOOTERS is a 1955 black & white melodrama produced by Universal. It appears as if this film has never had a home video release of any kind before, so once again kudos to Kino for putting out a rare product.
The story concerns Jesse Hill (Rory Calhoun), who works as a guide in the Colorado mountains. Jesse gets an unexpected visitor in the form of old war buddy Pete Corder (Ray Danton). Jesse and Pete hear a plane crash nearby, and the duo decide to trek out to it and see if they can be of any help. The two men find the wreckage, but things get complicated when one of the survivors turns out to be an attractive model (Julie Adams) and a quarter of a million dollars is discovered at the site.
THE LOOTERS is a decent enough film, more like a B movie. It could also be called an "outdoor noir", with a collection of cynical people and a ton of loot driving everyone against each other. It does take a while to get going, and none of the characters are all that appealing (even Rory Calhoun's, even though he's ostensibly the hero). The outdoor locations (which were actually filmed in Colorado) do help things out from a visual and dramatic standpoint.
Ray Danton is excellent as the untrustworthy Pete, who, in time-honored noir fashion, turns out to be a coward when the chips are down. Even Julie Adams is more hard-boiled than usual here, but her natural likability still manages to come out. (Danton and Adams would soon marry after this film.) Tomas Gomez does well as a wreck survivor, a middle-aged man dissatisfied with his life and willing to do anything to get his hands on all the loot. As another survivor Frank Faylen provides what little comic relief there is.
THE LOOTERS was directed by Abner Biberman, who keeps things on a tight leash and works up some suspenseful moments. The story elements won't surprise anyone, but there is a truly explosive ending.
Kino presents THE LOOTERS in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The picture quality is very good, though a bit soft at times. A brand new commentary is provided featuring Toby Roan, who once again spends most of his time reciting personal and career details about the major members of the cast & crew (he only occasionally talks about the movie).
I had never seen THE LOOTERS and certainly didn't know anything about it. It's not a major production, but it's an effective film for its type, and it's to Kino's credit that they decided to finally give the movie its home video debut.
This is a new one for me as well. Good cast of actors. I always wondered how and when Ray Danton and Julie Adams got together. There's always kind of a shady edge to Rory Calhoun in the movies I've seen him in, so it's not surprising that he would be difficult to see as a true hero. As for Danton, he's always shady!!
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