Hitman

 

MURDER BY CONTRACT-1958-Claude (Vince Edwards) becomes a hit man for Mr. Moon (Michael Granger) who works for the mysterious Mr. Brink. In LA he's met by high strung Marc (Phillip Pine) and laid back George (Herschel Bernardi). Claude is kind of a nut who berates a waiter and seems more interested in sightseeing than the hit. He gets upset though when he finds out his latest job Billie Williams is a woman. After a failed attempt to electrocute her and more planning he's successful but a drunken call girl (Kathie Browne) informs him that he didn't kill Billie but instead a police woman. 

The climax is a little far fetched but it's an ok low budget film noir. Director Irving Lerner later worked with Edwards on his hit TV show “Ben Casey”.

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Early AIP

THE PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES-1955-A weird (man in a suit) sea monster with fins, fangs and big eyes terrorizes some a coastal fishing village. Dr. Stevens (Kent Taylor) investigates when one of the victims has radiation burns. He meets Prof. King (Michael Whalen, later in MISSILE TO THE MOON) who's conducting secretive experiments. Stevens becomes sweet on King's daughter (Cathy Downs) and worries about her safety after a meeting with the monster who is guarding a strange shaft of light.

Meanwhile the Prof.'s secretary (Vivi Janiss) blames King for the death of her son. Phil Pine plays the Prof.'s assistant who's actually working for a spy ring and tries to kill Stevens with a spear gun. This a good low budget horror time waster.

PHANTOM was released by American Releasing Corporation just before they changed their name to American International Pictures. Screenwriter Lou Rusoff wrote many great "B" movies in the '50's including THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED which played on a double bill with PHANTOM.

Director Dan Milner was mostly a film editor but also made FROM HELL IT CAME (with his brother Jack who was PHANTOM's producer) two years later. Music is by the great Roland Stein.

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