Fred MacMurray, Kim Novak & E.G. Marshall in “Pushover“ (1954)

A carefully planned bank heist by hoodlum Harry Wheeler (Paul Richards) and his partner leaves a policeman dead and $210,000 stolen. The investigation headed by Police Lt. Carl Ekstrom (E.G. Marshall) identifies Wheeler as the culprit, and Eckstrom charges detective Paul Sheridan (Fred MacMurray) with an undercover assignment to befriend Wheeler’s sultry girlfriend, Lona McLane (Kim Novak). A powerful attraction develops between Paul and Lona, and soon they have a torrid affair. Eckstrom, Paul and his partner, Rick McAllister (Philip Carey) stakeout Lona’s apartment, and wait for Wheeler. Lona leaves the apartment, and Paul follows her. She drives to his apartment. He meets her there, and she asks if he is a cop. Paul admits to it, but insists he’s been seeing her for personal reasons. Lona admits she’s frightened of Wheeler and insists she didn’t know about his criminal activities until after the bank robbery. Lona asks what would happen to Wheeler if she turned him in. When she suggests that she and Paul would be happy with the robbery money, he angrily demands she leave. Paul returns to the stakeout and discovers Rick watching Lona’s neighbor, a young nurse, Ann Stewart (Dorothy Malone). Paul promises Lona he will get the money when they apprehend Wheeler, if she will run away with him. Lona agrees and reveals Wheeler will be meeting her. The next day, Wheeler calls, and Lona departs. Paul has Rick follow her. Detective Paddy Dolan (Allen Nourse) is keeping watch in a squad car outside this complex peeping-tom stakeout, and the detectives spot Wheeler entering Lona’s apartment building. Paul and Paddy arrest Wheeler on his way out. Wheeler leads them to his car. Paul shoots Wheeler while Paddy is examining the bag of money, then claims Wheeler was about to attack Paddy. Paddy grows anxious and suspicious when Paul suggests they hide Wheeler’s body, and refuses to give Wheeler’s car keys to Paul. Later, as arranged with Lona, Paul slips into her apartment and waits for her call to assure her all is well. Upon leaving her apartment, however, Paul runs into Ann, then heads back to the stakeout room. Rick returns shortly, followed by Eckstrom, who sends Paul out on a pretext. Eckstrom informs Rick that he telephoned the stakeout room for an hour and received no answer. Rick admits that as he was leaving to trail Lona, he noted Paddy’s empty car and saw him going into the bar and suggests that Paul may be covering for the older detective. Meanwhile, Paul finds Paddy, and instructs him to hide Wheeler’s car. Certain that Paul is after the money, Paddy refuses and, pulling his gun, declares his intention to report his failure to Eckstrom. When Paddy’s car phone rings, Paul lunges for the gun, which goes off, killing Paddy. Paul telephones Lona for another meeting. Meanwhile, Ann, who knows about the police presence, runs into Rick and informs him that she saw a man coming out of Lona’s apartment, who Rick assumes was Wheeler. As Lona takes Rick on a fruitless drive, Paul moves Wheeler’s car and dumps the body, which is discovered just as he returns to the stakeout room. Eckstrom and Rick then question Lona, who reveals nothing. When Ann spots Paul heading toward Lona’s apartment, she reports it to the police. Realizing Ann has recognized him, Paul picks her up at gunpoint, then with Lona, leaves the building. Eckstrom and Rick receive Ann’s report as Paul goes outside and notices two squad cars around Wheeler’s car. He sends Ann to the trunk to retrieve the money, but Rick and another detective intercept her and have a shootout with Paul as Lona watches in dismay. Lona is arrested and a wounded Paul apologizes to Rick, who escorts Ann back to her apartment. A 1954 American film-noir crime film directed by Richard Quine, produced by Jules Schermer, screenplay by Roy Huggins, based on a novel by Thomas Walsh and another by William S. Ballinger, cinematography by Lester White, starring Fred MacMurray, Phil Carey, Kim Novak, Dorothy Malone, and E.G. Marshall. MacMurray and Marshall also appeared together in “The Caine Mutiny“ (1954). Kim Novak’s first major performance, and she receives an “and introducing“ credit. She was only 21 years-old. Her character, Lona, spoke as if she had lots more life experience. Before working on this film, Novak’s two uncredited films were at RKO, “The French Line“ (1953) and “Son of Sinbad“ (1955). Philip Carey starred in the movie advertised on the theater marquee, “The Nebraskan“ (1953), also released by Columbia. Carey also ogled a nurse through a pair of binoculars in “Mister Roberts“ (1955). The motion picture was adapted from two novels, Thomas Walsh’s “The Night Watch,“ which was serialized under the title “The Killer Wore a Badge“, in the Saturday Evening Post from November 10 to December 15, 1951, and William S. Ballinger’s “Rafferty.“ Roy Huggins went on to great success creating television series, including “The Fugitive“, “Maverick“, and “The Rockford Files.“