The Fat Man

1951

1h 18m

IMDb RATING

5.6/10

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Crime

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

A innocent dentist is murdered and the only apparent motive seems to be to steal a set of dental x-rays. To the police it looks like an accident, but private eye Brad Runyan thinks there's more to it.

Directors

William Castle

Writers

Leonard Lee(screenplay by)

Leonard Lee(story by)

Harry Essex(screenplay by)

Stars

J. Scott Smart

Julie London

Rock Hudson

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Top cast

Brad Runyan

Pat Boyd

Roy Clark

Bill Norton

Jane Adams

Gene Gordon

L.t. Stark

Ed Deets

Lola Gordon

Fletcher

Happy Stevens

Shifty

Directors

William Castle

Writers

Leonard Lee(screenplay by)

Leonard Lee(story by)

Harry Essex(screenplay by)

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Featured review

6/10

A dentist preparing to give a big speech at a conference makes the mistake of opening his door late one evening. Next thing he has been coshed and papped out of a fifteenth story window. Why? Well the rather easily pleased police conclude he succumbed to a fit of nerves, took some calming pills and... His long-term nursing assistant "Pat" (Julie London) doesn't buy that, though. She smells a rat and seeks out the help of the eponymous, renowned, investigator (J. Scott Smart). Can he put down his cutlery long enough to help her find out why she is being followed, what has happened both to her missing ex-con boyfriend "Roy" (Rock Hudson) and to $500,000 in stolen loot? In many ways this reminded me of a "Charlie Chan" mystery only here it's "Bill" (Clinton Sundberg) who takes the place of "No. 2 son" as the useful factotum who helps his boss to a conclusion in a circus. It takes just a bit too long to get going - a snappy start rather settles down a bit too much, but Smart does enough to keep the mystery rolling along with language that we'd never be allowed to use in a film nowadays. Sometimes I wonder how Rock Hudson ever achieved stardom. He was easy enough on the eye, but versatile he certainly wasn't! Watchable but you won't remember it.

Geronimo196727 Nov, 2023