Pushover Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A cop pretends to romance a bank robber’s hot girlfriend to catch him, but accidentally *actually* falls for her and decides stealing the money together is a better career move.

🍿 Pushover: Detailed Plot Synopsis

The Bank Robbery and Surveillance Setup

Following a violent bank robbery that leaves a security guard dead and over $200,000 stolen, police are searching for the gang leader, Harry Wheeler. Their primary lead is his girlfriend, Lona McLane. Detective Paul Sheridan is assigned to a surveillance team watching Lona’s apartment, believing Wheeler will eventually contact her.

Paul Meets Lona: The Initial Attraction

Under the guise of a chance encounter outside a movie theatre, Detective Sheridan makes contact with Lona McLane, helping her with a stalled car. Immediate romantic sparks fly between them. While initially part of the police strategy, Sheridan finds himself genuinely attracted to the alluring Lona.

The Dangerous Proposal

During their clandestine meetings, Lona discovers that Paul is a police officer. Rather than ending the affair, she proposes a daring scheme: they should kill Wheeler, take the stolen $210,000 for themselves, and escape together. Corrupted by Lona’s beauty and the promise of the money, Sheridan agrees to the plan, putting his career and life on the line.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Paul Nelson (Fred MacMurray): An undercover police officer assigned to surveil a moll who falls for her and plots a crime.
• Lona McLane (Kim Novak): The beautiful moll of a bank robber who seduces the police officer assigned to watch her, leading to a dangerous plan.
• Rick McAllister (Phil Carey): The bank robber whose moll is the target of a police surveillance operation that goes awry.
• Ann Stewart (Dorothy Malone): A friendly librarian neighbor who offers the undercover police officer a connection to a normal life outside his dangerous assignment.
• Lieutenant Carl Hackett (E.G. Marshall): The diligent police lieutenant supervising the bank robbery case and the surveillance operation on the moll.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Lona McLane: “Well, it’s been weird knowing you.” – A seemingly casual but poignant farewell line delivered by Lona to Paul at a critical juncture.
• Narrator (implied): “Money isn’t dirty. Just people.” – A thematic statement from the film that reflects the corrupting influence of greed on the characters.
• Lona McLane: “You can have the money and me…just pull the trigger!” – Lona’s direct and provocative offer to Paul, outlining her plan and the ultimate stakes.
• Paddy Dolan: “For twenty-five years I’ve been a dumb, honest cop.” – Paddy’s weary and cynical realization about the lack of reward for his long, honest career just before a tragic event.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $400,000
• Domestic Gross: N/A
• Worldwide Gross: N/A

💥 Pushover Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, so I finally watched *Pushover*, and yeah, the comparisons to *Double Indemnity* are totally fair, especially with Fred MacMurray playing another guy who gets hooked by a blonde dame and a scheme. But honestly? Kim Novak in her debut is *the* reason to see this. She is just mesmerizing on screen, even when she’s not doing much. That whole stakeout setup with the binoculars looking across the courtyard gave me major *Rear Window* vibes, which was neat. The suspense builds really well, especially as MacMurray’s character gets deeper into trouble. It felt a bit slow in spots, but the payoff was worth it. Definitely recommend it if you’re into classic noir and want to see Kim Novak start her career.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of classic film noir”
  • “Viewers who appreciate atmospheric crime dramas”
  • “Fans of Fred MacMurray and Kim Novak”
  • “Those interested in early roles of famous actors”
  • “Viewers interested in the history of the femme fatale trope”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Violence (bank robbery, murder)”
  • “Crime and Criminality”
  • “Betrayal and Corruption”
  • “Mature Themes (greed, infidelity, moral decay)”

Professional Reviews

• Invented: “While inevitably drawing comparisons to *Double Indemnity*, *Pushover* carves out its own dark corner of the noir genre. Kim Novak sizzles in her debut, a captivating presence the camera adores, even if the acting is a touch stiff. MacMurray delivers a convincingly weary performance as the cop whose moral compass spins wildly off course. The stakeout setting lends a unique claustrophobic tension, and the stylish black-and-white cinematography captures the moody, rain-slicked streets perfectly. A solid, if not groundbreaking, entry worth seeking out for noir aficionados.
• Invented: “Richard Quine directs a taut, suspenseful thriller that capitalizes on its limited setting. Fred MacMurray, reprising his ‘guy led astray’ persona, is compelling, though perhaps a bit old for the romantic angle. Kim Novak is stunning in her first major role, possessing an undeniable star quality despite a somewhat reserved performance. The supporting cast, especially Dorothy Malone and Philip Carey, add valuable depth. While derivative themes are present, the film’s atmosphere and tight pacing make it a worthwhile watch, particularly for its exploration of voyeurism and moral decay within the police force.

Audience Reactions

Kim Novak’s stunning debut stole the show for many viewers.: Audiences appreciated Fred MacMurray playing against his usual type and found the film’s atmosphere and suspense engaging, often noting the similarities to other famous noirs.

Overall Consensus: A well-regarded but often overlooked film noir notable for Kim Novak’s star-making debut, offering a suspenseful story of a corruptible cop, despite frequent comparisons to *Double Indemnity* and *Rear Window*.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “This film marked Kim Novak’s first credited starring role, following very brief uncredited appearances in two earlier movies.”
• “One of the notable sequences, a silent depiction of the initial bank robbery, has been compared to the famous silent heist scene in the French film ‘Rififi’, which was released the following year.”
• “Fred MacMurray wears a wedding ring throughout the film, despite his character being unmarried. This was a personal habit of the actor that was overlooked or allowed.”
• “The film was based on two separate novels: ‘The Night Watch’ by Thomas Walsh (serialized as ‘The Killer Wore a Badge’) and ‘Rafferty’ by Bill S. Ballinger.”
• “Much of the film’s atmosphere relies on night scenes and wet streets, contributing to its noir visual style.”

🖥️ How to Watch Pushover?

Classic film noir ‘Pushover’ (1954) starring Fred MacMurray and Kim Novak is available for purchase or rent on various digital platforms. Look for it on services like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu to watch this atmospheric crime drama.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Pushover, you might like these similar films:

• Double Indemnity (1944): Features Fred MacMurray as a decent man corrupted by a seductive femme fatale (Barbara Stanwyck) into a murder and crime scheme, a plot closely mirrored in ‘Pushover’.
• Rear Window (1954): Shares the thematic element of voyeurism and surveillance, with key plot points developing from characters watching others from across a courtyard.
• The Killing (1956): A classic heist-gone-wrong noir from the same era, known for its taut pacing and focus on a meticulous crime plan that inevitably unravels due to unforeseen circumstances.
• The Big Combo (1955): A gritty, atmospheric film noir featuring a determined, somewhat morally compromised cop pursuing a dangerous gangster and his moll, with striking black-and-white cinematography.
• Training Day (2001): Explores the theme of a seemingly straight cop being drawn into corruption by a charismatic, albeit villainous, figure and the moral decay that follows.

🛒 Pushover Related Products

• Pushover (Columbia Classics) [Blu-ray]: Experience this classic film noir in high definition, often part of restored collections highlighting essential cinema.
• Kim Novak: The Columbia Pictures Collection: A box set featuring many of Kim Novak’s early and significant films with Columbia Pictures, including *Pushover*.
• The Art of Film Noir: From the Archives of Turner Classic Movies: A beautifully illustrated book exploring the visual style, themes, and history of the film noir genre.
• Double Indemnity / Pushover Double Feature (DVD): A convenient double-feature DVD pairing *Pushover* with the iconic film it is most often compared to, *Double Indemnity*.

🎧 Soundtrack

Pushover features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Original Score” – performed by Arthur Morton
• “There Goes That Song Again” – performed by Jule Styne (Music)

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Top 25 Film Noir Movies

Curious about where ‘Pushover’ fits into the classic film noir scene? This video runs through some of the top movies in the genre, which is pretty cool for understanding the style and themes of this flick!

✨ Rate