Bodyguard (1948)

Directed by Richard O Fleischer; produced by Sid Rogell

Los Angeles police detective Mike Carter (Lawrence Tierney) is fired for gross insubordination and assaulting his superior officer. A new job isn’t too long in coming, however, as he is hired by a man (Phillip Reed) to protect his aunt (Elisabeth Risdon), owner of a meat-packing company, who has been receiving death threats. None of her family makes Carter’s job easy, however, and he is soon mired in private conspiracies and police corruption.

The most interesting thing about Bodyguard is that Tierney’s character is probably quite close to his own. Carter has a bad temper which continually gets him into trouble; he’s impulsive and a brawler, and he blames his problems on drinking. Other than that, Bodyguard is a little worse than average.

Much of the trouble is the script. This may be surprising (or not, depending on one’s opinion of the writer) as it was co-authored by Robert Altman. The story starts out with Carter being hired as a bodyguard, as the title suggests, but that is quickly forgotten. He spends most of the movie investigating the chicanery centred on a meat-producing factory, while the woman whom he was hired to protect is left defenceless; this, despite an attempt on her life hours after Carter is hired.

That attempt is itself a puzzle. Who was behind it is never explained. The most likely suspect, the only one, really, was much better off not drawing attention to the family with whom Carter becomes involved.

Indeed, everyone connected wth the woman in danger, herself included, has more reason to avoid notice - and that means the paying of a bodyguard, too - than creating it. Carter’s initial employment as a minder is rather pointless. There isn’t much of a mystery to occupy the rest of the movie. It’s pretty straightforward.

The acting is good. Tierney, for all his off-screen scandals (all of his own making), is an engaging performer, but he gives no special effort here. Wasted is Priscilla Lane, as Carter’s girlfriend. Bodyguard was her final motion picture and if all her other offers at the time gave her as much scope as this one, I can see why she retired.

The film lasts a mere sixty-two minutes. When Strangers Marry, reviewed a couple of weeks ago, ran for about as long, but put much more into that hour and a bit, in terms of writing, acting and directing. Bodyguard fills its time, and leaves one unsatisfied; not very bad, it nonetheless has little to offer the viewer.