"Honest!"

Hee hee. Continuing my Ralph Meeker fling, I watched "Jeopardy" today. 1953, with Barbara Stanwyck. Quite a fun little thriller. I wouldn't mind owning this one at all. Some improbabilities, but still quite fun. And what made it so much fun was Mr. Meeker. Once he arrives on the scene, the movie jumps into high gear. Yowza, he's even better looking here (scruffy and disheveled), and he's got all the plum dialogue. His lines made me grin throughout. He's a fugitive from the law whom Ms. Stanwyck tries to recruit to help rescue her husband, who's trapped by a piling on the beach with the surf coming in. He's so very snarky and sexy and smug in this movie, and all in a carefree and careless way that make him even more appealing, and more dangerous, at the same time.

And Barbara Stanwyck is always an interesting actress to watch. I like how rather ruthlessly she decides to accept what she needs to do to get Ralph Meeker's help. I like how you can see the wheels turning. There's one funny scene where the front tire blows, and she waits around all casual and lets him discover on his own there's no jack in the trunk. Cracks me up. Then he gets to figure how to change the tire without a jack. And I like his solution... quite simple, but clever. And it cracks me up how proud he is of himself whenever he does something he thinks is cool. And where some may roll their eyes at the ending, it worked for me because both characters had changed because of their encounter, not just him. I like that a lot.