Journey into Terror: The Haunting Tale of Dark Mountain (1944)

"Dark Mountain" (also known as "Thunderbolt" and "Thunder Mountain") is a 1944 American film noir crime film directed by William Berke. The film tells the story of a group of criminals who rob a train and seek refuge in a remote mountain cabin, only to find themselves trapped there by a blizzard. The tension among the criminals increases as they begin to suspect each other of being informants and the police draw closer to their hiding place.

The film features a strong cast, including Robert Lowery, Ellen Drew, Regis Toomey, and Edgar Buchanan. It is notable for its moody atmosphere, intense suspense, and dark themes, all hallmarks of the film noir genre. "Dark Mountain" received mixed reviews upon its release, but has since gained a cult following among fans of classic film noir.

Cast:

Robert Lowery as David Worth
Ellen Drew as Chris Hale
Regis Toomey as Sheriff Tom Hale
Eddie Quillan as Smitty
Barbara Woodell as Mary
George Douglas as John Magnum
John Miljan as Dr. Vannevar
William Gould as Gideon Polk

Dark Mountain is a 1944 American film noir crime film directed by William Berke. It is also known as Thunderbolt and Thunder Mountain.
Plot Summary

When forest ranger Don Bradley manages to rescue two horses from burning to death inside a building during a forest fire, he gets promoted to head of the Dark Mountain area. His friend Willie gets to follow him as his assistant.

His first week off Don goes to see his girlfriend Kay and asks her to marry him, but she tells him she can't, since she just married a merchant named Steve Downey. Crushed, Don returns to Dark Mountain.

Kay finds out that the man she married is a racketeer, operating on the black market. One day a government agent, Dave Lewis, arrives to investigate Steve's business. He is killed by one of Steve's goons, and the body dropped in the middle of the road, to make it look like he has been accidentally run over.

Kay decides to leave her husband, but he doesn't let her go. She is present and witness to when Steve kills one of his own men that he suspects have told the police about the operation. Steve then flees and brings Kay with him. He tells her that she is a criminal too, being an accomplice in the racketeering since her name is on the contract for his warehouse.

When Steve decides they will split up to easier get away from the police, Kay goes to Don for protection and advice. He gives her shelter in one of the mountain cabins but tells her to go to police as soon as possible.

Steve manages to track Kay to the mountain cabin and tells Kay he will kill her if she reveals to anyone that he is there. Don brings Kay food every day, and soon realizes that she is not alone in the cabin.

Don and Willie plan a trap to catch Steve without risking to harm Kay. Over the short wave radio, they send a fake message that the police believe they are closing in on the fugitive near the Mexican border, to lure Steve out of hiding. Steve leaves the cabin, but he brings Kay with him again. He steals Don's truck, full of explosives, and drives off. Willie's dog catches up with the truck shortly after they leave and jumps in; he starts attacking Steve during the drive.

While the truck is still moving, Kay and the dog jump out through a door, and Willie flattens the tires with his gun. The truck goes off the road and explodes with Steve still in it. Kay throws herself in Don's arms and they are reunited.[1]
Cast

Robert Lowery as Don Bradley
Ellen Drew as Kay Downey
Regis Toomey as Steve Downey
Eddie Quillan as Willie Dinsmire
Elisha Cook Jr. as Whitey
Ralph Dunn as Chief Sanford
Walter Baldwin as Uncle Sam Bates
Rose Plumer as Aunt Pattie Bates
Virginia Sale as Aletha Bates
Byron Foulger as Harvey Bates
Johnny Fisher as Hunk, Henchman
Alex Callam as Detective Dave Lewis
Eddie Kane as Waiter
Angelo Desfis as Bookkeeper

Production

The film was based on an original script called Thunder Mountain by Dean Franklin and Charles Royal. It bought by Pine-Thomas Productions in January 1944 as a vehicle for Chester Morris.[2] Morris however went into a film at Columbia, The Adventure of Jim Burke and was replaced by Regis Toomey. Helen Walker was going to play the female lead but she went into Abroad with Two Yanks and was replaced by Ellen Drew.It was Ellen Drew's first film for a while.[3]

Dick Purcell died of a heart attack shortly before he was supposed to make the film. He was replaced by Carroll Nye who had made the short Soldiers of the Soil for Pine Thomas.[4]

Filming started 9 April 1944.[5]
See also

List of American films of 1944

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dark Mountain (film).

Dark Mountain at IMDb
Dark Mountain at TCMDB
Review of film at Variety
Dark Mountain is available for free download at the Internet Archive

References

"Dark Mountain".
SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 15 Jan 1944: 10.
Catherine' Revived as Mae West Subject: Ellen Drew Resumes Hollywood Film Career in Pine-Thomas Production Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times25 Mar 1944: 5.
Singer Beatrice Kay Signed for 'Horseshoe': Warners Hand Jack Chertok Production Reins on 'Land I Have Chosen' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 12 Apr 1944: A8.

SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Toomey to Replace Morris in 'Dark Forest' New York Times 3 Apr 1944: 18.

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Films directed by William Berke

Toll of the Desert (1935) Gun Grit (1936) Desert Justice (1936) Lawless Plainsmen (1942) Down Rio Grande Way (1942) Riders of the Northland (1942) Bad Men of the Hills (1942) Overland to Deadwood (1942) The Lone Prairie (1942) Riding Through Nevada (1942) A Tornado in the Saddle (1942) Frontier Fury (1943) Tornado (1943) Minesweeper (1943) Saddles and Sagebrush (1943) Law of the Northwest (1943) Hail to the Rangers (1943) The Fighting Buckaroo (1943) Silver City Raiders (1943) The Vigilantes Ride (1943) The Navy Way (1944) That's My Baby! (1944) Wyoming Hurricane (1944) Sailor's Holiday (1944) Dark Mountain (1944) Dangerous Passage (1944) Double Exposure (1944) The Last Horseman (1944) Betrayal from the East (1945) High Powered (1945) Dick Tracy (1945) Renegade Girl (1946) Rolling Home (1946) Shoot to Kill (1947) Caged Fury (1948) Speed to Spare (1948) Highway 13 (1948) Waterfront at Midnight (1948) Arson, Inc. (1949) Deputy Marshal (1949) Jungle Jim (1949) The Lost Tribe (1949) Sky Liner (1949) Zamba (1949) Treasure of Monte Cristo (1949) Captive Girl (1950) Mark of the Gorilla (1950) Border Rangers (1950) On the Isle of Samoa (1950) Train to Tombstone (1950) The Bandit Queen (1950) Operation Haylift (1950) Pygmy Island (1950) I Shot Billy the Kid (1950) Gunfire (1950) Danger Zone (1951) FBI Girl (1951) Pier 23 (1951) Savage Drums (1951) Roaring City (1951) Kaadu (1952) Valley of the Head Hunters (1953) Four Boys and a Gun (1957) Street of Sinners (1957) Island Women (1958) Cop Hater (1958) The Mugger (1958)

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Films of Pine-Thomas Productions
Feature Films

Power Dive (1941) Forced Landing (1941) Flying Blind (1941) No Hands on the Clock (1941) Torpedo Boat (1942) I Live on Danger (1942) Wildcat (1942) Wrecking Crew (1942) Tornado (1943) Aerial Gunner (1943) High Explosive (1943) Alaska Highway (1943) Submarine Alert (1943) Minesweeper (1943) Timber Queen (1944) The Navy Way (1944) Gambler's Choice (1944) Take It Big (1944) Dark Mountain (1944) One Body Too Many (1944) Double Exposure (1944) Dangerous Passage (1944) High Powered (1945) Midnight Manhunt (1945) Follow That Woman (1945) Scared Stiff (1945) People Are Funny (1946) Tokyo Rose (1946) They Made Me a Killer (1946) Hot Cargo (1946) Swamp Fire (1946) Seven Were Saved (1947) Big Town (1947) I Cover Big Town (1947) Fear in the Night (1947) Danger Street (1947) Adventure Island (1947) Jungle Flight (1947) Big Town After Dark (1947) Albuquerque (1948) Caged Fury (1948) Mr. Reckless (1948) Speed to Spare (1948) Big Town Scandal (1948) Shaggy (1948) Waterfront at Midnight (1948) Disaster (1948) Dynamite (1948) Manhandled (1949) Special Agent (1949) El Paso (1949) Captain China (1950) The Eagle and the Hawk (1950) The Lawless (1950) Tripoli (1950) The Last Outpost (1951) Passage West (1951) Hong Kong (1951) Caribbean (1952) The Blazing Forest (1952) Tropic Zone (1953) Jamaica Run (1953) Sangaree (1953) The Vanquished (1953) Those Redheads from Seattle (1953) Jivaro (1954) Run for Cover (1955) The Far Horizons (1955) Hell's Island (1955) Lucy Gallant (1955) Nightmare (1956) The Big Caper (1957) Bailout at 43,000 (1957)

Short Films

A Letter from Bataan (1942) We Refuse to Die (1942) The Price of Victory (1942)

Categories:

1944 filmsAmerican crime drama films1944 crime drama films1940s English-language filmsAmerican black-and-white filmsFilms directed by William A. Berke1940s American films

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Mountain_(film)