Starring Sterling Hayden, Ruth Roman, a 1956 Lincoln Premiere Convertible, and the contents of Ms. Roman's handbag.
Littered with Cold War espionage and intrigue, Ruth, a postwar German emigre, is unwittingly involved in the murder of a CIA agent in Los Angeles. While on the lam she picks up the stranded Hayden, whose own car broke down. She leaves the driving to the handsome hitcher, falling into his arms, and into her own passenger seat. Stopped by local deputies on a remote CA desert highway, who are looking for "a lady in a tan convertible" (make that Desert Buff, with matching tri-tone Buff, Starmist White and Black interior), the two escape, but not before being hand-cuffed together. Delightful high-speed scenes of the Lincoln follow, till they're forced to ditch the car and lay low (for about ten minutes) in a roadside motel. The
Christmas Motel. Hayden just can't keep his hands off the wheel (can you blame him?), and many shots from all angles of the long, low, lovely Lincoln ensue, with the Premiere in at least 1/4 of the film.
Werner Klemperer plays a supporting role as the evil Dr. Simmons, bent on committing Ruth to an asylum for the criminally insane. See, the Doc knows that she holds the secret to certain nuclear destruction, the end of life as we know it,
in her purse!
Bit parts include fictitious members of the CIA and FBI, several '56 Fords, and a cameo of a '56 Mercury Monterey Sedan.
A
must see film for '56 Lincoln & FoMoCo devotees!
Faithfully,
TG