Watch A Life at Stake

A Life at Stake is a 1955 film noir thriller directed by Paul Guilfoyle and starring Angela Lansbury, Keith Andes, and Douglass Dumbrille. The film follows the story of Edward Shaw (Keith Andes), a young and ambitious architect who is down on his luck and desperate for a break. When he is approached by Doris Hillman (Angela Lansbury), a wealthy widow, to design a new home for her, Edward sees it as his chance to finally make it big.

As the project progresses, Doris becomes more and more involved in Edward's life, offering him financial support and even becoming romantically involved with him. But Edward soon realizes that there is a catch to his good fortune: Doris has a criminal past and is involved in a scheme to defraud her wealthy associates through a rigged investment scheme.

As Edward becomes increasingly embroiled in Doris's dangerous world, he begins to suspect that his life may be in danger. He enlists the help of a private investigator, Walter Brennan (Douglass Dumbrille), but it may already be too late for him to escape the web of deceit and danger that he has become entangled in.

The tension in A Life at Stake builds steadily throughout the film as Edward becomes more and more ensnared in Doris's dangerous schemes. Angela Lansbury delivers a powerful and convincing performance as the manipulative, ruthless widow, while Keith Andes holds his own as the desperate and conflicted architect. The chemistry between the two is electric, and the relationship between Doris and Edward is both complex and compelling.

The film is shot in classic film noir style, with stark, moody lighting and shadowy scenes that add to the sense of foreboding and danger. The pacing is tight and suspenseful, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the audience guessing until the very end.

In many ways, A Life at Stake is a quintessential film noir, with its dark themes of greed, violence, and deception, and its hard-boiled characters who are willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead. But it also has a psychological depth and complexity that sets it apart from many other films of the genre, exploring the nature of power, ambition, and obsession in a way that is both insightful and haunting.

Overall, A Life at Stake is a gripping and intense thriller that is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. With strong performances, taut direction, and a compelling script, it is a classic example of film noir at its best.

A Life at Stake is a 1954 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 18 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8.