Hellen
I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Cleveronix
A different way of telling a story
Stephanie
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Dalbert Pringle
Favorite quote - "Stop being so melodramatic!" Now here's yet another movie from the apparently chaste 1940s where, even though the strangle-hold of the Hays Code was very much in effect, its story features a man who's in a position of trusted authority (this time it being a handsome (natch) parole officer) who becomes (through deliberate intentions) romantically involved with one of his parolees (this time it being a beautiful (natch) murderess/ex-con).And, I don't know about you, but, from my point of view, when it comes to issues like moral ethics and a sense of professionalism, I judge any hanky-panky (with one's client, or patient, or whoever) as being pretty damn low, and lousy, and clearly unacceptable. (Yes, even in a movie!)And it was because of the professionally immoral nature of this movie-romance (and the events that revolved around it) that I purposely reduced Shockproof's star-rating significantly in accordance with my feelings.Another reason why I rated Shockproof so low was because this unethical parole officer (who was a man in his mid-30s) was also something of a momma's boy, still living at home and very much tied to his clinging mother's strangulating apron-strings. (Like, give me a break, already!)Anyways - With all of the above-mentioned nonsense aside, Shockproof's "Lovers-On-The-Run" story really wasn't that good to begin with.From its absurd and contrived story-line, to its wooden performances, to its goofy dialogue and mediocre direction, I found Shockproof's "She's-no-good/He's-no-good" premise, for the most part, much too laughable (unintentionally), far too often. This film really took itself way-way too seriously for its own good.And, along with all of its other many fluky flaws and annoying inconsistencies, this quickly reduced Shockproof to being one of the most unsatisfactory B-Movie Thrillers that I've seen in a mighty long-long time.Thank goodness that this utter nonsense-of-a-movie had a running time of only 80 grate-on-your-nerves minutes!
seymourblack-1
"Shockproof" brought together the disparate talents of two men who were both destined to achieve their greatest successes as directors in the 1950s. Samuel Fuller who wrote the screenplay had previously worked as a newspaper crime reporter and had also written pulp novels. His simple and forceful style used tabloid and pulp influences to produce a script which is full of drive and colour. Douglas Sirk, who directed the movie, was a sophisticated man whose instincts leant more towards the polished style which in later years, characterised the glossy melodramas for which he became famous. Forbidden, inappropriate or doomed love affairs provide powerful material for melodramas and whilst the relationship depicted in "Shockproof" offered Sirk the kind of subject matter which instinctively appealed to him, the extreme and criminal consequences it produced very much suited Fuller's style of writing.When Jenny Marsh (Patricia Knight) is released from prison, her parole officer Griff Marat (Cornel Wilde) gives her a list of strict conditions which she is required to adhere to in order to avoid being sent back into detention. One of the most important ones (besides not getting married) is that she must stay away from Harry Wesson (John Baragrey), a smarmy gambler who was partly responsible for the events which led to her conviction. Marat is annoyed when, despite being set up with a job and a place to live, she persists in seeing Wesson and is even caught by the police when they raid a bookie's business. As he's convinced of her potential to reform, Griff employs her in his own home looking after his blind mother, an arrangement which he feels will be helpful to give her first hand experience of family life and also keep her away from the attentions of Harry Wesson.Griff falls in love with his parolee and proposes marriage. She turns him down but when Harry hears about the proposal he puts pressure on Jenny to accept because this would make Griff an accomplice to breaking the terms of her parole. Jenny and Griff get married in secret but one day Harry phones Griff and starts to tell him something about Jenny. Their conversation is suddenly interrupted when a shot is heard. When Griff finds out that Jenny has shot and seriously wounded Harry (and it's uncertain whether he'll survive), the couple go on the run with the intention of escaping to Mexico. The problems they encounter in trying to evade the police eventually become so intolerable that they decide to turn themselves in. When they do however, the events that follow come as a great surprise.Although Griff is a very conventional and ambitious man with an ideal family life, when he becomes attracted to Jenny, a startling change occurs and a great deal of crazy stuff follows. His intelligence and powers of judgement seem to desert him, otherwise why would he invite a convicted murderer to work in his home and look after his blind mother? Why would he marry her knowing that his complicity in breaking the terms of her parole would damage his reputation and jeopardise his career? His lack of concern about the fact that she attempted to murder Harry is remarkable and it's amazing how readily he goes on the run with her and also how quickly he resorts to criminal action when the need arises. He also seems to suddenly ignore the implications of his actions in terms of how they will impact on his family and his political ambitions."Shockproof" provides an account of how powerful passions can derail the lives of even the most conservative and respectable of people but does so in a way which is entertaining, fast paced and competently acted. Unfortunately, a studio imposed ending does detract from the power and the credibility of the story, but this short low budget movie still, nevertheless, remains interesting and well worth seeing.
writers_reign
There's a world of difference between Cornel Wilde's previous film, Roadhouse, and this one and it's not entirely due to the casting - Roadhouse boasted a great quartet in Wilde, Richard Widmark, Ida Lupino and Celeste Holm, whereas her we get Wilde, period, and Jean Negulesco handled Roadhouse better than Douglas Sirk handles Shockproof (a meaningless title having nothing to do with the story. Considering they'd been married a good decade there's remarkably little chemistry between Wilde and Patricia Knight or indeed between anyone in the cast and anyone else. The protagonists meet in the first minute, she a parolee, he her parole officer and you can bet the farm he's going to fall for her despite his 'tough' attitude. It's all fairly predictable but Sirk was a decent craftsman and is able to salvage something ... not much, but a little. For Sirk completists only.
dbdumonteil
"Schockproof" looks like a blueprint for Sirk's works to come ,particularly "Written on the wind" .Patricia Knight is the bad girl (because of a tormented childhood,poverty ,parents loss....) we find again in the 1956 effort:¨besides Knight resembles Dorothy Malone,who,unlike her,will play a rich spoilt kid ,playing around with the gas station men,and driving along a road of derricks (also present in "shockproof") "Shockproof" is too predictable to be considered a Sirk classic (like such works as "written on the wind" "all that heaven allows" "imitation of life" or "a time to love and a time to die" ,to name but four).The script borrows from two Fritz Lang works of the thirties ,one of which is a masterpiece ("You only live twice" ) ;in the other one, much less absorbing "You and me" ,Sylvia Sydney plays a woman in the same situation as Knight.Also handicapped by a happy end ,very artificial.The best scenes are to be found in the parole officer's house ,when Knight discovers that the other guest is also on parole;this family unit (an old blind mom,two kid brothers) desperately needs someone ,it's obvious.The rebuilding of a family will emerge again in "all that heaven allows" "there's always tomorrow" and particularly "Imitation of life" and "All I desire"
