Naked Alibi

"The story of a love with the law at its heels!"

1954 1h 26m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 42

CrimeDramaRomanceThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Questioned as a murder suspect, solid (but drunk) citizen Al Willis attacks his police questioners, is beaten, and swears vengeance against them. Next night, Lieut. Parks is murdered; Willis is the only suspect in the eyes of tough Chief Conroy, who pursues him doggedly despite lack of evidence. The obsessed Conroy is dismissed from the force, but continues to harass Willis, who flees to a sleazy town on the Mexican border. Of course, Conroy follows. But which is crazy, Conroy or Willis?

“The story of a love with the law at its heels!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Sterling Hayden
Joe E. Conroy
Gloria Grahame
Marianna
Gene Barry
Al Willis
Marcia Henderson
Helen Willis
Max Showalter
Det. Lt. Parks
Billy Chapin
Petey
Chuck Connors
Capt. Owen Kincaide
Don Haggerty
Matt Matthews

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jerry Hopper
Writers: Lawrence Roman, J. Robert Bren, Gladys Atwater
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

72 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jerry Hopper, shot by Russell Metty. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Al Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sterling Hayden and Gloria Grahame and Gene Barry carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The story of a love with the law at its heels!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0047263 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 42 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jerry Hopper directs. Russell Metty behind the camera. Al Clark cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
272 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Jerry Hopper, shot by Russell Metty. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Al Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Sterling Hayden and Gloria Grahame and Gene Barry carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The story of a love with the law at its heels!".
7IMDB entry: tt0047263 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 42 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "cop-killer", "beautiful woman", "film noir", "b-girl".

The technical file

Cinematography: Russell Metty
Editing: Al Clark
Costume design: Rosemary Odell
Makeup / hair: Bud Westmore
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Naked Alibi (1954)

Also by

Jerry Hopper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2014-08-09
★ 5/10
Killer of Family Man. Naked Alibi is directed by Jerry Hopper and adapted to screenplay by Lawrence Roman from the story “Cry Copper” by Gladys Atwater and J. Robert Bren. It stars Sterling Hayden, Gloria Grahame, Gene Barry and Marcia Henderson. Music is by Joseph Gershenson and cinematography by Russell Metty. Urgh! It’s one of those lesser grade film noir movies from the classic cycle that should have been super, but isn’t. It’s also a Sterling Hayden film that gives his knockers ammunition to call him wooden, yet the tedious direction of Hooper and all round over staging of the production is what’s at fault here. Plot has Barry (over acting) as a suspected cop killer who walks free to apparently wreak more misery on the police force. Hayden’s stoic and robust detective is not having a bit of it and becomes obsessed with bringing Barry’s edgy character to justice. Grahame slinks into view in shapely fashion after half hour of film, to naturally stir the hornet’s nest still further. The potential is there for a hot-to-trot noir of psychological substance, a peek under the skin of men teetering on the thin line separating good and bad. Sadly it’s all so laborious and fake, the male actors indulging in what I call auto-cue acting as they act out badly staged scenes. Grahame comes out of it relatively unscathed, while Metty gives the production an atmosphere it doesn’t deserve with some slats and shads dalliances. But really it’s average at best and the cast are wasted. 5/10
CinemaSerf2022-11-21
★ 6/10
This is a pretty mediocre film noir that is really only notable for a superior level of pouting from Gloria Grahame. Gene Barry ("Willis") is the victim of a false arrest and some police brutality so when he is eventually released from custody he declares his intention on having his revenge. When, next evening, a police officer is murdered Detective Chief Sterling Hayden ("Conway") becomes obsessed with bringing Barry to justice - an obsession that costs him his job and leads him to a confrontation with his foe in a rundown village on the Mexican border. The plot is all pretty much ABC, Hayden is pretty dry and and, to be honest, Graham isn't so hot either as "Marianna" but she does have something about her that holds the attention (certainly not her rather curious dance/shimmy routine which is pretty silly). The dialogue is a bit weedy, and maybe if it had lost 20 minutes or so it might have tightened up the rather rambling story a bit but as it is, it's really nothing special.