Nightfall (1956)

In the shadowy underbelly of 1950s Hollywood, a riveting tale of suspense and intrigue unfolds, where a bank heist, a misplaced bag of money, and a dangerous duo of thugs collide with the lives of innocents. James Vanning, an artist with a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, finds himself ensnared in a web of crime and murder, becoming an unwitting fugitive pursued by relentless criminals and the law alike. The story ignites when Vanning, portrayed with an air of desperate innocence by Aldo Ray, encounters the alluring model, Marie Gardner, played by the captivating Anne Bancroft. Their paths cross in a bar and their connection deepens over dinner. However, their evening takes a perilous turn when two thugs, John and Red, kidnap Vanning, believing him to possess the stolen money they've carelessly lost. The plot thickens with a chilling murder in the snowy expanses of Wyoming, where Vanning and his friend, Dr. Edward Gurston, innocently stumble upon John and Red's devastating car accident. As they attempt to offer aid, they're overpowered. Red fatally shoots Gurston, leaving Vanning for dead, and mistakenly absconds with Gurston's bag instead of their loot. Vanning, surviving the ordeal, escapes with the money, only to lose it in the blizzard. The narrative weaves back to the bustling cityscape of Hollywood, where the now hunted Vanning seeks refuge at Marie's apartment. As Marie becomes embroiled in his plight, she unwittingly steers Vanning into the clutches of the villains, transforming into a pseudo-femme fatale, innocently tangled in the suspense. Simultaneously, insurance investigator Ben Fraser, intrigued by Vanning's modest lifestyle despite his supposed windfall, joins the chase. The film entwines the viewer in a gripping three-part flashback that traverses from menacing oil wells and the snow-laden plains of Wyoming to the Hollywood streets, aided by the interplay of high contrast imagery. Nightfall is a thriller that bridges innocence with crime, creating a paradox of heroes and villains, where things that really happen are difficult to explain. It is a cinematic journey that keeps you on edge, as each character, like the viewer, is gradually and inextricably drawn into the plot's pulsating heart. Will Vanning clear his name? Will he and Marie escape the clutches of their pursuers? The answers lie hidden in the shadows of Nightfall.

Nightfall is a crime movie featuring Aldo Ray.

Nightfall is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Tubi TV.