Ambush (1939) DVD-R

Starring Gladys Swarthout, Lloyd Nolan, William Henry, William Frawley,
Ernest Truex, Broderick Crawford
Directed by Kurt Neumann

Print: black/white
Runtime: 82 min.
Genre: drama
Print Quality: B

Finishing out her Paramount Pictures contract, opera star Gladys
Swarthout sings not a single note in the tense little thriller Ambush. After
pulling off a bank robbery, a clever gang of thieves squirrels itself away
in a rural hideout. Complicating matters is the unexpected arrival of Jane
Hartman (Swarthout), the sister of one of the crooks. Hoping to keep her
brother and herself alive, Jane is obliged to coerce an honest truck
driver named Tony Andrews (Lloyd Nolan) into helping the fugitives
escape. Ambush is distinguished by the bravura performance of Ernest
Truex, usually cast in milquetoast roles, as the brilliant but deadly
"brains" of the outlaw gang.