The Crooked Web (1955)

An ex-soldier (Frank Lovejoy), now running a drive in restaurant, is in love with one of his car hops (Mari Blanchard) who refuses to marry him because he can't offer the security she wants. But when the car hop's brother (Richard Denning) suddenly arrives with a plan to recover a stash of gold that was hidden during WWII in Berlin, the lure of easy wealth is too hard for all three to resist. This tight and efficient "B" noir has a few unexpected twists that turn its plot on end that come pretty early in the game that make it a few steps above the ordinary. Directed by Nathan Juran (ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN), the plot is overly complicated and stretches one's suspension of disbelief to the maximum but for what it is, it's pretty solid. The film's tight jawed leading men are colorlessly efficient but the brassy Blanchard (sort of a Dorothy Malone without the vulnerability) makes the most of her role. For noir buffs, it's work checking out.