Cover Up

Plot synopsis:
In a small Midwestern town, Roger Phillips is found dead. When insurance investigator Sam Donovan (O'Keefe) arrives looking into the apparent suicide, all clues lead him to suspect murder. The man was shot, but there are no powder burns on the body (which would indicate he was not shot at close range) nor was a pistol found. Unfortunately, no one wants to assist him with the case, including Sheriff Larry Best (Bendix), despite a double indemnity clause. It turns out the dead man was universally hated.
One of the prime suspects is Frank Baker, who eloped with Phillips' daughter the night of the death when Phillips objected to the marriage. During the investigation, Sam and local girl Anita Weatherby (Britton) are strongly attracted to each other. This causes complications when Anita finds her father's hidden Luger pistol (Phillips was shot with a Luger) while searching for a place to store her diary away from her inquisitive younger sister.
Meanwhile, at the annual town Christmas tree lighting, the residents are grieved to learn that beloved longtime physician Dr. Gerrow has died of a heart attack.
Finally, Sam plants a false story in the newspaper, stating that he has sent for a chemist to find clues of the killer's identity from the floor of the house where Phillips died. The chemist is due very soon, so Sam waits for the murderer at the scene of the crime. Sheriff Best shows up first, but he knew the story was a fake. Next to arrive is Anita's father, Stu Weatherby, followed by Anita. Sam accuses Stu of the crime, but then realizes from the position of the murderer that he had to have been left-handed, which rules Stu out. Then Sam remembers, from his previous investigation, that Dr. Gerrow was left-handed. Stu confirms Sam's guess. Weatherby came upon Dr. Gerrow, just after the doctor snapped and killed the man responsible for so much misery to his loved townspeople. He talked Gerrow out of turning himself in and took the Luger away.

Tags: murder

Review:
So why aren't small town locals cooperating with insurance investigator O'Keefe as he looks into a suicide or maybe murder.
Good thing the Weatherby's elder daughter (Britton) is there to brighten up his stay.The production does an excellent job blending the mystery ingredient with lighter moments and the romantic angle.
Before his company will pay out, an insurance investigator (Dennis O'Keefe) arrives in a small town to look into an apparent suicide.
It may not be the noir I was expecting, but Cover-Up is a nice little 40s style mystery.
The cast is more than capable with Dennis O'Keefe, William Bendix, and Barbara Britton giving nice performances.
Another nice discovery for me: a pretty good thriller which, though not exactly a film noir, features two staples of the genre  Dennis O'Keefe and William Bendix  in top form.
Their rapport throughout is quite delightful and this, along with the equally refreshing charms of leading lady Barbara Britton and the distinct Christmas flavor of its small-town setting, creates an overall mood of warmth not easily found in murder mysteries!
The plot (whose insurance-investigation angle clearly derives from Billy Wilder's DOUBLE INDENMITY [1944]) provides a good amount of tension  and red herrings  along the way, while the final revelation (bearing an unexpected moral emphasis) concludes the film on a satisfying note..
A good, economical little b movie, with a wonderful female lead , Britton, who is stunning and a straight faced male lead, O Keefe.
So why would an insurance investigator, Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe), investigate this in the first place?
I think this is a HUGE problem with the plot of "Cover Up"...unless I am mistaken.The story begins with Donovan arriving in town to do his investigation.
To make things worse, the Sheriff seems ambivalent when Sam's investigation shows that the man was murdered.
If you can ignore the inconsistency of an insurance investigator trying to make his company pay out the biggest claim instead of the smallest, it is an interesting film.
Second, one piece of evidence that Sam has that convinces him the dead guy was murdered was that the killer was left-handed.
Isurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) arrives in a small town to look into an apparent suicide.
Almost immediately he begins to suspect something's not quite right here, getting no hope from the police, the absence of the gun, and no coroner's report, the evidence points to foul play, but can Sam get to the bottom of it?Neither bad nor especially good, Cover Up is the sort of Saturday afternoon picture that TV schedulers put on as a precursor to the main event.
O'Keefe is fine and plays out nicely as a sort of Insurance Mackintosh Sam Spade, William Bendix is underused but adds a touch of credibility to proceedings, while Barbara Britton is the shining light of the film with a very watchable performance.
An insurance investigator (Dennis O'Keefe) arrives in a small town right at Christmas time to find out about an apparent suicide that his company may have to pay out for.
The evidence of his death points not to suicide but to murder, though everyone in the town from the bus driver to the sheriff (William Bendix) seem totally unfazed about what has happened.
So, ergo, it would seem that they are, in fact, not so nice after all, and that this town is covering up murder, though the film seems to be telling us that that is OK, that the dead guy somehow had it coming and that the spirit of Christmas overrides the evil of his murder.
Nonetheless, a few parts stand out for being bizarre, most especially the one played by Doro Merande as Hilda, the housekeeper for Barbara Britton and her family, who in one scene is outside setting fire to the dad's fur coat and later tells everyone that it was an accident.
Insurance investigator unravels complicated murder cover up with little help from victims associates and family.
Dennis O'Keefe, Barbara Britton and William Bendix star in this mystery about an insurance investigator who arrives in a small town to investigate the death of a policy holder.O'Keefe portrays Sam Donovan who is trying to learn the reason for a clients sudden death .
The indifferent sheriff played by Bendix and the rest of the people in the small town who knew the man insist the cause of death was suicide and are openly hostile to Donovan's investigation.Donovan quickly ascertains that the cause of death was really murder, but no one seems to care.
Even the niece of the dead man, when she is told by Donovan that there is a double indemnity clause for murder in his policy says that she does not want it.
Lovely Barbara Britton plays Anita Weatherby the oldest daughter of the town's banker.
Britton is really good as Anita Weatherby in this film and there is a nice turn by Doro Merande as Hilda, the Weatherby's housekeeper, cook, and watch dog.
Dennis O'Keefe arrives in town as an insurance investigator.
But when O'Keefe offers to pay the extra $20,000 to the niece of the murdered man, she refuses it, insisting that her uncle committed suicide.
The murdered man turns out to have been 'a poison in his community', who was hated by everyone in town.
It is a very good yarn in theory, but mystery and tension are sacrificed to other aims, namely to concentrate on the dilemma of O'Keefe's budding romance with a girl called Anita, played by Barbara Britton.
Barbara Britton smiles charmingly, O'Keefe is falling for her like a schoolboy, her father is genteel and reassuring, and only the sheriff appears truly suspicious, though even he has a twinkle in his eye and casts mischievous little smiles aside from time to time, which suggest that he is not a bad guy after all.
As a result, Dennis O'Keefe is not as effective as usual, because he was best in films where things get really tough, and here he has to be Mr. Nice Guy who in between wooing his gal dabbles in proving and explaining a murder, and worrying whether his gal and her father are involved in it.
A good black and white mystery/murder story with some good acting and an interesting mystery that an insurance investigator named Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) must match wits with the small town sheriff named Larry Best (Willia Bendix) who claims the investigator Sam Donoovan is incorrect in his thinking and should just accept that the death of a prominent man in town was a suicide, and not a murder.Sam Donovan is suspicious of Sheriff Best's claim of a suicide so he decides to stick around and stick he does, his nose that is.
The mystery thickens, and so does the insurance investigator Sam Donovan's affection for a lovely local lass named Anita Weatherby (Barbara Britton).As the film progresses more clues are discovered that challenge Sam Donovan to question whether the whole town is hiding something about the murder victim who has a $20,000.00 life insurance policy that will pay out double indemnity to the victims niece if in fact it was not a suicide but rather a murder.The film has some light humour, a new romance blossoming, a Christmas theme, and a battle of wits between the insurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) and Sheriff Best (William Bendix).
I liked the film throughout, and I have always been fond of the 1940's period, especial murder/mystery themes.
an insurance investigator comes up against an entire town.
Dennis O'Keefe stars in "Cover Up," a 1949 film also starring William Bendix and Barbara Britton.
O'Keefe is insurance investigator Sam Donovan, who comes to a small town during the Christmas season to investigate the suicide of a man who had a $20,000 insurance policy; if it wasn't suicide, the policy pays $40,000.
So far we're not talking about any numbers that have meaning for anyone in 2014, but this was a bundle in 1949 when the average annual salary was $3900.Everyone insists the man committed suicide, but there is no gun to be found, and a delay in getting the coroner's report, not to mention the laissez faire attitude of the sheriff (Bendix).
Its Hokey at Times and the Tone Wavers from Investigation to Invitation to Small Town, Post War Complacency.Worth a Watch, but Hard-Boiled Types will be Disappointed.
The Love Interest, Barbara Britton, Falls Abruptly for the Out of Town Investigator, Chain Smoking Dennis O'Keefe.William Bendix does His best with some Lame Dialog and Presents Much Mystery to the Character and Dora Marinade as the Housekeeper Upstages Everyone.
B film murder mystery.
In this 1949 black and white mystery an insurance investigator (Dennis O'Keefe) comes into a small town for a reported suicide, but according to the sheriff (William Bendix) there is no report, no bullet, no powder burns, and no gun.
Enticed to stay by having met a beautiful young woman (Barbara Britton) on the train, he gets embroiled in a mystery.Alan Ladd look-alike Dennis O'Keefe (1908-68) does his usual B-film job, and Barbara Britton (1919-80) is even more beautiful than I remember her from the Mr. and Mrs. North TV series (1952-4).
Insurance investigator Dennis O'Keefe (Sam) arrives in a small community to confirm details regarding a payout to newly-wed Virginia Christine (Margaret) after her uncle has exited this world courtesy of Mr Suicide.
It's up to O'Keefe to find out what is going on whilst wooing local girl Barbara Britton (Anita).I like the human sentiment of a community helping each other out even if it is against the law.
William Bendix (Larry) is good as the town's sheriff who is carefully obstructive and Ann E Todd (Cathie) throws in some funny moments as Britton's younger sister.
Shortly before Christmas the most hated citizen in a small town dies by gunshot wound, declared by the law to be a suicide.
Into town comes insurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) to investigate the death and see if all loose ends are tied up since the deceased has a 20K life insurance policy - about 200K in today's money.
When Sam goes to talk to the town sheriff and ask about the weapon, the sheriff (William Bendix) says it is missing.
Only when Sam threatens to get a court order does the sheriff produce the bullets.In other words, if the sheriff was trying to deflect suspicion of this being anything but a suicide his obvious lies and stonewalling has had the expected opposite effect.
Meanwhile Sam is having a serious romance with the daughter of the town banker who also had a motive to kill the insured.What are the odd devices in this film?
Again - never seen in live action or flashback.So we have a death that may be murder against the backdrop of a small town Christmas post-war, the descriptions by the townspeople of two dead people who seem to have had opposite personalities but whom we never see for ourselves, and all of the townspeople acting like pod people when it comes to stonewalling the investigation, including the sheriff who is so obvious that he creates doubt rather than eliminates it.
And why does the insurance company let their guy even try to prove it is murder when they will have to pay out double if it is?
Not a noir, although the DVD case makes it appear like one, but still a taut and engrossing mystery movie.
Barbara Britton is lovely and William Bendix adds stature to most pictures he's in.
***SPOILERS*** This turned out to be a very strange and baffling case for Federated Insurance investigator Sam Donovan, Dennis O'Keefe,to crack.
In fact even the dead man's body seemed to have disappeared with the police pathologist and local morgue director having no idea where he went!It becomes very obvious to Donovan that not only was Phillips murdered but the entire town from Sheriff Larry Best, William Bendix,on down were covering up his murder and even more shocking who was Mr. Phillips killer!
As it soon turns out Phillips was without a doubt the most disliked person in Cleberg and everyone in town had a motive to kill him but the big question in Donovan's mind is who!
It's in fact the luger that killed Phillips that soon appears out of the blue in Stu Weatherby's, Art Baker, house that sets off alarm bells to who exactly murdered Phillips!
Found by Weatherby's daughter and Mr.Donovan's now girlfriend Anita, Barbara Britton, it makes it look like her father was in fact Phillips killer with Anita trying to hide the evidence to have him arrested and booked for it.It soon comes out that the luger was in fact in the possession of a Doctor P.L Garrow a good friend of Stu Weatherby who gave it to him as a Christmas present just weeks before Phillips was found shot to death!
Dr. Garrow being the most beloved and respected person in Cleberg is the last person anyone could suspect in murdering Phillips,the most hated person in town, but something very strange happens before Donovan could interview him!
Dr. Garrow suddenly drops dead of a heart attack which makes his sudden and unexpected death, like that of Phillips suicide, very suspect to say the least!***SPOILERS*** The end of the film ties all the loose ends together with both killer and victim never being seen as much as a second on screen even though they, at least Mr. Phillips, were the most most talked about persons in the movie.
The ingrown small-town setting seemed ideal for both its noirish atmosphere and its ability to provide a conflict between the local citizens, anxious to keep small-town affairs within the community, and outside insurance investigator, Dennis O'Keefe, equally anxious to bring the true facts to light.
O'Keefe's opposite number in the plot is William Bendix, who plays the local sheriff with just the right blend of suppressed antagonism and official non-helpfulness.
"Highway Dragnet" scribe Jerome Odlum penned this offbeat melodrama that benefits from "Hitler Gang" lenser Ernest Lazlo's atmospheric cinematography.Chain-smoking Insurance Detective Sam Donaldson (Dennis O'Keefe of "Raw Deal") is dispatched by his company to investigate the apparent suicide of a policy holder, Roger Phillips, in a closely-knit small, Mid-western town.
Instead, Sam concludes that the suicide was really murder.
When the movie opens, we see a train pull into a railway depot and a fashionably attired woman, Anita Weatherby (Barbara Britton of "So Proudly We Hail") gets off it with Christmas packages piled high to her chin.
Eventually, cantankerous Marlowe County Sheriff Larry Best (William Bendix of "Detective Story") not only provides Sam with the bullet that he found at the scene of Phillips' death, but also that he states that a Luger was the kind of automatic pistol used to kill Phillips.
Before long, Sam learns that Anita's father, Stuart Weatherby (Art Baker of "The Beginning or The End"), had given the local town doctor a Luger that he brought back with him from World War I.
Instead, a doctor who died recently from a heart attack but who was held in high regard by the community was responsible for killing the man.William Bendix plays the suspicious sheriff, and we suspect that he may have been responsible for the crime.
Another reviewer nailed it, I think - a term life insurance policy is essentially a bet the company takes with a customer that says it will pay off if the customer dies.
So virtually no insurance policy will pay off on a suicide, unless there's a provision that says otherwise.So right off the bat, the film started off on shaky ground because that whole idea kept distracting me throughout the story.
As for the double indemnity business, I think Donovan's boss stated that it was a good idea to pursue the murder angle because it was good public relations for the company, a way to increase business based on the publicity of a doubled payout.
I don't know, it doesn't sound like a sound business practice to me.But casting all that aside, the picture did a fairly good job of keeping the viewer on one's toes with the suspicious nature of the principal characters, especially Sheriff Best (William Bendix), who if this was a Western, would have all the characteristics of being in the pocket of the town boss.
Other characters were quite intriguing too, I got a kick out of the Weatherby housekeeper Hilda (Doro Merande), surreptitiously offering investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) mysterious hints, and then burning a piece of evidence 'by accident'.
Oh, boy.Though the resolution of the murder angle is offered in a way that almost sounds plausible, I couldn't help thinking that this town of Cleberg was one dysfunctional little community.
Everyone except for the protagonist Dennis O'Keefe, as Sam, and his local girlfriend Anita (Barbara Britton) is off a note or two.The sprinkling of folksy humor, helped along by the Christmas spirit, make good counterpoints to the murder cover-up.
The fascinating thing is, after a labyrinth of detective work by the outsider Sam, we never really learn just what Phillips actually did to turn the entire town against him.
The fact that Sam agrees, for appearances' sake, to buy the original premise--that Phillips' death was a suicide--maintains the town's sense of disbelief.
The fact that the town has covered up one murder makes the second death seem as unnatural as the first one.
What looks like a standard film noir ends up looking like a 1950's family sitcom once the Weatherly family is introduced to insurance fraud detective Dennis O'Keefe early in this film.
Along the way, he interviews practically the entire town, helps eulogize the deceased at a Christmas function, getting enough shadow of a doubt that the supposed suicide was really murder.
Barbara Britton plays the oldest daughter who obviously has a crush on O'Keefe yet knows what is going on behind the scenes.