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Summary

A fashion model witnesses the brutal assassination of an investigative journalist by the Ku Klux Klan while traveling to a small town to visit her sister.

Cast

Ginger Rogers

Marsha Mitchell

Ronald Reagan

Burt Rainey

Doris Day

Lucy Rice

Steve Cochran

Hank Rice

Hugh Sanders

Charlie Barr

Lloyd Gough

Cliff Rummel

Raymond Greenleaf

Faulkner

Ned Glass

George Athens

Paul E. Burns

Frank Hauser

Walter Baldwin

Coroner Bledsoe

Lynn Whitney

Cora Athens

Stuart Randall

Walt Walters

Sean McClory

Shore

Lillian Albertson

Mrs. Rainey (uncredited)

Janet Barrett

Mrs. Adams (uncredited)

George Lloyd

Townsman (uncredited)

John Alban

Reporter (uncredited)

Fred Aldrich

Townsman on Courthouse Steps (uncredited)

Richard Anderson

Interne (uncredited)

Walter Bacon

Jury Foreman (uncredited)

Fern Barry

Wife (uncredited)

Paul Brinegar

Cameraman #1 (uncredited)

Blondie Bronzell

Townsman (uncredited)

Douglas Carter

Townsman (uncredited)

Leo Cleary

Barnet (uncredited)

Tom Coleman

Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)

Charles J. Conrad

Jordan (uncredited)

Russell Custer

Townsman (uncredited)

Ned Davenport

Policeman #2 (uncredited)

Sayre Dearing

Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Don Dillaway

2nd Convert (uncredited)

James Dime

Townsman (uncredited)

King Donovan

Ambulance Driver (uncredited)

Mike Donovan

Townsman (uncredited)

Joe Dougherty

Townsman (uncredited)

Ross Elliott

Glen (uncredited)

Gene Evans

Ku Klux Klansman (uncredited)

Norman Field

1st Convert (uncredited)

Pat Flaherty

Walker (uncredited)

Alex Gerry

Basset (uncredited)

Dabbs Greer

Courtroom Cop (uncredited)

Robert Haines

Townsman (uncredited)

Carl Harbaugh

Townsman (uncredited)

Harry Harvey

Mr. Louden (uncredited)

Edward Hearn

Mr. Rainey (uncredited)

Len Hendry

Policeman #1 (uncredited)

Mary Alan Hokanson

Secretary (uncredited)

Lloyd Jenkins

Tommy (uncredited)

Fred Kelsey

Townsman (uncredited)

Paul Kruger

Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)

Mike Lally

Townsman at Inquest (uncredited)

David Le Grand

Customer (uncredited)

Frank Marlowe

Al (uncredited)

Charles Marsh

Fowler (uncredited)

Frank McCarroll

Townsman (uncredited)

Michael McHale

3rd Convert (uncredited)

David McMahon

Hollis (uncredited)

Frank Mills

Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)

Howard M. Mitchell

Townsman (uncredited)

Jack Mower

Bowling Alley Patron (uncredited)

Sol Murgi

Townsman (uncredited)

Joseph C. Narcisse

Townsman (uncredited)

Robert A. O'Neil

Townsman (uncredited)

Paul Panzer

Baggage Room Attendant (uncredited)

Edward Peil Sr.

Townsman (uncredited)

Charles Phillips

Bus Driver (uncredited)

Bob Reeves

Townsman (uncredited)

Grandon Rhodes

Pike (uncredited)

Lee Roberts

Driver (uncredited)

Dewey Robinson

Ku Klux Klansman (uncredited)

Buddy Roosevelt

Inquest Bailiff (uncredited)

Edmon Ryan

Trailer's Hooded Narrator (uncredited)

Jeffrey Sayre

Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)

Bernard Sell

Townsman (uncredited)

Charles Sherlock

Townsman at Inquest (uncredited)

Joe Smith

Townsman (uncredited)

Cap Somers

Townsman (uncredited)

Ray Spiker

Townsman (uncredited)

Robert R. Stephenson

Townsman (uncredited)

Brick Sullivan

Townsman at Recreation Center (uncredited)

Charles Sullivan

Mill Worker (uncredited)

Maxie Thrower

Townsman (uncredited)

Dale Van Sickel

Walter Adams / Townsman at Inquest (uncredited)

Tommy Walker

Bob (uncredited)

Anthony Warde

Jukebox Collector (uncredited)

Duke Watson

Ernie (uncredited)

Charles Watts

Wally (uncredited)

Tom Wells

Cameraman #2 (uncredited)

Bill Welsh

Hardy (uncredited)

Chalky Williams

Townsman (uncredited)

Robert B. Williams

Sheriff Art Jaeger (uncredited)

Jack Wise

Townsman at Inquest (uncredited)

Allen Wood

Bowling Alley Patron / Mill Workman (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Stuart Heisler

Writer

Richard Brooks

Writer

Daniel Fuchs

Reviews

John Chard

November 13, 2013

The KKK took my baby away, they took her away, away from me.

Storm Warning is directed by Stuart Heisler and written by Richard Brooks and Daniel Fuchs. It stars Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Doris Day and Steve Cochran. Music is by Daniele Amfitheatrof and cinematography by Carl E. Guthrie.

Stopping over to see her sister in Rockpoint, model Marsha Mitchell (Rogers) witness the Ku Klux Klan committing a murder and sees two of the perpetrators with their hoods off. Upon arriving at her sister's house, she is stunned to find that the beau of Lucy's (day) life is one of the killers! Should she do what is morally right? What District Attorney Burt Rainey (Reagan) wants her to do? Or should she think of her sister and keep Hank Rice (Cochran) out of prison?

Lets get the big complaint out the way first. What has been written before is true, the issue of race hatred and the KKK is not dealt with, this really does soft soap that particular issue in favour of a more - less - controversial angle. Film does still portray them as cowardly murderous thugs hiding behind hoods, even portraying them as dimwits following one almighty Grand Wizard (or is it Dragon?) who is more concerned about cash than colour of skin, but trivialisation of a hot topic occurs.

We are the law here. The judges and jury!

So, accepting it on its own "non social issue message" terms, then it's a thoroughly engrossing piece of film noir styled melodrama. Thematic noir staples are within, with bigotry, fate, family dysfunction and a woman in peril scenario (the fox in the hen house situation is super) all bubbling away under the moral obligation surface. Laid over the top is no short amount of atmospheric style, as Heisler (Among the Living/The Glass Key) and Guthrie (Backfire/Caged) produce dank shadowed streets, misty jails and a big court room segment bathed in slatted shadows befitting the moral discord filtering around the room.

Don't give me that Halloween routine.

Heisler proves to have a good eye for imagery as well as technical nous, such as snaps of child Klan members or the symbolic falling of a burning cross. He also marshals his cast very well. Don't believe any review that says Rogers is miscast, she simply isn't, she's feisty, sexy and strong, yet vulnerable as well, she's perfect for the role that was originally intended for Bacall who bailed out. And with Day exuding a confused innocence that hits the right notes, Heisler's reputation as a great director of actresses holds weight here. Reagan and Cochran are fine, with Cochran veering away from his normal cool, calculated persona to offer up a characterisation we rarely saw from him.

It misses a trick to really strike a dagger in the KKK scheme of things, and yes some of it feels like lower grade Tenessee Williams. However, the makers turn this Southern town into a diseased noir landscape, where the story is paced and performed with skill, and it all builds moodily to a truly great finale. Well worth seeking out. 8/10