“The Killer is Loose” (1956) / Z-View

The Killer is Loose (1956)

Director:  Budd Boetticher

Screenplay:  Harold Medford from a story by John Hawkins and Ward Hawkins

Starring:  Joseph Cotten, Rhonda Fleming, Wendell Corey,  Alan Hale Jr., Michael Pate and John Larch

Tagline: He was no ordinary killer… She was no ordinary victim… This is no ordinary motion picture!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Leon Poole (Corey) is a mild-mannered teller who police learn was the inside man on an an attempted bank robbery.  As police go to arrest Poole at his apartment, he decides to shoot it out with them.  When Detective Sam Wagner (Cotten) returns fire, he accidently kills Poole’s wife.

Poole is captured, tried and convicted. Before Poole is escorted out of the courtroom, and while staring at Detective Wagner’s wife, Poole calmly states that he will one day get his revenge.

Two years later Poole escapes from prison.  It turns out that Poole is a sociopath who has nothing on his mind other than killing Detective Wagner and his wife.  As the murders pile up, it is clear that Poole is on his way to extract his revenge and no amount of police will stop him!