“Strange Bargain” (1949) starring Jeffrey Lynn, Martha Scott & Henry Morgan / Z-View

Strange Bargain (1949)

Director: Will Price

Screenplay by: Lillie Hayward from a story by J.H. Wallis

Starring: Martha Scott, Jeffrey Lynn, Harry Morgan, Richard Gaines and Walter Sande.

Tagline: “$10,000 If You Make My Suicide Look Like MURDER!”

The Story:

On the day that Sam Wilson (Lynn) asks his boss, Malcolm Jarvis (Gaines) for a raise, Jarvis offers him a deal. Jarvis will give Sam $10,000.00 if Sam will make Jarvis’ suicide look like a murder!  Jarvis explains that the company is probably going to go out of business in a matter of weeks.  Jarvis is himself broke despite the fact that he lives in a big house and looks rich.  Jarvis plans to shoot himself that very evening while his wife and son are out.  Before he kills himself, he will mess up his home office to look like a robbery.  All Sam has to do is get rid of the gun.  Sam refuses and tries to talk Mr. Jarvis out of killing himself.  Jarvis says there is no other way to leave money for his family and he’s ready to die.

That evening Sam receives the call.  He heads over to talk sense into Mr. Jarvis.  When he arrives, Mr. Jarvis is lying dead from a gunshot.  There is an envelope with $10,000 in it addressed to Sam.  Realizing that he will soon be out of a job and Jarvis is beyond help, Sam takes the money.

The next day police begin to investigate.  Things aren’t adding up.  It doesn’t look like suicide.  Any guesses on who the main suspect is?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers) 

Strange Bargain runs a quick 68 minutes.  It’s got a likable cast. There’s a nice twist on the suicide.  If I were to pick any nits is that it all wraps up a bit too nicely.  But in this day and age, why complain about things that end up that way?