The Whip Hand (1951) Carla Balenda, Elliott Reid, Edgar Barrier, Raymond Burr Movie Review

The Whip Hand (1951)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Carla Balenda and Elliott Reid in The Whip Hand (1951)

Sleeping with the Dead Fishes

Whilst on a fishing vacation in Winnoga a reporter discovers that the lake he is trying to catch trout in has been empty of fish ever since the fish mysteriously died and no one in the town is willing to talk about it. With his investigative instincts kicking in the reporter quickly discovers that his hanging around and constant snooping doesn't go down well especially when he discovers that a group of mysterious men have taken over a lodge on the lake. With just the sister of the local doctor on his side they try to get to the bottom of who these mysterious men are and what they are up to and why?

What, Who and Why are 3 basics of so many movies; What is going on? Who is Behind it? And Why? These are the three basic ingredients when it comes to "The Whip Hand"; what is going on to cause the fish to die and the locals to be cold towards the reporter? Who are the mysterious people behind it all? And of course why? But none of it is that fascinating or exciting enough that it draws you in to any of the questions. In fact you wonder why these mysterious men didn't just shoot the reporter and save them selves the hassle as any organization capable of such an elaborate cover up must be adept at making bodies disappear and ending up sleeping with the dead fishes in this case.

So basically "The Whip Hand" is not the most enthralling of movies although when you learn who is behind it all you will be amused because they are not just the enemy but double the enemy, confused just think about when this movie was made and you may get it. Aside from that well it is a case of okay acting but no one really grabs you with a stand out performance with maybe Carla Balenda being most memorable as she stands out in a predominantly male cast.

What this all boils down to is that "The Whip Hand" ends up a time filler, an okay movie if you are fond of old movies but lacking anything special to make it memorable and demanding of a second viewing.


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