Ruth Roman, Richard Todd
A film starring Ruth Roman which I had never heard of, LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE turned out to be a disappointment. It didn’t help that Zachary Scott had such a small part in it.
Richard Todd seemed odd casting as a rancher who has been on death row for the murder of his wife. There’s a re-trial and he is released. All this takes place in the first 5 minutes of the film. He is acquitted after Mercedes McCambridge is the sole juror in the second trial who holds out for an acquittal.
(As Mercedes obviously knows Todd, it’s not clear how she was on the jury.)
Darryl Hickman, Ruth Roman, Rhys Williams, Mercedes McCambridge
Ruth Roman plays an actress recovering from an illness and on her way to a dude ranch run by McCambridge and her brother Darryl Hickman.She gets caught in a storm and stops at a house where she meets Todd who tells her who he is.
Ruth Roman, Mercedes McCambridge
It’s all very melodramatic . It’s love at first sight for Ruth when she meets the mysterious Todd. And this makes Mercedes jealous.
Zachary Scott doesn’t show up till nearly half way through the film and his character is minor. I guess Warners didn’t have anything better for him at the time. Richard Todd soon went back to England.
The unravelling of who actually killed Todd’s wife becomes obvious.
Ruth Roman, Zachary Scott.
Ruth did the best she could with a weak script. I hope the second film I have to view starring Ruth is better. It is also one I had never heard of, THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE, with Van Johnson and Joseph Cotten.
Still, maybe there’s a reason I had never heard of these two films!
Vienna's Classic Hollywood
A good summation, for which thanks, although I fess I enjoyed this one a bit more than you did.
Nice to hear from someone else who has seen this rare bird!
Laura has reviewed it too (Laura’s Misc.Musings)