Without Warning!

{{About|the 1952 film|other uses|Without Warning (disambiguation)}}

{{missing information|the film's production, and theatrical release|date=August 2019}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Without Warning!

| image = Without Warning.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Arnold Laven

| producer = Arthur Gardner
Jules V. Levy

| screenplay = William Raynor

| story = William Raynor

| narrator = Gene Wood

| starring = Adam Williams
Meg Randall
Ed Binns

| music = Herschel Burke Gilbert

| cinematography = Joseph F. Biroc

| editing = Arthur H. Nadel

| studio = Allart Productions

| distributor = United Artists

| released = {{Film date|1952|05|08|United States}}

| runtime = 77 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =less than $100,000Looking at Hollywood: Story of Boer Trek Will Be Filmed in Africa

Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 6 May 1952: b4.

| gross =

}}

Without Warning! is a 1952 American film noir crime film directed by Arnold Laven and starring Adam Williams, Meg Randall, and Ed Binns. The film is shot in a semidocumentary style with police procedural voice-over narration in parts. Without Warning! was first released commercially on DVD in 2005. Initially, it was considered lost and unavailable for viewing.

Plot

Carl Martin resides in Los Angeles, California. He makes his living tending gardens. He also murders young blondes with a pair of shears. Despite police efforts, Martin continues waging his killing spree. Detective Lieutenant Pete Hamilton is assigned the case, assisted by Sergeant Don Ward. They thumb through official files, putting together a list of recent unsolved cases. The victims were all blonde women. They met their deaths around the end of various months. Since it is now the end of the next month, the detectives anticipate another killing. And they are correct. But this time, the elusive murderer is identified by multiple witnesses, including two motorcycle officers. Yet they remember very little regarding the suspect's physical appearance. One officer was knocked out from behind; the other was wounded while chasing the fleeing suspect.

Afterwards, Martin returns to his residence, a shack on a hill overlooking Chavez Ravine. He feels lucky that the police know little about his identity. In the days that come, it will take the death of one additional woman plus the manhandling of another before Hamilton and Ward are able to nail Martin.

Cast

Adam Williams as Carl Martin
Meg Randall as Jane Saunders
Ed Binns as Lt. Pete Hamilton
Harlan Warde as Police Detective Sgt. Don Warde
John Maxwell as Fred Saunders
Angela Stevens as Janet Collier (Blonde){{cite AV media | people= | title=Without Warning! | medium=DVD | publisher=Levy-Gardner-Levan Productions, Inc.: Dark Sky Films. | location= | date=2005 | url= }}
Byron Kane as Police Chemist Charlie Wilkins
Charles Tannen as Wolf
Marilee Phelps as Virginia
Robert Foulk as Wilson, Motel Manager
Connie Vera as Carmelita
Robert Shayne as Dr. Werner, Police Psychiatrist
Lee Phelps as "Doc," the Police Coroner
Arthur Gardner (movie's co-producer) as Jackson, Rapid Transit Cab Co. Driver{{cite web | title=TCM: Without Warning! | url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/96062/without-warning | website=Turner Classic Movies | access-date=2 June 2016}}

Production

The film marked the team's first collaboration, consisting of Laven, Gardner, and Levy, who met in the army. Sol Lesser liked the film and picked it up for distribution.

Release

=Home media=

Without Warning! was released for the first time on DVD by MPI Home Video on August 30, 2005.{{cite web |title=Without Warning (1952) - Arnold Laven |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/without-warning-v54991/releases |website=Allmovie.com |publisher=Allmovie |accessdate=12 August 2019}}

Reception

TV Guide rated the film two out of five stars, calling it "A capable first feature by the production team, with talented unknowns as actors".{{cite web |title=Without Warning - Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/without-warning/review/123050/ |website=TV Guide.com |publisher=TV Guide Staff |accessdate=12 August 2019}}