Movie Review: Deadly Duo (1962)
Synopsis: After her son is killed in a racing accident, Lenora Spence hires struggling attorney Preston Morgan to visit her estranged daughter-in-law, Sabena, in Acapulco with an offer of $500,000 to give up custody of her son to the wealthy heiress. Even though success would mean a life-changing commission, Preston is relieved when Sabena refuses and the pair even begin a romantic relationship. However, Sabena's twin sister, Dara, and her husband are desperate for money and scheme to murder Sabena so Dara can take her place.
Who's in it? The movie stars Craig Hill, Marcia Henderson, Robert Lowery, Irene Tedow, Dayton Lummis and David Renard.
Review: I had other movies in my library, but when I came across Deadly Duo last night, I decided to add it to the top of my list and wound up watching it this morning. It proved to be a solid movie that wasn't anywhere near as predictable as I feared it would be.
Marcia Henderson does an excellent job in her dual role as both Sabena and her evil (or at least desperate) twin sister, Dara. In fact, there were times when I needed to remind myself they were played by the same actress because the characters, other than appearance, were so different. I've seen plenty of other movies that have attempted an actor/actress playing multiple parts with far less success and believability.
The movie's other characters were intriguing as well. Preston (Hill) seems like an honest guy but the $50,000 he was offered to complete his task was just enough to make me wonder if he'd cross an ethical line. Dara's husband, Jay (Lowery), was clearly a villain who I think was a big part of the reason Dara was so willing to turn on her sister, solely for survival.
Lenora (Tedow) meanwhile was a character that surprisingly grew on me. She came off as a villain at first but showing quite a bit of depth by the end of the film, especially when it came to her opinion of Sabena.
I thought the ending was a good one, building up quite a bit of suspense both about Sabena's fate and whether a blackmailed Preston would choose to do the right thing, even if it meant going to jail as an unwitting accomplice or keep his mouth shut and keep the money. The unexpected twist only made that better.
I did think the main conflict in the story took a bit too long to develop. The attempted twin switch didn't happen until near the end and felt a bit rushed as a result. I think it would have been much better had Dara been forced to impersonate her sister for more than a few minutes, mostly give Preston an opportunity to prove he wasn't as stupid as he seemed to be when he barely questioned a very suspicious change of heart from a woman who only a day before made it clear she wasn't going to give up her son for any amount of money.
My only other complaint about the film is the romantic angle between Preston and Sabena. Don't get me wrong, I liked them as a couple. However, she had only been a widow for about a month, and her son (Peter Oliphant) didn't even seem to know his dad was dead. Since we were supposed to like Sabena and believe her when she said she didn't just marry her husband because he was a millionaire, it seemed a bit too soon for her to be flirting with another man.
Final Opinion: As I said, I would have liked to have seen the twin part of the movie get a bit more time, but the movie was still entertaining and suspenseful and I enjoyed watching it.
My Grade: B+
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Here are some reviews of other movies featuring sisters:
Movie Review: Nikki and Nora: Sister Sleuths (2022)
Movie Review: Christmas at Castle Hart (2021)
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