The Whip Hand

1951
Approved
1h 22m

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

Vacationing writer investigates mysterious fish deaths in Minnesota lake. Discovers former Nazi-turned-Communist group developing biological weapons at lab with Soviet funding. Teams up with... Read allVacationing writer investigates mysterious fish deaths in Minnesota lake. Discovers former Nazi-turned-Communist group developing biological weapons at lab with Soviet funding. Teams up with local doctor's sister to uncover their plan.Vacationing writer investigates mysterious fish deaths in Minnesota lake. Discovers former Nazi-turned-Communist group developing biological weapons at lab with Soviet funding. Teams up with local doctor's sister to uncover their plan.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

764

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Trivia
The Whip Hand (1951), which was shot in great secrecy in May and June of 1950, was first set in postwar New England. The original story line was a plot to hide the still-alive Adolf Hitler, and germ warfare by Nazis (which is why many of the characters have German names). However, in viewing a rough cut in November 1950, producer Howard Hughes had a change of heart, deciding that Communists were more of a menace than crazed Nazi scientists (it was also the height of the McCarthy "Red Scare" era) and ordered extensive re-shooting in November and December 1950 and May 1951, with the villains now becoming former Nazis but current Communists.

Goofs
When the Soviet officer is delivering his lecture in the opening sequence in the Kremlin, the wall map showing North America is, of course, written in Russian. However, the map shows Mexico written (transliterated from Cyrillic) as 'MEKSIKO," when in fact, in Russian the country's name is rendered 'MEKSIKA," ending with an "a."

Quotes
[last lines]
Dr. Wilhelm Bucholtz: When I turn this handle the force of the explosion will scatter germs for hundreds of miles. The diseases will spread like wildfire from one end of the country to the other, infecting, crippling, paralysing! Communism will rule the world!

User reviews24

Review

Featured review

8/10

A town filled to the brim with Commie-Nazis!

It's odd that I would give a propaganda film like this such a high score, but despite the odd plot the film IS very entertaining and tense and is still well worth seeing.

Matt Corbin (Elliott Reid) is a reporter for a news magazine. When he arrives in a small town in rural Minnesota, his reporter senses start tingling because things just don't add up there. Despite always being known as a great place to fish, all the fish are dead. And, despite there being no local industry or jobs, folks have moved INTO the town despite the crash of the fishing industry. And, finally, there is a compound nearby that is guarded like Fort Knox! Clearly something is going on here...and little does Corbin know that it's actually a base for germ warfare run by Commie-Nazis!! Why they didn't build it in the good 'ol USSR, I have no idea!

The plot is silly...but the sign of a good film is taking a ridiculous idea and making it seem possible and engaging. So don't worry that it's filled with mostly no-name actors and is a relatively low-budget picture, it's surprisingly good.