| Ambush | |
| Director: | Kurt Neumann |
| Screenplay: | Laura Perelman S. J. Perelman |
| Story: | Robert Ray |
| Starring: | Gladys Swarthout Lloyd Nolan William "Bill" Henry William Frawley Ernest Truex Broderick Crawford |
| Music: | Gerard Carbonara Floyd Morgan |
| Cinematography: | William C. Mellor |
| Editing: | Stuart Gilmore |
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Distributor: | Paramount Pictures |
| Runtime: | 82 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $200,000[1] |
Ambush is a 1939 American drama film directed by Kurt Neumann and written by Laura Perelman and S. J. Perelman. The film stars Gladys Swarthout, Lloyd Nolan, William "Bill" Henry, William Frawley, Ernest Truex and Broderick Crawford.[2] [3] The film was released on January 20, 1939, by Paramount Pictures.
Four bandits rob a California bank, Gibbs, the mastermind, Sidney who is a gunman and Randall a blackballed airplane pilot.[4]
Charlie Hartman is also part of the gang. They pulls off a daring robbery in broad daylight and flee with $98,000.[5] Charlie's honest sister Jane ends up being taken hostage but manages to convey her dire need for help to a truck driver, Tony Andrews.[6]
Tony attempts to help save Jane and, if possible, her brother as well. Pretending to help Gibbs and the thieves, he leaves clues for the police to follow. One of the crooks, Blue, is killed, after which another, Randall, attempts to escape after Charlie's guilty conscience causes a change of heart. Tony is able to free Jane from the clutches of Gibbs, after which he and Jane collect the reward and begin to plan a new life together.
Ambush is one of five film produced by Paramount in the 1930s featuring Gladys Swarthout, a very popular Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano. The studio was attempting to build on the popularity of Grace Moore, another opera singer, who had also expanded her talents into films.[7]