| The Red Menace | |
| Director: | R. G. Springsteen |
| Screenplay: | Albert DeMond Gerald Geraghty |
| Story: | Albert DeMond |
| Narrator: | Lloyd G. Davies |
| Starring: | Robert Rockwell Hannelore Axman |
| Music: | Nathan Scortt |
| Cinematography: | John MacBurnie |
| Editing: | Harry Keller |
| Studio: | Republic Pictures |
| Distributor: | Republic Pictures |
| Runtime: | 87 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
The Red Menace (reissue title Underground Spy) is a 1949 anti-communist film noir drama film directed by R. G. Springsteen starring Robert Rockwell and Hannelore Axman.
An ex-GI named Bill Jones (Robert Rockwell) becomes involved with the Communist Party USA. While in training, Jones falls in love with one of his instructors. At first true followers of communism, they realize their mistake when they witness party leaders murder a member who questions the party's principles. When they try to leave the party, the two are marked for murder and hunted by the party's assassins.[1]
The film was originally planned to be made by Irving Allen and James S. Burkett as an independent film. Republic Pictures chose unknowns for the cast and many made their film debuts. Republic Pictures' president Herbert Yates was named as executive producer but no producer was named.
As well as playing Inspector O'Toole, Lloyd G. Davies was also the film's narrator.
The film opened in the Los Angeles district on June 9, 1949.[2] In two theaters in Los Angeles it grossed a dull $22,000 in its first week.[3] The film performed poorly at the box office and was withdrawn from release after several months. The film was re-edited and re-released in 1953 as Underground Spy.