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Rating:  -
Whether or not this was a "made for TV" film, it has all the look and feel of those "Golden Oldies" of the mid-1960's. Stars galore, mostly with walk-ons, some featured, such as Keenan Wynn and Ed Begley. One can see Carol O'Connor before he had his Family, Stephanie Powers, before she linked with Robert Wagner, and others would later be names, as well as the never dimmed light of Lillian Gish, the always effective George Sanders and Walter Pidgeon, from the great days of Hollywood before television, and, at the center of the action, one of the true TV stars, David Janssen. As with most such films, novelty was not the quality most sought, it was focusing on a key player, getting him into trouble, and having him haul himself out by his bootstraps. Janssen gives one his patented performances, gratifying to see again, and the other stars, including Steve Allen as, what do you think, a TV commentator, doing their bit. For those unfamiliar with these actors, perhaps Joan Collins is one who will be recognized, the film will probably be seen as routine, with none of the exciting camera work so popular today, for those who were movie and tv viewers back then, it will be routine with subsidiary pleasures along the way. You will have to judge whether you fit either of these categories; in any event, by now, it can be considered a bit of television history.
Rating: -
Here we have a mystery/drama with David Janssen as a man fighting to clear his name for a crime he did not do. Wow, how original. Actually, I really like this film and was very pleased to find it on DVD.
Though it has a low-budget feel, it is well written and directed with Janssen giving his usual understated performance. He gets excellent support from a cast that is a who's who of hollywood legends. Among them Walter Pigeon, Carrol O'Conner, Joan Collins(at the prime of her young beauty) Keenan Wynn and Stephanie Powers. Janssen made this while on hiatus between seasons three and four of The Fugitive. Reportedly, he was already planning on his 4th season as televisions most wanted man to be his last and was hoping to turn his smallscreen succsess into big screen stardom. (Being a Movie star was his life long dream that eluded him) Sadly, none of his post Fugitive feature films did very well box office wise, and by the early 70's he was back on TV where he was always in demand until his untimely death in 1980. His tall, intense figure fits the role fine in Warning Shot as a police detective charged with excessive force, he shot a suspect and no one believes him that the man drew on him first. The title is a good play on the cop-movie practice of firing a shot in the air to warn or persuade a suspect to surrender. Something that is not done in real life in any city in the country. That issue is adressed in the film at his initial hearing. It's explained that a round fired any where but at the target could strike an innocent even blocks away. Much like how for years, in western and crime films we saw the good guy shoot the gun out of someones hand.
Warning Shoot is highly recommended for fans of film-noir and especially for David Janssen fans. One last thing, recently, while watching this film and seeing Janssen playing a police officer and rattling off official jargon I had a "What If" thought. Suppose someone else had been cast as Dr. Richard Kimble. Say Tony Franciosa or James Franciscus who were leading picks for the role by the network until series creator Roy Huggins and producer Quinn Martin insisted on David Janssen. And then what if Janssen would have been brought on board to play Lt. Phillip Gerard? I'm glad it didn't turn out that way, but even if it had, he would have been convincing. Janssen was one of the most underrated actors of his day, and left us much too soon.
Rating:  -
I'm a huge David Janssen fan. I can't wait for the remaining DVD's of The Fugitive. I don't mind spending money on good, well acted tv.
Peggy Johnson
Rating: -
I'm a fan of David Janssenn, & he was particularly good in this genre. Once again DJ's character is falsely accused ! Settle back & enjoy.
Rating:  -
Film noir had aged some twenty years when Warning Shot came out. The film applies some of the traditional noir elements by being shot in a city, shadows, and with a bleak approach to the notion of ends justifying the means. It enters a world where the society turns its back on a public servant - a police officer, and leaves him to fend for himself. Yet, it is not a film noir. It is not even neo-noir, as the film continues to leave a trace of hope and a strong moral sense that lingers throughout the film.
The film opens at a stakeout where police sergeant Tom Valens (David Janssen) and his partner (Keenan Wynn) tries to entrap a psycho killer, which is the way they refer to the murderer they are trying to capture. The stakeout is planned in the manner where one person sits alone and hides behind a bush while his partner sits in the car, which is somewhat baffling in regards to safety. Anyway, Valens awaits the killer to arrive when a little puppy emerges followed by a strange man that runs away after he has identified himself. It turns into a brief foot-hunt through the (smoke-machine) fog, which ends with the man pulling out what seems to be a revolver from his coat pocket. Valens reacts and fires his gun.
The man that Valens has shot turns out to be Dr. James B. Ruston, and later the police cannot find the gun that Dr. Ruston supposedly had in his pocket. It is unfortunate for Valens who is suspended from fieldwork until the investigation is over, but he cannot resist searching for the gun and the motive of why Dr. Ruston was at the location at the late hour. However, he does not find the answers he tries to find, and instead ends up in bigger problems when the district attorney has decided to try him for murder. If he did not have enough problems, his divorce with his wife, played by Joan Collins, is also about to be finalized. Despite the bleak outlook, Valens does not give up while he continues to search for the truth by probing and asking questions that could free him from guilt.
The film does not reach its full potential, as there is some awkwardness within the film. Somehow this film provides an atmosphere of a stage, or a set, which happens mostly when the scenes are shot indoors. The angles and sharpness of shadows thrown by characters and the mise-en-scene accentuate an unnatural environment, which removes some of the genuine suspense. The problem seems to rest with the lighting. There are also a few scenes where the film tries to apply some humor to the film, but it is rather irrelevant to the story itself. This also causes some friction within the main story, as it diverts the audience's attention from what is important for no apparent reason. Despite the cinematic flaw, Warning shot presents a somewhat intriguing story that helps provides a springboard for future police films, as the terrific supporting cast supports the lead when he seeks his own innocence.
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