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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USA

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