Tom Burke and Sandy Malone are two best friends working as motorcycle traffic cops in California, living with Sandy's mother, his son Buddy, and Buddy's friend Sammy. Sandy is killed in a hit and run accident, caused by Blake, a notorious member of a gambling syndicate. The key witness in the murder trial is Doris Dane, Blake's passenger in the car, who tells Tom that Blake deliberately hit Sandy, but testifies in an affidavit that it was an accident. Tom objects to the procedure and is demoted to a beat in the sticks. Doris feels guilty of her actions and confesses to the police chief the true events of the murder, even though it will mean a perjury conviction for her. The chief won't reopen the Malone case since it will expose the police idleness in the murder trial, and Tom then turns in his badge saying he will go gunning after Blake. The chief, knowing his job will be taken away from his shortly in wake of these events, agrees to help him go after Burke. The film seems like an elongated version of the MGM Crime Does Not Pay series, but with less emotional impact, primarily since director Melford must have thought melodrama was still en vogue. Blue doesn't make a believable transition from happy go lucky cop to vengeful officer that convincingly, while the villains aren't that slimy enough. The film is still an interesting look at a film interpretation of corruption in high places. Rating, 6.
Review of Officer Thirteen
