Scene of the Crime (1949)

Homicide detective Mike Conovan investigates the shooting of fellow detective Monigan...who apparrently was moonlighting as guard for a bookie. He finds that all the bookies in town are ... See full summary »

Director:

Roy Rowland

Writers:

John Bartlow Martin (story), Charles Schnee (screenplay)

Stars:

Van Johnson, Arlene Dahl, Gloria DeHaven

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Van Johnson	...	Mike Conovan
Arlene Dahl	...	Gloria Conovan
Gloria DeHaven	...	Lili
Tom Drake	...	Det. 'C.C.' Gordon
Leon Ames	...	Capt. A.C. Forster
John McIntire	...	Det. Fred Piper
Donald Woods	...	Bob Herkimer
Norman Lloyd	...	Sleeper
Jerome Cowan	...	Arthur Webson
Tom Powers	...	Umpire Menafoe
Richard Benedict	...	Turk Kingby
Anthony Caruso	...	Tony Rutzo
Robert Gist	...	P.J. Pontiac
Romo Vincent	...	Hippo
Tom Helmore	...	Norrie Lorfield

Storyline

Homicide detective Mike Conovan investigates the shooting of fellow detective Monigan...who apparrently was moonlighting as guard for a bookie. He finds that all the bookies in town are being robbed, most upsetting to the racket bosses who can't get normal police protection. Mike encounters blind alleys and double crosses, and is distracted by his wife's growing disenchantment. Lots of police slang.

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Plot Keywords:

police | detective | bookie | police detective | killer | 

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 July 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Cena do Crime

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

P.J. Pontiac: I'm no Humphrey Bogart. He gets slugged and he's ready for action; I get slugged and I'm ready for pickling.

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Connections

Featured in Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership (1949)

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Soundtracks

"I'M A GOODY-GOODY GIRL"
(uncredited)
Music by André Previn
Lyrics by William Katz
Sung (with partial striptease) by Jean Carter

User Reviews

Where was Jack Webb?

Generally entertaining film noir detective film, not private eyes but "Dragnet" like plainclothes police. The Sgt. Friday character is Lieutenant Mike Conovan (Van Johnson) who leads a very complicated life, simultaneously trying to solve the murder of an off-duty police detective while breaking in rookie detective C.C. Gordon (Tom Drake). Despite all this he still has time to listen to his wife Gloria (Arlene Dahl) whine about his job and to have a tame in the line of duty fling with sexy Lili (Gloria de Haven).

The rookie detective character is basically just a excuse to throw a lot of late 40's police jargon into the script and to showcase "Dragnet" style back room police activities. Otherwise the story is nicely paced although little suspense is generated because everything is shown from the point of view of Conovan. So little is revealed about the other characters that the resolution is rather unsatisfying.

"Scene of the Crime" was a transitional film as the genre moved from gangsters and private eyes to actual police departments. The police are portrayed in a very sympathetic light; contending with low pay, disillusionment, pressures from home, and a feeling of not being appreciated.

Although Van Johnson does a decent job in the lead role, he was a poor choice (from both a physical and a acting style perspective) for the role of a cynical and conflicted tough cop. Johnson is much better suited to nice guy roles. Dahl soon gets on your nerves but you never tire of de Haven's Lili.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.