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The Big Combo (1955) 7.4
A police lt. is ordered to stop investigating deadly crime boss Mr. Brown, because he hasn't been able to get any hard evidence against him. He then goes after Brown's girlfriend who despises him, for information instead. Director:Joseph H. LewisWriter:Philip Yordan (by) |
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Title: The Big Combo (1955)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Cornel Wilde | ... |
Police Lt. Leonard Diamond
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| Richard Conte | ... | ||
| Brian Donlevy | ... |
Joe McClure
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| Jean Wallace | ... |
Susan Lowell
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Robert Middleton | ... |
Police Capt. Peterson
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| Lee Van Cleef | ... |
Fante
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| Earl Holliman | ... |
Mingo
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Helen Walker | ... |
Alicia Brown
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Jay Adler | ... |
Detective Sam Hill
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| John Hoyt | ... |
Nils Dreyer
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| Ted de Corsia | ... |
Ralph Bettini
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Helene Stanton | ... |
Rita
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Roy Gordon | ... |
Audubon
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| Whit Bissell | ... |
Doctor
(scenes deleted) (as Whit Bissel)
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Steve Mitchell | ... |
Bennie Smith, Boxer
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Police Lt. Diamond is told to close his surveillance of suspected mob boss Mr. Brown because it's costing the department too much money with no results. Diamond makes one last attempt to uncover evidence against Brown by going to Brown's girlfriend, Susan Lowell. Written by Norman L Cook <cook@ssdgwy.mdc.com>
Taglines:
The Most Startling Story The Screen Has Ever Dared Reveal!Certificate:
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
13 February 1955 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Association criminelle See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Nils Dreyer: [Unperturbed] Mr. Diamond, I was a seaman for 30 years. I went to sea aged 14. I've seen storms, I've seen gunfire, and I've seen torpedoes. I've been wrecked - not once, four times. On a raft, 57 days, nothing but water. Nothing kills me. I'll die in Stockholm like my great grandfather, aged 93. I'm not scared of anything - including you - so, get out.
Leonard Diamond: [...]
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The names 'Fante' and 'Mingo' were later used by writer-director Joss Whedon for two characters - twin brothers - that the Serenity crew meet in the movie Serenity. See more »Goofs
When John Hoyt as Dreyer reaches into his desk for a gun, the contents of the desk on the insert close-up do not match the contents on the master shot. See more »Quotes
Leonard Diamond: Mr. Dreyer, the secret you think keeps you safe will blow up in your face. You're dealing with a... a ruthless man!Nils Dreyer: [Unperturbed] Mr. Diamond, I was a seaman for 30 years. I went to sea aged 14. I've seen storms, I've seen gunfire, and I've seen torpedoes. I've been wrecked - not once, four times. On a raft, 57 days, nothing but water. Nothing kills me. I'll die in Stockholm like my great grandfather, aged 93. I'm not scared of anything - including you - so, get out.
Leonard Diamond: [...]
See more »
Cornel Wilde plays a police detective obsessed with bringing down crime lord Mr. Brown (Richard Conte), while hoping at the same time to win the affections of Conte's girl, Jean Wallace, in this tremendously atmospheric noir from 1955. The noir genre wouldn't last much longer (many contend that 1958's "Touch of Evil" is the last true noir), but it went out with a bang, giving us some of its best examples (this, "Kiss Me Deadly," "On Dangerous Ground") in its last years.
Wilde plays detective Leonard Diamond like a man coming apart at the seams. His determination to bring an end to Brown's reign feels as if it's fueled by personal motivations as much as by a sense of justice. This ambiguity in the hero's actions adds to the rotten atmosphere created by director Joseph Lewis, in which the bad guys often have more allure than the good ones. Richard Conte certainly has magnetism to spare; his monotone, machine-gun patter when belittling Diamond for being a "little man" nearly makes you forget that Wilde towers over Conte whenever they're in the frame together. And, despite his chauvinist treatment of her, one can understand why Jean Wallace's character would be drawn against her will to the more virile Conte than to the "impotent" Wilde.
Indeed, the question of manhood -- who has it and who doesn't -- is central to "The Big Combo." It's a theme common to the genre, but is given one of its most overt treatments here. In this twisted world, the ability to inflict pain -- be it mental, emotional, physical or sexual -- is a measure of one's ability to "be a man" and make it in the world. Those who aren't man enough, like Mr. Brown's gay henchmen or right-hand man, McClure (played with just the right amount of vulnerability by Brian Donlevy), are destroyed.
"The Big Combo" boasts arresting black and white images, and a number of thrillingly memorable set pieces (let's just say that imaginative and recurring use is made of a hearing aid). It doesn't beat its kissing cousin from the same year, "Kiss Me Deadly," in my book, but it's an awfully fun ride.
Grade: A