IMDb > The Big Combo (1955)

The Big Combo (1955) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   1,557 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Joseph H. Lewis
Writer:
Philip Yordan (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Big Combo on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 February 1955 (USA) more
Genre:
Film-Noir | Crime | Drama more
Tagline:
The Most Startling Story The Screen Has Ever Dared Reveal!
Plot:
Police Lt. Diamond is told to close his surveillance of suspected mob boss Mr. Brown because it's costing... more | full synopsis
User Comments:
First-rate film noir more (39 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Cornel Wilde ... Police Lt. Leonard Diamond
Richard Conte ... Mr. Brown

Brian Donlevy ... Joe McClure

Jean Wallace ... Susan Lowell
Robert Middleton ... Police Capt. Peterson
Lee Van Cleef ... Fante
Earl Holliman ... Mingo
Helen Walker ... Alicia Brown
Jay Adler ... Detective Sam Hill
John Hoyt ... Nils Dreyer
Ted de Corsia ... Ralph Bettini
Helene Stanton ... Rita
Roy Gordon ... Audubon
Whit Bissell ... Doctor (scenes deleted) (as Whit Bissel)
Steve Mitchell ... Bennie Smith, Boxer
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Additional Details

Runtime:
USA:84 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This film skirted the Production Code by making several not to subtle hints that Mr. Brown's henchmen, Fante and Mingo (played by Lee Van Cleef and 'Earl Holiman'), were a homosexual couple. more
Goofs:
Continuity: 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. more
Quotes:
Leonard Diamond: Do you know Mr. Brown?
Nils Dreyer: I had lunch with him last week. He's a very fine gentleman.
Leonard Diamond: He's a hoodlum.
Nils Dreyer: Because I have lunch with him, that is not a crime. I'll have lunch with anybody, I'm democratic. I'll even have lunch with you.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Serenity (2005) more

FAQ

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28 out of 31 people found the following comment useful.
First-rate film noir, 1 January 2004
10/10
Author: dcole-2 from Glendale, CA

This is one of the finest of film noirs, unjustly forgotten. John Alton's black-and-white cinematography is brilliant, smoothly playing with light and darkness while dazzling our eyes. This might be Joseph Lewis' best film (it's a hard choice) and the cast is amazing. Fun to see Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman play (probably) gay hit men; Brian Donlevy in an unusual supporting role provides heft; Richard Conte is a great, great villain. And Jean Wallace is luminous in the femme-fatale-turned-good role. Catch it if you can.

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Message Boards

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How did everyone end up watching this? opp550
Composer David Raksin ecapital46
The Big Stinko Readerman
How do we know the 2 henchmen are gay? Dire_Straits
Aspect Ratios in the 50's aventer-1
COST CUTTING aventer-1
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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Film-Noir section IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

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