Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Glenn Ford | ... | Dave Bannion | |
Gloria Grahame | ... | Debby Marsh | |
Jocelyn Brando | ... | Katie Bannion | |
Alexander Scourby | ... | Mike Lagana | |
Lee Marvin | ... | Vince Stone | |
Jeanette Nolan | ... | Bertha Duncan | |
Peter Whitney | ... | Tierney | |
Willis Bouchey | ... | Lt. Ted Wilks | |
Robert Burton | ... | Gus Burke | |
Adam Williams | ... | Larry Gordon | |
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Howard Wendell | ... | Commissioner Higgins |
Chris Alcaide | ... | George Rose | |
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Michael Granger | ... | Hugo |
Dorothy Green | ... | Lucy Chapman | |
Carolyn Jones | ... | Doris |
Dave Bannion is an upright cop on the trail of a vicious gang he suspects holds power over the police force. Bannion is tipped off after a colleague's suicide and his fellow officers' suspicious silence lead him to believe that they are on the gangsters' payroll. When a bomb meant for him kills his wife instead, Bannion becomes a furious force of vengeance and justice, aided along the way by the gangster's spurned girlfriend Debby. As Bannion and Debby fall further and further into the Gangland's insidious and brutal trap, they must use any means necessary (including murder) to get to the truth. Written by alfiehitchie
A violent story about a detective working in a corrupt department who investigates the apparent suicide of a fellow officer. Worth seeing for Glenn Ford's prototypical performance and Gloria Grahme's show stealing portrayal of a boozing moll with a conscience. With facial disfigurement and cigarette burns it took violence up a notch from the standard gun play of the past, making it grimmer and more realistic, and giving the story more punch. Grahme's tough and tender role stands out and gives the film a tragic element, while certain of its portrayals of greed and corruption (namely the dead officer's wife) stand out for their attention to detail. In the end, it IS the details that give this formulaic story its clout, and we can thank director Fritz Lang for that.