7.4/10
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70 user 61 critic

The Big Combo (1955)

Not Rated | | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir | 13 February 1955 (USA)
The Big Combo Poster
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:

(as Joseph Lewis)

Writer:

(by)

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Police Lt. Leonard Diamond
... Mr. Brown
... Joe McClure
... Susan Lowell
... Police Capt. Peterson
... Fante
... Mingo
... Alicia Brown
... Detective Sam Hill
... Nils Dreyer
... Ralph Bettini
... Rita
Roy Gordon ... Audubon
... Doctor (scenes deleted) (as Whit Bissel)
Steve Mitchell ... Bennie Smith - Boxer
See full cast »
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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>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

cult film | mistress | gangster | murder | torture | See All (22) »

Taglines:

The Most Startling Story The Screen Has Ever Dared Reveal!

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

13 February 1955 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Hoodlum  »

Filming Locations:

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Jean Wallace was Cornel Wilde's wife at the time. See more »

Goofs

In the final scene at the airport, the position of the spotlight attached to the car that Susan keeps aiming at Brown changes from the top of the windshield to the bottom and back again. See more »

Quotes

Mr. Brown: Book me, Small Change.
Leonard Diamond: Alright, take him out, Sam.
Sam Hill: To the bullpen?
Leonard Diamond: No, back to the gutter.
See more »

Connections

Featured in Visions of Light (1992) See more »

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User Reviews

 
unacknowledged film noir classic!
9 October 1999 | by – See all my reviews

It is surprising that the brilliance of this film has not been adequately recognised by the viewing public or the critics. Probably inspired by the prototypical rogue cop in Fritz Lang's "The Big Heat", this film features the crusade of one man - Lieutenant Diamond (Cornel Wilde in a super performance) to pin down Richard Conte's smooth-tongued gangster. Struggling to keep away the departmental bureaucracy, he battles singlehandedly against organised crime with a devotion to duty bordering on the obsessional ("It's my sworn duty to push too far").

Despite the absence of any big name in the cast, this film presents all the elements that we have come to love about American film noir - great lighting and photography, tight script ("First is first, and second is nobody"), a great storyline, and some superb performances (Susan Lowell as a society girl - the gangster's moll - is ravishing).

Watch this film. It's time it got recognition amongst the greatest films to come out of Hollywood. Ever.
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