Another interesting film from Siodmak, this one firmly rooted in the Italian community of New York. Arrogant criminal Richard Conte has killed a policeman, so will get the chair. Slimy lawyer Berry Kroeger (good) is trying to get him to admit to another crime to get his client off. Cops Victor Mature (also from the hood) and Fred Clark (Flamingo Road, Sunset Blvd., A Place in the Sun, Hollywood Story) investigate.
Conte has a girl that he hopes to run off with, Debra Paget. And his family - mama Mimi Aguglia, papa Tito Vuolo and younger brother Tommy Cook - also help and hinder. Most suspenseful scene is a low key prison escape, followed by Conte's confrontation with the lawyer. Then he gets mixed up with masseuse Hope Emerson, Shelly Winters (not quite sure how she fits into the story) and unlicensed doctor Konstantin Shayne. With Walter Baldwin (The Best Years of Our Lives) as the prison trustee, Betty Garde (nurse who tries to help) and Jane Nigh (sassy nurse). So a good gallery of characters in an increasingly doomed story which ends with death outside a church; and a final moment of redemption for the criminal's brother. There are these great touches throughout, such as the drunk who tries to pick up Winters when she's trying to get brandy for the doctor treating Conte.
Good acting all round. Based on a novel by Henry Edward Helseth, written by Richard Murphy (Panic In the Streets, Boomerang) and (according to IMDB, uncredited) Ben Hecht. Photographed by Lloyd Ahern, not much music from Lionel Newman, for Fox.
Is it a film noir? Eddy Muller doesn't think so as it's not in 'Dark City'; to me it's more of a police thriller, but there's no doubting the skill of Siodmak again, nor the noir elements.
Our BFI DVD is probably the lowest res of all release but their Blu-Ray version is apparently the way to go.
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