In 1950, Senator Estes Kefauver headed a special committee to investigate organised crime and the committee's hearings (which were televised live), soon provoked a great deal of interest. This was the first time that most members of the general public had been made aware of the nature and extent of organised crime in the United States and although the committee's findings revealed a serious threat to society, they also became a source of fascination for many people. "The Captive City" is based on the actual experiences of Time magazine crime reporter Alvin M Josephy Jr (who co-wrote the screenplay) and is one of a number of movies (such as "The Enforcer" and "The Racket") which exploited the strong interest that existed in crime syndicates in the early 1950s.
Jim Austin (John Forsythe) is the editor and co-owner of the local newspaper in a small town called Kennington and is surprised when a private investigator tells him that he's inadvertently discovered the existence of a major gambling operation that's run by one of the town's most prominent citizens. More shockingly, Clyde Nelson (Hal K Dawson) adds that the police and local politicians are also involved and it's for this reason that he's recently been harassed by having his telephone tapped and his investigator's licence withdrawn. Jim finds Nelson's claims hard to believe and after receiving some assurances from Police Chief Gillette (Ray Teal), takes no further action. After Nelson is killed in what's claimed to be a hit-and-run incident, Jim becomes suspicious and starts to make his own investigations.
In a series of articles which Jim writes, he criticises the local police for their lack of action in pursuing Nelson's killer and soon finds that his actions bring him into conflict with the police and business people who stop advertising in his newspaper. The newspaper's press privileges are suddenly withdrawn and an attempt is made to tap his telephone. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that he's being followed by a car with Florida licence plates that fits the description of a vehicle that was known to have followed Nelson in the days shortly before his death.
Jim's investigations confirm the veracity of Nelson's claims and reveal that the level of corruption in his town is widespread with most people either being directly involved in the gambling operation or at least supportive of it. He also finds other information that makes it far too dangerous for him and his wife to remain in Kennington and so they race off to Washington with the intention of giving evidence to the Kefauver committee.
"The Captive City" is a low budget docu-noir and the inclusion of a narration, scenes shot on location and a solemn message delivered by Senator Kefauver are typical of such movies. Similarly, the use of a mixture of scenes that are well-lit and others which have the more orthodox noir look is also consistent with the docu-noir style. The story, which is told in flashback, emphasises how pervasive the influence of the mob is and how easily the corruption that it generates can become an acceptable part of everyday life.
Jim Austin's struggle against what seem like insuperable odds is made riveting because it's fact-based but also because he's continually in mortal danger. Furthermore, Robert Wise's no-nonsense direction adds so much clarity and pace to the action that its intensity remains high throughout.
Jim Austin (John Forsythe) is the editor and co-owner of the local newspaper in a small town called Kennington and is surprised when a private investigator tells him that he's inadvertently discovered the existence of a major gambling operation that's run by one of the town's most prominent citizens. More shockingly, Clyde Nelson (Hal K Dawson) adds that the police and local politicians are also involved and it's for this reason that he's recently been harassed by having his telephone tapped and his investigator's licence withdrawn. Jim finds Nelson's claims hard to believe and after receiving some assurances from Police Chief Gillette (Ray Teal), takes no further action. After Nelson is killed in what's claimed to be a hit-and-run incident, Jim becomes suspicious and starts to make his own investigations.
In a series of articles which Jim writes, he criticises the local police for their lack of action in pursuing Nelson's killer and soon finds that his actions bring him into conflict with the police and business people who stop advertising in his newspaper. The newspaper's press privileges are suddenly withdrawn and an attempt is made to tap his telephone. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that he's being followed by a car with Florida licence plates that fits the description of a vehicle that was known to have followed Nelson in the days shortly before his death.
Jim's investigations confirm the veracity of Nelson's claims and reveal that the level of corruption in his town is widespread with most people either being directly involved in the gambling operation or at least supportive of it. He also finds other information that makes it far too dangerous for him and his wife to remain in Kennington and so they race off to Washington with the intention of giving evidence to the Kefauver committee.
"The Captive City" is a low budget docu-noir and the inclusion of a narration, scenes shot on location and a solemn message delivered by Senator Kefauver are typical of such movies. Similarly, the use of a mixture of scenes that are well-lit and others which have the more orthodox noir look is also consistent with the docu-noir style. The story, which is told in flashback, emphasises how pervasive the influence of the mob is and how easily the corruption that it generates can become an acceptable part of everyday life.
Jim Austin's struggle against what seem like insuperable odds is made riveting because it's fact-based but also because he's continually in mortal danger. Furthermore, Robert Wise's no-nonsense direction adds so much clarity and pace to the action that its intensity remains high throughout.