The Big Combo (1955)

Director:

Joseph H. Lewis

Writer:

Philip Yordan (writer)

Release Date:

13 February 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Crime | Drama

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...

Plot Keywords:

Deep Focus | Suicide Attempt | Police Detective | Mistress | Big City

Cast

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

Runtime:

USA:84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Security Pictures

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.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Serenity (2005)

Film Noir At Its Toughest.....Maybe Too Tough

This is one of the few classic films that was so rough, so hard-edged, I got rid of it after several viewings....but now wish I had it back. One thing for sure: this is film noir at its darkest. I got too uncomfortable watching several scenes, frankly.

For instance, there is a scene in which a cop (Cornel Wilde) is tortured by the head mob boss (Richard Conte) and his goons. Wilde is given a hearing aid and forced to hear loud music through it, louder and louder piercing his ear drums. Then, they make him drink hair tonic that has 40 percent alcohol in it so that went someone finds him, they will think he's drunk.

You see what I mean? This is one nasty movie. Conte's character is brutal, killing anyone who poses a threat to him. The female lead, played by Jean Wallace, has a pretty face but that can't overshadow all the mean-spirited or sadistic people who dominate this movie. Overall, it's good but not as good as the sick professional movie critics will tell you.