CRIME WAVE

US, 1954, 73 minutes, Black and white.
Sterling Hayden, Gene Nelson, Phyllis Kirk, Ted de Corsia, Charles Buchinsky, Jay Novello, Nedrick Young.
Directed by Andre De Toth.

Crime Wave is a very brief film noir. It stands up well after many decades – and received some strong critical praise.

The plot is quite simple, a gang burst out of jail, murder someone on their way to a rendezvous for a bank robbery that has been planned for years. One of the group goes to a former cellmate’s house, wanting to enlist his help. However, he has a solid job, is happily married, is responsible to a parole officer and wants to avoid any contact with these ex-convicts.

Sterling Hayden portrays the detective, who has no time for any criminals, is very suspicious of the Gene Nelson character. He then uses him to set up the criminals and trap them, the audience not realising this until the arrests are made.

Sterling Hayden is always reliable as this intense, seemingly mean-minded detective. Gene Nelson has a rest from singing and dancing and is quite good as the former prisoner, Phyllis Kirk his wife. Ted de Corsia looks like a tough criminal, and Charles Bronson (in his Charles Buchinsky period) always looks as if he could be a criminal.

The film was directed by Hungarian Andre de Toth, director of a wide range of genre films in the 40s and 50s, receiving great praise for the 3D work in The House of Wax (even though he had only one eye).

1. The title? Expectations? Short running time? A film of the 50s?

2. The Los Angeles settings, the air of realism? Black and white photography? The streets, the homes, the precincts? Authentic feel? The bank robbery – filmed in an actual bank? The musical score?

3. The situation: Doc Penny, Hastings and Morgan, breaking out of jail, needing the money, the killing at the service station? Morgan and his going to see Lacey? His trying to persuade Lacey to join the group?

4. Steve Lacey, out of prison, parole officer, good job, married to Ellen? The reaction to Morgan coming to the apartment? Lying to the police? Trying to keep safe? The arrival of the other criminals? His covering for them? Sims, taking him in, the interrogations? The pressure on him? The capturing of the criminals at the bank robbery, an easy arrest – and the revelation that Lacey had helped?

5. Penny, the brains of the group, the long years of planning the robbery, working with the other two, the pressure on Lacey? Hastings, tough? Morgan and his toughness? The effect of the group?

6. Dr Hessler, his seedy background, helping criminals, the wounded man? Treating him?

7. The build-up to the robbery, the plan, the execution – and the arrests?

8. Themes of police work, prisoners, crime, investigation, arrests? In the 50s (with far less technological help and back-up than in later decades)?