THE BIG COMBO

US, 1955, 80 minutes, Black and white.
Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Jean Wallace, Brian Donleavy, Robert Middleton, Lee Van Cleef, Ted de Corsia, Helen Walker, John Hoyt.
Directed by Joseph B. Lewis.

The Big Combo is a short grim thriller, anticipating the Mafia and police thrillers of the '70s. It was written by Philip Yordan who gets title credit. A prolific screenwriter, his range included Detective Story and House of Strangers as well as the spectacles Fifty-five Days at Peking, El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire. At this time he also wrote Johnny Guitar, a bizarre western with Joan Crawford. While interested in the basic plots and conventions, he is interested in unusual characters and bizarre relationships of power, love-hate, sexuality and cruelty.

This is evident in this film which is a routine thriller of syndicates and police but also shows the strange relationships between detective and hoodlum and the woman at the centre. There is also a direct picture of homosexual gunmen working for the chief hoodlum. The cast is very interesting and includes husband and wife team Cornel Wilde and Jean Wallace, with Richard Conte and Brian Donleavy as expert villains and Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman in very early roles as the murderous gunmen. Music is by Dave Raksin, composer for such films as Laura and direction is by Joseph H. Lewis, who directed second features which have considerable reputation as My Name is Julia Ross and Gun Crazy.

1. An interesting gangster film? The gangster tradition in the American cinema - the grim direct films of the '30s, the police stories of the '40s and '50s? The basic conventions of plot, clash with police and gangsters, the personalities of the criminals, their women? In comparison with the styles of the '70s? The quality of this 'B' feature?

2. The black and white photography, the sleazy atmosphere, the violence in the photography and editing? A world of corruption, sadism? The contribution of the score? An anticipation of the trends of the '60s and '70s?

3. The strength of the cast, character actors and actresses and their ability to represent types quickly and directly? The strength of the performances?

4. The screenplay and its taking of a basic conventional plot and enhancing it by a study of relationships? The blend of the ordinary and unusual? The relationships and attitudes of power, love and hate, sexuality, cruelty?

5. The focus of the title and the emphasis on American syndicates, protection and corruption, the bosses, the henchmen and the gunmen? The amoral atmosphere of this world? The police and their abilities and inabilities to combat it?

6. The initial focus on Susan and her trying to escape at the start, the ambiguity of the well-educated glamorous girl with Mr Brown? Her dancing, suicide attempt? The interrogation in the hospital and the clue of Alicia? Her return and clash with Brown - as symbolised by her listening to the classical music? Her decision to leave, her reliance on Leonard, her decision to help? Her pleading with Alicia? Her being kidnapped at the end, her focusing the spotlight on Brown? Walking off with Leonard? How well did she show how people could be attracted by gangsters and criminals and repelled? The balance of her being attracted to Brown and Leonard? How well did she illustrate the ambiguities of her character, the ambiguous attitudes of people towards criminals and the law?

7. Cornel Wilde as hero - Leonard and his skill as a policeman, the funds he used for his long investigation of Brown? The discussions with Peterson and his support from him? His assistant and the information given, his finally being shot? The desperate interrogation of Susan at the hospital? His visits to Rita and reliance on her - sexual liaison, the suggestiveness of her work at the burlesque, her availability? His reaction and tears at her death? His relentless pursuit of Brown? The importance of the picking up of so many criminals, the lie detector sequence? His motive for pursuing Brown and Peterson's comments on his being in love with Susan? The balance of his being tortured by Brown - especially with the hearing aid? The alcohol? His tracking down Alicia and his visit to the former syndicate man who was afraid that he was going to be killed, the discovery of Alicia and talking to her in the asylum, his violent confrontation of the truth? Interrogation of her and using Susan to break her down? Her finally helping him though she said she didn't want to? Why was Alicia unpersuaded by Leonard?

8. His motives of vengeance especially after Rita's death? His tension, violent outbursts? His control at the end and not using violence on Brown but taking him to prison?

9. Brown and his control - his being called Mr. Brown and its irony and oddity? His theory about hatred and explanation to the boxer? His explanation of overcoming McClure? and making him his henchman? The truth about his murder of Grazzi? His wife's becoming an alcoholic and his putting her in an asylum? His capacity for murder and then pleasant meals, torture - of Leonard using the hearing aid? His reliance on Fanti and Mingo? His dominance of them and their loyalty? His reaction to being picked up and interrogated with the lie detector? His ability to phone in the middle of the night and order killings? His presence being enough to make Alicia afraid? The suave letting Mingo and Fanti open the bomb? His escape plan, his taking Susan. his cowardliness and cowering when caught and put in the spotlight? The film's analysis of the tough hood who rises to power on hate but is able to be broken? The callousness of his killing of McClure?

10. The picture of McClure? - a former boss. weak and overcome by Brown, his hearing aid and its use in the torture after he had tortured Leonard? His reading of the situation and getting Mingo and Fanti to kill Brown, their turning on him, the macabre aspect of his being killed without the hearing aid?

11. Fanti and Mingo - killers, lack of scruple, their treatment of Susan, their torturing people? Their relationship and its homosexual overtones? Their attitude towards McClure? and killing him? The irony of the hideout and their trusting of Brown and his killing them? Mingo’s final talking?

12. A picture of the police and their power and powerlessness to control such organised crime?

13. The American gangster tradition, a picture of American corruption, conscience, good and evil, its attraction and repulsion?