Crime Wave (film, 1954)

In Los Angeles at night, three criminals escaped from San Quentin prison - Doc Penny ( Ted de Corsia ), Ben Hastings ( Charles Bronson ) and Get Morgan (Ned Young) - drive up to a gas station in a stolen car. They attack the only employee of the station (Dub Taylor), who after a strong blow to the head loses consciousness, open the cash register and steal $ 130. A patrol officer passing by on a motorcycle notices three suspicious people at the station instead of the familiar refueling tanker and decides to find out what is the matter. In the course of a short trial, Morgan takes out a gun and kills a policeman who manages to injure Morgan with return fire. Doc and Gastins give Morgan $ 100 and leave him a car, while they themselves are hiding.

The wounded Morgan manages to get to the apartment of Steve Lacey ( Gene Nelson ), a former San Quentin prisoner who was released on parole and decided to start an honest life. He got a good job as an aircraft mechanic and lives with his beloved wife Ellen ( Phyllis Kirk ). Not wanting to have anything to do with the underworld, he does not let Morgan into his house, but under the threat of weapons he is forced to open the door. The wounded Morgan sits down in a chair and says that the called doctor Otto Hessler ( Jay Novello ), who was once deprived of a medical license and was sent to San Quentin for the death of a girl, will soon come and after work he began to work as a veterinarian. However, just before the arrival of Hessler, Morgan dies. Hessler ascertains death, takes the money from Morgan’s pocket and leaves.

Left with the corpse of a gangster in his own apartment, Steve is afraid to contact the police, and calls his overseeing officer Daniel O'Keefe ( James Bell ). At the same time, Steve asks Ellen not to tell anyone that Hessler was in their house, because, having learned about his visit, the police can decide that Steve is one with the criminals.

Meanwhile, at the police station, detective Lieutenant Sims ( Sterling Hayden ) shows a gas station employee photographs of three San Quentin fugitives in which he recognizes the robbers who attacked him. Noting that several similar minor robberies had already been recorded in recent days, Sims suggested that this was the work of the same gang, which, apparently, was moving in the direction of San Diego . Mass raids are carried out around the city, during which all suspicious persons are detained. Soon, the police manage to detect the car abandoned by Morgan. After looking through the lists of former prisoners living nearby, the police go out to Steve Lacy, who was sitting in San Quentin at the same time as Morgan.

In Steve’s apartment, O'Keefe sympathizes with him, who believes that Steve has taken the path of correction, and Sims, who believes that the criminals are incorrigible. With disbelief, after listening to Steve’s story, Sims decides to detain him for three days, promising to release him if he cooperates with the police. Steve refuses, fearing revenge from the bandits, however, Sims releases him, warning that he will again imprison him if he contacts the fugitives or does not cooperate.

Happy Steve and Ellen return to their apartment, where they are waiting for Doc and Hastings. Steve asks them to leave immediately, saying that the police are monitoring the apartment. However, Doc replies that he has arranged the matter so that the police will look for them on the way to San Diego. And so he is going to sit out in Steve’s apartment, and then rob a bank in Los Angeles. Doc says he will take Steve with him as a driver. And then Steve, who has a pilot’s license, will have to transfer the robbers on a stolen private plane to Mexico.

Sims finds Hessler in his veterinary clinic in the meantime. He obtains a confession from the drunk doctor that he came to Lacy's apartment, and then forces Hessler to go there again and find out from Steve everything about the robbers. However, Steve does not let Hessler into the house and refuses to talk to him. Doc and Hastings, who hear their conversation, understand that Hessler came, most likely, at the direction of the police. Hastings secretly follows Hessler in Steve's car, and in the veterinary clinic beats the doctor to death. A casual passer-by through the window of the clinic sees the beating of Hassler, after which he enters the nearest cafe, where he reports this to two policemen. At the time of their arrival at the crime scene, Hastings manages to escape and quietly return to Lacy's apartment. Realizing that having found Steve’s car, the police will immediately come to his house, the bandits decide to leave the apartment immediately, forcing Steve and Ellen to go with them. Soon, not far from the veterinary clinic, the police did find Steve's car, after which he was put on the wanted list. Sims and his assistants arrive at Lacy’s apartment, where during a search he finds a note among the medicines in the closet.

Meanwhile, Doc and Hastings come to the apartment to two familiar criminals, Johnny Hasslet and Zenner, with whom they are going to go into business. Leaving Ellen under Hasslett’s supervision as a hostage, the criminals force Steve to drive a car, which is sent to the bank.

Bandits burst into the bank, but there, under the guise of employees and customers, they are waiting for disguised operatives. A shootout occurs during which Doc, Hastings and Senner are killed. Hearing the shooting, Steve breaks off and rushes to the apartment to save Ellen. Steve, and after him Sims manage to arrive just at the moment when Haslett listens to the message about the failure of the robbery on a police wave. Steve pounces on Haslett. At that moment, Sims appears, accompanied by policemen who arrest and take Hasslett away.

Sims pretends to be going to arrest Steve, putting him and Ellen in another police car. Having driven some distance, Sims reprimands Steve for not immediately reporting this to the police after Morgan's arrival, and then thanks him for leaving Steve in a locker with the location and time of the bank robbery. Sims explains that he used to divide people into good and bad only after a serious test, which Steve passed. He then withdraws all charges from Steve and lets him go home with Ellen.

Left alone, Sims brightens for the first time and takes a cigarette from his pocket, takes one puff, immediately throws it away and takes a toothpick again.

• Sterling Hayden - Detective, Lieutenant Sims
• Gene Nelson - Steve Lacy
• Phyllis Kirk - Ellen Lacy
• Ted de Corsia - Doc Penny
• Charles Bronson - Ben Hastings (listed as Charles Buchinsky)
• Jay Novello - Dr. Otto Hessler
• Iris Adrian - Hastings girlfriend (uncredited)

Film critic James Steffen wrote that director Andre De Tot put on several relatively inexpensive thrillers and westerns that became his best work in the 1940s and 1950s. He usually refused large budgets and work with big stars because he felt that the pictures were of category They gave him creative freedom, which was not possible when working with a large budget of category A films. In one of his later interviews, he remarked: “Why do I want to make a picture for a million dollars? I don’t need a headache for a million. With low budgets, the main part be the time I was working in solitude " ^[1] . Steffen notes that De Toth" put not so many films in the style of noir , among which stand out nuarovy western " Remrod " (1947) and pure noir " The Trap " (1948) “The wave of crime” ” ^[1] .

Transmitting the script to the film, Warner Brothers suggested that it would be a more ambitious project with Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner in the lead roles and a 35-day shooting schedule ^[1] . However, according to De Tot, he decided that the role of the detective “ Sterling Hayden would be better in every sense. He had a certain ruffian dignity. And he was no longer life itself, like Bogart. ” Jack Warner allowed De Thoth to use Hayden, but at the same time he reduced the budget and the shooting schedule to 15 days. Today it is clear that De Tot was definitely right - Hayden created one of his best works of the 1950s " ^[1] .

Sterling Hayden's other most notable works include roles in the noir films Asphalt Jungle (1950) and Murder (1956), as well as in Johnny Guitar Western (1954). In addition, he starred in the noir films Rough Circulation (1949), Sudden (1954) and Obvious Alibi (1954), where he played a similar role as a hard cop, as well as in the neo-noir Long Parting (1973) ) ^[2] .

Gene Nelson , who plays “a young ex-prisoner trying to escape from his past, played in several musicals at the turn of the 1940s and 50s, but in this film he played his first major dramatic role. He later appeared in Oklahoma! “(1955), but for the rest of his career, he mainly worked on television and as a director” ^[1] .

The film received generally positive ratings both immediately after its release on the screens, and subsequently. The film’s merits included stylistic decision, excellent full-scale shooting on the streets of Los Angeles and acting, especially Stirling Hayden , who created an unusual for his time image of a detective who sees potential ex-prisoners in all former prisoners, but in which prejudice strangely coexists with insight.

After the film was released, Philip C. Schwer of the Los Angeles Times praised the documentary qualities of the film, its high level of tension and acting, especially Hayden ^[1] . The New York Times called the film “a detailed and logical story of the transformation of a former prisoner into a victim, which, fortunately, was told with visual expressiveness and taste, showing the criminal Los Angeles aerial view” ^[3] .

Film critic Dennis Schwartz called the picture "a strong but ordinary film noir , which is significant for its black and white full-length shooting on the business streets of Los Angeles and the transmission of the noir alienation of the heroes" ^[4] . At the same time, he noted that “this low-budget film of category B is very exciting, made at a fast pace and attentive to details” ^[4] . Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader wrote that “the 1954 Noir of Andre De Taut was told in an unadorned, powerful and economical way” ^[5] . Bruce Eder described the film as “one of the coolest category B films produced at major studios, which became an important predecessor (if not directly influenced) on Stanley Kubrick's The Murder (1956)” ^[6] , noting also that this 74 "The minute film speaks more and arouses more interest than many two-hour epic films." ^[6]

The New York Times wrote: “By mixing some old ingredients with calm competence, the film manages to look much better than it really is.” ^[3] The newspaper draws attention to "authentic scenes of the picture, expertly selected by the director Andre De Tot and his cameraman" ^[7] . James Steffen notes that The Crime Wave was perhaps the first noir film shot in kind in Los Angeles, and it includes many recognizable locations in Glendale and other parts of Los Angeles, including the Bunker Hill district, a veterinary clinic with a memorable architecture , and the real Bank of America branch in the culmination scene of a robbery ^[1] . According to De Thoth, in the filming of the whole scene in the bank, “they gave only one night. Everyone knew this, and it helped. This brought swiftness, haste and urgency, which were reflected on the screen ” ^[1] . Steffen writes that "the film is also known as one of the first cases of using night-time shooting, which, according to De Thoth," was unusual at that time - to shoot outside specially prepared outdoor shooting areas, using a film with low photosensitivity, with heavy equipment, slow and inconvenient to use cameras and tripods ” ^[1] .

Critics praised the film’s screenplay. The New York Times noted that it “offers a fairly natural dialogue and a detailed, fascinating study of the internal mechanism of the work of the Los Angeles police” ^[3] . Eder writes that the script is “magnificent, it is filled with subtle shades of gray in the psychological interpretations of the heroes, as well as a focus on constant movement, which De Taut never brakes and does not hesitate. The characters are comprehensively and richly worked out, up to supporting figures, such as a veterinarian and a former prisoner (played by Jay Novello ), and they have their own unexpected complexity for the viewer ” ^[6] .

The directing work of De Taut was also characterized very positively. The New York Times wrote that “a lively and expressive picture of Mr. De Toth passes through the dark corners of a big city, where vigilant police carefully sift through the gallery of duplicitous regulars” ^[3] . Eder noted "De Tot's magnificent production of action scenes and dialogues" ^[6] . Steffen generally believes that “in many ways, The Crime Wave is an example of all the best that Andre De Taute has as a director: a well-established pace, restrained visual style and the ability to achieve dedication from actors” ^[1] . In the 1990s, Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times stated as follows why the film is holding up so well today: “De Toth has not a single false movement, he never loses a puzzling pace and seeks an outstanding game from one of those magnificent casts that we once took for granted in Hollywood films ” ^[1] . Steffen also noted the camera work of Bert Glennon, who “was one of the most talented in Hollywood , he worked with directors such as John Ford and Joseph von Sternberg . His considerable professionalism undoubtedly helped De Taut achieve what he wanted and complete the work on time ” ^[1] .

According to most reviewers, the success of the film is largely due to a strong acting, especially Hayden . Rosenbaum notes that "Sterling Hayden plays an irritable, chewing toothpick cop from Los Angeles who is chasing a former prisoner (a rare dramatic role of dancer Gene Nelson ) who is forced to take part in a bank robbery" ^[5] . The New York Times describes Hayden’s play as follows: “In the role of a sergeant who is supposed to personify the law, Mr. Hayden’s paradoxical behavior brings a restless note of righteous sadism. His growling hatred of any former prisoner and his outright intimidation of an honest couple makes Mr. Hayden really an unusual example of a representative of the law ” ^[3] . His thought is continued by Bruce Eder: “The most interesting of all the roles is played by Sterling Hayden. As a character working on the right side of the law, he is almost as scary as he is in the roles of villains. His detective, Sergeant Sims is a bunch of screen energy, dejected by continuous smoking and forced to chew toothpicks because of this. He has many personal reasons for sharpening an ax on a criminal element, and he does not even respect his colleagues who are on the side of the law, such as a support officer for Steve ahead of parole ” ^[6] . He writes further: “The game of Hayden makes his hero almost as threatening as the people he is persecuting ... while the script knows exactly where to put an end to this, and De Toth gives Hayden the opportunity - just at the right moment and absolutely convincingly - to reveal the image of your hero through the only manifestation of humanity ”in the final of the picture ^[6] .

Nelson’s play was highly praised. The New York Times, in particular, wrote: “Putting aside his dance shoes, Mr. Nelson gives his best game to date in his debut dramatic role” ^[3] . Eder also believes that along with Hayden’s play, “Nelson’s excellent acting as the completely innocent man who has become a victim” also underpins the success of the film ^[6] .

The New York Times also appreciates the play of other actors: “Miss Kirk also looks great, as does Ted de Corsia , Charles Buchinsky , Jay Novello and James Bell . ^[3] . Eder also notes the play of Ted de Corsia, Charles Buchinski (later known as Charles Bronson) and Timothy Carey "as the best trio of quietly intimidating sociopaths who had ever graced a major movie crime movie by then" ^[6] .

• Crime wave on IMDB website  
• Crime wave on Allmovie website  
• Crime Wave at Turner Classic Movies
• Crime Wave at Rotten Tomatoes