Crime Wave (1954)

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Bernard Gordon (adaptation)
John Hawkins (story)
(more)

Release Date:

6 March 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Plot:

Reformed parolee Steve Lacey is caught in the middle when a wounded former cellmate seeks him out for shelter.

Plot Keywords:

Gas Station | Home Invasion | Escaped Convict | Interrogation | Lapd

Cast

Sterling Hayden	...	Det. Lt. Sims
Gene Nelson	...	Steve Lacey
Phyllis Kirk	...	Ellen Lacey
Ted de Corsia	...	'Doc' Penny
Charles Bronson	...	Ben Hastings (as Charles Buchinsky)
Jay Novello	...	Dr. Otto Hessler
Nedrick Young	...	Gat Morgan
James Bell	...	Daniel O'Keefe
Dub Taylor	...	Gus Snider (as Dubb Taylor)
Gayle Kellogg	...	Detective Kelly
Mack Chandler	...	Sully
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Iris Adrian	...	Hastings' girlfriend (uncredited)
Joe Bassett	...	Officer (uncredited)
Richard Benjamin	...	Extra (uncredited)
Charles Cane	...	Detective (uncredited)
Timothy Carey	...	Johnny Haslett (uncredited)
Tom Clarke	...	Salvation Army Singer (uncredited)
Dennis Dengate	...	Officer (uncredited)
Eileen Elliott	...	Fourth Police Broadcaster (uncredited)
Fritz Feld	...	Man with Bandaged Head (uncredited)
Diane Fortier	...	First Police Broadcaster (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Jim Hayward	...	Zenner (uncredited)
Mary Alan Hokanson	...	Second Police Broadcaster (uncredited)
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Bank Guard (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Sidewalk Extra (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Left, a Suspect (uncredited)
Faith Kruger	...	Salvation Army Singer (uncredited)
Lyle Latell	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Harry Lauter	...	Roadblock Officer (uncredited)
Ruth Lee	...	Third Police Broadcaster (uncredited)
Richard Lightner	...	Mark (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Detective (uncredited)
Mary Newton	...	Mrs. O'Keefe (uncredited)
Shirley O'Hara	...	Girl with Bandaged Man (uncredited)
John Pickard	...	Information Officer (uncredited)
Fred Roby	...	Officer (uncredited)
George Ross	...	Officer (uncredited)
Ted Ryan	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Sandy Sanders	...	Officer (uncredited)
John Veitch	...	Information Officer (uncredited)
Shirley Whitney	...	Girl (uncredited)
Guy Wilkerson	...	Beer Drinker at Bar (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Parolee (uncredited)
Jack Woody	...	Stoolie (uncredited)
Hank Worden	...	Sweeney - Airport Maintenance Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
André De Toth

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bernard Gordon		adaptation
John Hawkins		story "Criminals Mark"
Ward Hawkins		story "Criminals Mark"
Crane Wilbur		writer
Richard Wormser		adaptation

Produced by
Bryan Foy	....	producer

Original Music by
David Buttolph

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon

Film Editing by
Thomas Reilly

Art Direction by
Stanley Fleischer

Set Decoration by
William L. Kuehl

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James McMahon	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Stanley Jones	....	sound

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Moss Mabry	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vidéo (2007) (France) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The City Is Dark (UK)

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1953) | USA:Approved (PCA #16297) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

A few seconds of footage in Crime Wave are borrowed from _Deadly Is The Female (1950)_. When suspects are rounded up following the attack on the gas station, we see police cars stopping by the entrance of a police station and letting out their suspects. This piece of footage can be seen in Deadly Is The Female, just after the payroll holdup, when police launch their dragnet.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nedrick Young (as Gat Morgan) is first shot, he grabs his chest by the right pectoral. When he grabs his wound later, it has migrated to the lower center abdomen.

Quotes:

Steve Lacey: How come the smart guys are inside and the dopes outside?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Trapped Ashes (2006)

Soundtrack:

'S Wonderful

This Is Film Noir!

This is excellent example of film noir: almost everything you'd want in this genre. Right from the opening shot, this had noir written all over it by cinematographer Bert Glennon, and from opening holdup-murder scene at the gas station, you knew you were in for a rough ride.

Speaking of "rough," I can't think of too many actors who were better and more suited for noir than Sterling Hayden, who delivers yet another uncompromising hard-headed, tough- guy character. This time he's a cop, "Det. Lt. Sims," and one with no use for any "con," even if the guy (in this case, Gene Nelson's "Steve Lacey") has cleaned up his act.

It wasn't just the photography and Haden, the entire cast was fascinating, and it's simply a fast-moving, entertaining film. Andre de Toth's direction also was terrific. He directed only one other noir: Pitfall, another great film that we are still waiting to see on DVD. At least this film finally made it to disc.

I had forgotten what classic beauty Phyllis Kirk possessed. Wow, what a face! She starred as "Nora Charles" on the popular "Thin Man" television series in the '50s. In here, she plays Lacey's wife "Ellen." Rather that going through the whole cast, I'll just say it was a hoot to see Timothy Carey again, even if his role was limited. This guy played the most whacked-out minor characters I've ever seen in movies. (See "The Killing" for a good example of what I mean.) Jay Novello as the veterinarian ex-con also was really interesting.

I'll tell you what else was nice: the realistic scenes with actual locations around Los Angeles in the early '50s. This movie had a number of hand-held camera shots. Even the holdup in the bank was done in a real bank. There are few, if any, hokey studio shots in this movie. It's the real deal..... and very much recommended. Combined with "Decoy" on the same disc, it makes for a nice double--feature for a night of noir.