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?ħ. 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?Ħ. 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?ĥ. The strength of the cast, character actors and actresses and their ability to represent types quickly and directly? The strength of the performances?Ĥ. 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?ģ. 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?Ģ. Lewis, who directed second features which have considerable reputation as My Name is Julia Ross and Gun Crazy.ġ. Music is by Dave Raksin, composer for such films as Laura and direction is by Joseph H. 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. There is also a direct picture of homosexual gunmen working for the chief hoodlum. 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. While interested in the basic plots and conventions, he is interested in unusual characters and bizarre relationships of power, love-hate, sexuality and cruelty.
At this time he also wrote Johnny Guitar, a bizarre western with Joan Crawford. 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. It was written by Philip Yordan who gets title credit. The Big Combo is a short grim thriller, anticipating the Mafia and police thrillers of the '70s. Peter Malone's Film Reviews and ResourcesĬornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Jean Wallace, Brian Donleavy, Robert Middleton, Lee Van Cleef, Ted de Corsia, Helen Walker, John Hoyt.Michael Fallon Books and Audio-visual Resources.Heart of Life Centre for Spiritual and Pastoral Formation.St Mary's Towers Retreat Centre, Douglas Park NSW.Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.
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