☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The Big Combo (1955) -- J. H. Lewis
One of those
archetypal films noir that contain all the tics and tropes of the genre (if it
is a genre -- this falls into the "lone cop vs. the mob" subtype
ruled by The Big Heat). Shadowy (and foggy) cinematography by John Alton, also
marked by bright high key lighting of the women-in-distress against a black
background, creates the mood. The delivery of most characters (save
power-mongering Richard Conte and his henchmen) is strangely flat and the score
seems to belong to TV rather than cinema (I was reminded of the Leslie Nielsen
Police Squad! series -- as good a spoof as any, in my distant memory) but this
is a fine late entry in the noir tradition.
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