☆ ☆ ☆ ½
Crime
Wave (1954) – A. de Toth
Sterling Hayden is the tough homicide
detective who won’t give ex-con Gene Nelson an even break when he suspects him
of harbouring three escapees from San Quentin.
Poor Nelson has actually gone straight, but the thugs threaten his wife
as a way of getting him to help, even to the point of driving getaway for a
bank heist. Hayden is never far behind
and his staccato and monotone delivery rips into Nelson whenever he’s in reach.
You kinda feel sorry for the guy. The
film is shot on location in L. A., often at night, with a mostly unknown cast
(including a young Charles Bronson) and some noir lifers (hard Ted de Corsia,
freaky Timothy Carey). There’s an edge
here, a rawness, possibly due to the low budget, that makes it feel as though
violence could erupt at any moment – and it’s on the street in front of your
house.
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