One of my all-time favorite films, CRIME WAVE (1954), has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.
I love everything about this film, which centers on a reformed ex-con named Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson).
Lacey now has a pretty wife, Ellen (Phyllis Kirk) and a job as an aircraft mechanic. That all goes awry when a pair of criminals (Ted de Corsia and Charles Bronson, billed Buchinsky) Steve knew in prison barge into his apartment; he's forced to help them with a planned bank robbery, or Ellen may be killed.
Sterling Hayden plays Detective Lt. Sims, who constantly rides on Lacey's case -- but when the chips are down, perhaps he has a better understanding of Lacey's true character than he lets on.
The movie zips by in 75 minutes (per the Blu-ray running time, which is slightly longer than what's listed at IMDb). The screenplay by Crane Wilbur, based on an adaptation of a Saturday Evening Post story, is tight and entertaining, directed with verve by
Andre deToth.
The performances are all excellent, with Hayden doing his patented '50s "cranky cop" characterization. His perpetually irritated, toothpick-chewing Sims is not too dissimilar here from his
ZERO HOUR! character a couple years later, but he's great fun.
The movie's revelation is Nelson, best known as a musical performer and later as a director of both films and TV. He's attractive and believable as a rough-edged good guy, and he has great chemistry with Kirk as his tough wife. Notably and believably, the movie convention of twin beds was not used in this film.
There are also interesting characters sketched by James Bell, Nedrick Young, Jay Novello, Dub Taylor, Hank Worden, and Timothy Carey, along with the previously mentioned cast.
What really sets the film apart, however, is the black and white cinematography by
Bert Glennon and the fantastic use of locations in Glendale, Los Angeles, and the surrounding area.
Everything about the photography is eye-catching, especially the lighting of the nighttime scenes at the gas station or the overly bright fluorescent lights in the police station. This is a movie which looks so good that it could probably be enjoyed with the sound off, if it came to that.
And the locations! I recognized even more places on this viewing than I had in the past, including Chinatown in Downtown Los Angeles and Grand Central Aircraft Co., which was at Grand Central Airport in Glendale. I've been to a couple of events at the airport site, now owned by Disney, and was there most recently this past April.
I also noticed a police car driving past
Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, seen here in a screen shot.
I especially love the Christmastime filming, in November and December of 1952, around Glendale's Bank of America, as well as the finale on the rainy Glendale sidewalks. Perfection.
The sheer amount of location filming is particularly impressive given that the film was shot in a scant 15 days. It's worth noting that the movie wasn't released until March 1954, over a year after the shooting wrapped.
CRIME WAVE was shown in Britain as THE CITY IS DARK, which explains some posters and stills using that title. During production the film was also known as DON'T CRY, BABY.
The Blu-ray print, from a new 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, is absolutely stunning. The movie has always looked great, but now it looks spectacular. It's absolutely marvelous. Sound quality is strong.
Extras include the original DVD commentary by Eddie Muller and James Ellroy; an archival six-minute 2007 featurette, also from the DVD, titled CRIME WAVE: THE CITY IS DARK (2007); the cartoon BABY BUGGY BUNNY (1954); the short GADGETS GALORE; and the trailer.
CRIME WAVE is most highly recommended.
Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.
One of my all-time favorite films, CRIME WAVE (1954), has just been released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.
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