I first heard about Crime Wave (1954; also known as The City Is Dark), a B-movie film noir directed by Andre DeToth (Day Of The Outlaw) from Patton Oswalt’s appearance on the Pure Cinema Podcast. Oswalt talked about how shooting on location, as Crime Wave does, was more in keeping with how low budget B movies worked, stealing shots on the streets of LA, rather than a studio set or a location outside Hollywood. Of the two film noirs I watched in one night, I liked Crime Wave more because it has a stronger sense of film noir style and a low budget dinginess that feels more real. The scenes, for example, in the police station or the switchboard operators, box feel lived in as if a film crew stepped into the work places rather than had a production designer recreate them. The street shots give a sense of authenticity to the movie, particularly during night scenes where the use of contrasts and minimal lighting feels like iconic film noir style. Opening with a gas station robbery by a gang of thieves who’ve broken out of the joint (Ted de Corsia, Ned Young, anda young Charles Bronson), things go wrong. In the aftermath, the gang find re-enter the life of ex-con Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson) who has gone straight with a supportive wife, Ellen (Phyllis Kirk), and a job as a aircraft mechanic; I also dig his casual “greaser” look of black shirt and denim jeans. The gang use Steve’s wife as a hostage to have him work as the wheelman for a planned bank heist. Meanwhile, a disgruntled, toothpick-chewing cop (Sterling Hayden, surly and great) is on the case, eager to send Steve back in the clink. The film is sympathetic to Steve Lacey’s trapped position and the prejudices held against him as a former prisoner trying to stay out of trouble. Each supporting player is strongly etched and memorable, including a third act introduction to Timothy Carey (The Killing, Paths Of Glory) who gives a typically unhinged performance. A tight, involving noir thriller that definitely demonstrates the artistry and talent within the B-movie leagues. Rented on iTunes. Recommended.
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