This film is a reverse mystery.....not a who dunnit for the audience...instead how do they catch who dunnit. Lee Bowman, with his little pimp mustache, is a slick assistant to the soon to be blown to smithereens mayor and appears to be Mr. Law and Order. It is soon disclosed that he is tied up with mob boss John Litel and is out to move up the ladder regardless of who stands in his way, leaving a trail of bodies behind. Van Heflin is a forensics expert with the beautiful Marsha Hunt as his assistant and love interest (although he does not want to admit it). We get to see the early development of forensic science as Heflin performs spectagraphs,etc on evidence found at the crime scene. The vacuum cleaner test is rather amusing and you wonder if the people tested ever wash their hair! A love triangle develops among Heflin, Hunt and Bowman which does not really detract from the film......in fact it makes it more interesting as Hunt tells Bowman some inside information about evidence, not realizing that he is the killer. There is a good supporting cast and Heflin's performance is odd but interesting. Marsha Hunt is lovely and Lee Bowman, not a particularly good actor, is not bad here and come across as a real stinker. This is Fred Zinneman's first feature film, after directing short subjects and it's a pretty good start to a great career. I would recommend this film for those who like tight little thrillers.
Review of Kid Glove Killer
