Spartacus Super Bowl says let the performances draw you into this dramatic world. You can probably find fault with the scenario, but just accept the story as what's going on. Director Don Siegel draws out and controls convincing performances from all the major players, and the pacing is dynamic.
The contrast in styles between John Cassavetes and James Whitmore perfectly captures the generational difference between their characters. Cassavetes is volatile and enigmatic, in a new and emergent style, while Whitmore brings all the authority of a seasoned character actor with leading-man capability to a role with some depth. The result, with the support of a strong cast of movie and TV regulars, and especially the conflicted emotional center in Sal Mineo, is compelling drama in the style of the Golden Age of TV Drama.
Crime in the Streets was, in fact, originally presented on television, directed by Sidney Lumet, and was written by Reginald Rose (who wrote 12 Angry Men, among others). The film version might seem a little stagey as a result of this genesis, but the performances make it worthwhile.
The contrast in styles between John Cassavetes and James Whitmore perfectly captures the generational difference between their characters. Cassavetes is volatile and enigmatic, in a new and emergent style, while Whitmore brings all the authority of a seasoned character actor with leading-man capability to a role with some depth. The result, with the support of a strong cast of movie and TV regulars, and especially the conflicted emotional center in Sal Mineo, is compelling drama in the style of the Golden Age of TV Drama.
Crime in the Streets was, in fact, originally presented on television, directed by Sidney Lumet, and was written by Reginald Rose (who wrote 12 Angry Men, among others). The film version might seem a little stagey as a result of this genesis, but the performances make it worthwhile.