Without ever rising to Oscar material, even in a supporting capacity, Richard Conte certainly deserves to be remebered as a very good actor. In this film he portrays the unflinchingly loyal and unsentimental to near-mechanical point assassin, Nick Magellan, and I rate this performance among his best, along with HOUSE OF STRANGERS and I'LL CRY TOMORROW.
Ann Bancroft emerges as Conte's character mirror image, independent and able to think and decide for herself. The difference is that she is good, a straight and utterly loving and lovable woman whose fate is determined by the fact that she was born into a top syndicate family in NY. Her father is superbly played by Broderick Crawford, also in one of his career's finest hours. Albeit in a minor role, even Mike Mazurki delivers what I see as his best role ever.
B&W cinematography by Eddie Fitzgerald and editing by Grant Whytock are absolutely first class, and the Lait and Mortimer script pays homage to the docu noir films of the 1950s with a voiceover narrator who never over-intrudes, letting the riveting plot unfold on its own.
Obvious moral of the story, even if never forcibly rubbed in: you fall into the orbit of crime and only death will separate you from it.
Definitely unmissable, especially if you are into film noir. 9/10.
Ann Bancroft emerges as Conte's character mirror image, independent and able to think and decide for herself. The difference is that she is good, a straight and utterly loving and lovable woman whose fate is determined by the fact that she was born into a top syndicate family in NY. Her father is superbly played by Broderick Crawford, also in one of his career's finest hours. Albeit in a minor role, even Mike Mazurki delivers what I see as his best role ever.
B&W cinematography by Eddie Fitzgerald and editing by Grant Whytock are absolutely first class, and the Lait and Mortimer script pays homage to the docu noir films of the 1950s with a voiceover narrator who never over-intrudes, letting the riveting plot unfold on its own.
Obvious moral of the story, even if never forcibly rubbed in: you fall into the orbit of crime and only death will separate you from it.
Definitely unmissable, especially if you are into film noir. 9/10.