During the 1950s, a small-town newspaper editor and a state assistant attorney-general fight corrupt local officials from one rotten county.During the 1950s, a small-town newspaper editor and a state assistant attorney-general fight corrupt local officials from one rotten county.During the 1950s, a small-town newspaper editor and a state assistant attorney-general fight corrupt local officials from one rotten county.
- Bailiff
- (as Bob Stephenson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFinal film of Richard Cramer, whose career started back in the days of silent films.
- GoofsAt about the 06:30 mark the shadow of the boom mic can be seen on the wall to the left just as Allridge and Jackson are being put into the cell.
- Quotes
Chick Johnson: Buck is everybody around here chicken?
Capt. Buck Maxwell: You ever been scared of losing your job? Having your little store maybe burned out? or your truck wrecked? or getting beat up? Maybe crippled or lying around on a Phony Rap? Or maybe having your wife bothered or even your kids?
Chick Johnson: Scared or Bought?
Capt. Buck Maxwell: Bought guys talk slick. These guys talk sore. Here. You ever noticed this thing? These guys have all been called in for the Treatment.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits all appear on newspapers which have just been dumped from a truck and are ready for delivery. The title appears as if it were a newspaper headline.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Crime Wave (1985)
- SoundtracksYou Can't Do Wrong Doing Right
(uncredited)
Written by Al Rinker and Floyd Huddleston
Performed by Ruth Martin
[Sung by the character Cleo Bethel portrayed by Audrey Totter]
I should also add that much in this story seems reflective of my own experience. When I was in the army (1963-1965) a decade after this film, and stationed in Western Maryland, when driving there from New York, we were picked up more than once by police for speeding, having a light out, whatever, and instructed to drive behind the police vehicle to one of several (what looked like) county stores that had a set up in the back where someone (probably a minor judge) seemed to sit all night, just waiting for the cops to bring in miscreants like ourselves so that he could fine us $15 or $20 before sending us on our way. And this is how they treated the U.S. military ($78.11 a month pay). I can't imagine how others might have been treated (but certainly not as badly as in this film, I hope).
Anyway, the performances are all solid. Pidgeon kind of disappears a bit less than halfway through the film, and from that point on the real stars seem to be Hodiak, Malden, Gomez, Sloane and the always-excellent Audrey Totter, until Pidgeon comes back in near the end. The final courtroom scene holds the interest, and both Hodiak and Hugh Sanders (as the good judge and in, given its relative brevity, probably the best role he ever had; he gets to make the longest speech in the film) do well in it, but I was surprised to see Karl Malden billed 7th or 8th considering that he had just won a Supporting Actor AA for STREETCAR and, quite honestly, his is one of the larger roles in the film. And Frank Cady has maybe his best screen role, far larger than in the same year's HIGH NOON. Cameron Mitchell, in one of his first films, also doesn't have much to do, but his character is pivotal to the story.
All in all, an enjoyable little crime drams with a lot of holes in it, saved by the performances.
- joe-pearce-1
- Aug 7, 2018
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $596,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 23 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1