New York Confidential – 1955
Broderick Crawford, Richard Conte, Anne Bancroft, Onslow Stevens, J.Carrol Naish headline this violent film noir from 1955.
Crawford is a New York mob bigwig who has moved the syndicate into being more like a business. He prefers to keep the violence to a minimum if possible. It draws too much attention from the media and the Police. Crawford though, has no problem putting out contracts on people who step out of line.
There has been a mob killing done without an OK from the top. Two civilians were caught in the hit as well, and the Police pressure is on. Crawford calls up his boy in charge of hits, Mike Mazurki. He has Mazurki call in a hitter from Chicago to do the job. Richard Conte is the up and comer brought in to take care of business.
Conte does the job, neat and clean, which impresses Crawford, who takes him in to his mob. Crawford had been a friend of Conte's father in the old days. Conte quickly moves up the ladder and into Crawford's inner circle.
Besides business, complicating Crawford's life is his daughter, Anne Bancroft. Bancroft is a girl who likes the booze and is somewhat of a spoilt brat. She also hates how people treat her once they discover who her father is.
Conte becomes Crawford's fixer of problems because he is so smooth and efficient at his job. He continues to move up in the organization as others are moved out. Conte is pleased with the life, flash cars, 200 dollar suits and plenty of night life.
Of course things go bad when a Federal Government type on the take, William Forest, screws up a multi-million dollar deal for the mob. The Mob bosses have a vote and decide to bump Forest off. Mike Mazurki, William Phillips and Henry Kulky draw the hit.
The hit goes bad and a cop is killed during the getaway. The media play up the cop's death and a big investigation is started. Crawford sends Conte to clean up the mess by eliminating the three hitters. He manages to dispose of Kulky and Phillips, but Mazurki gets away.
Mazurki decides the only way to stay alive is to turn State's evidence. He offers to exchange info on his bosses for protection and a deal. The Government uses this to go after Crawford, who then goes into hiding.
The Mob bosses have another vote and decide that Crawford has to go in order to take the Police pressure off. Conte is the man sent out to take care of the problem, which he does. What Conte does not know is that the Mob has also decided he knows too much as well. They have sent a man to eliminate Conte after Crawford is dealt with by Conte.
The first 35 minutes is real cracker-jack noir. Then it stumbles a bit in the middle before picking up steam again at the end. The look of the film is not what it could have been. A better director of photography would have helped. Eddie Fitzgerald was best known for being the d of p on the long running LASSIE television series. But, as a whole, it is an entertaining 87 minute fun ride.
Broderick Crawford, Richard Conte, Anne Bancroft, Onslow Stevens, J.Carrol Naish headline this violent film noir from 1955.
Crawford is a New York mob bigwig who has moved the syndicate into being more like a business. He prefers to keep the violence to a minimum if possible. It draws too much attention from the media and the Police. Crawford though, has no problem putting out contracts on people who step out of line.
There has been a mob killing done without an OK from the top. Two civilians were caught in the hit as well, and the Police pressure is on. Crawford calls up his boy in charge of hits, Mike Mazurki. He has Mazurki call in a hitter from Chicago to do the job. Richard Conte is the up and comer brought in to take care of business.
Conte does the job, neat and clean, which impresses Crawford, who takes him in to his mob. Crawford had been a friend of Conte's father in the old days. Conte quickly moves up the ladder and into Crawford's inner circle.
Besides business, complicating Crawford's life is his daughter, Anne Bancroft. Bancroft is a girl who likes the booze and is somewhat of a spoilt brat. She also hates how people treat her once they discover who her father is.
Conte becomes Crawford's fixer of problems because he is so smooth and efficient at his job. He continues to move up in the organization as others are moved out. Conte is pleased with the life, flash cars, 200 dollar suits and plenty of night life.
Of course things go bad when a Federal Government type on the take, William Forest, screws up a multi-million dollar deal for the mob. The Mob bosses have a vote and decide to bump Forest off. Mike Mazurki, William Phillips and Henry Kulky draw the hit.
The hit goes bad and a cop is killed during the getaway. The media play up the cop's death and a big investigation is started. Crawford sends Conte to clean up the mess by eliminating the three hitters. He manages to dispose of Kulky and Phillips, but Mazurki gets away.
Mazurki decides the only way to stay alive is to turn State's evidence. He offers to exchange info on his bosses for protection and a deal. The Government uses this to go after Crawford, who then goes into hiding.
The Mob bosses have another vote and decide that Crawford has to go in order to take the Police pressure off. Conte is the man sent out to take care of the problem, which he does. What Conte does not know is that the Mob has also decided he knows too much as well. They have sent a man to eliminate Conte after Crawford is dealt with by Conte.
The first 35 minutes is real cracker-jack noir. Then it stumbles a bit in the middle before picking up steam again at the end. The look of the film is not what it could have been. A better director of photography would have helped. Eddie Fitzgerald was best known for being the d of p on the long running LASSIE television series. But, as a whole, it is an entertaining 87 minute fun ride.