In 1950 Senator Estes Kefauver chaired a Senate committee investigating nationwide organised crime, which thanks to the stupidity of Prohibition had become one of the biggest businesses in the States. Until then few had been aware of the existence of the Mob/Mafia/Cosa Nostra/Organisation (in this film The Syndicate), and the FBI's J. Edgar Hoover, obsessed with Reds under the bed, denied its existence. It was the ultimate expression of American corporate greed, red in tooth and claw.
Russell Rouse and his partner, co-writer and producer Clarence Greene, had written "D.O.A.", directed by Rudolph Mate, with one of the greatest openings in cinema. Its success enabled them to make their own films. "NYC", available in a perfect print on You Tube, was their fourth and followed "Wicked Woman" starring the stunning Beverly Michaels, who became Mrs. Rouse and unfortunately for us then retired.
Charlie Lupo (Broderick Crawford) is the New York boss of the Syndicate, with senators in Washington on his payroll. He anticipates Brando in "The Godfather" in that he's a devoted family man. He loves his mum and his daughter Kathy (Anne Bancroft), but the latter is ashamed of his "profession" and wants to escape him. To eliminate one of his men who's endangered the operation by pursuing a personal vendetta Lupo hires a hitman from Chicago called Nick Magellan (Richard Conte), the son of his old mentor, and becomes fond of him. Magellan likes Lupo too, but when a Kefauver-like commission is set up, and Charlie decides to sing to avoid a Murder One charge he becomes a liability to the organisation. There can be only one outcome. As in "The Godfather" it's nothing personal, only business.
Crawford is his usual bullish self, and Bancroft is sensational, but the outstanding performance (surely his best) is Conte's. jromanbaker is on the money when he suggests this film may have inspired J.-P. Melville's crime films, but whereas Delon's attempts to emulate Conte's cool just made his characters blank ciphers, Conte is fascinating : someone likens him to a cobra, always ready to strike.
Crawford also appeared in "The Fastest Gun Alive", with Glenn Ford, the Russell-Greene team's next film, always one of my favourite Westerns. The rest of their work isn't as interesting, but do yourselves a favour and catch this one and the others I've mentioned.
Review of New York Confidential
