Crime Wave (1954 film)
7.8 /10 1 Votes
83% Rotten Tomatoes Genre Crime, Film-Noir, Drama Duration Language English | 7.4/10 IMDb Director Andre de Toth Music director David Buttolph | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Writer Bernard Gordon , Richard Wormser Release date January 12, 1954 (1954-01-12) (United States) Based on the story "Criminals Mark"
by John Hawkins and Ward Hawkins Screenplay Crane Wilbur, Bernard Gordon, Richard Wormser Cast Sterling Hayden (Det. Lt. Sims), Gene Nelson (Steve Lacey), Phyllis Kirk (Ellen Lacey), Ted de Corsia ('Doc' Penny), Charles Bronson (Ben Hastings), Jay Novello (Dr. Otto Hessler)Similar movies The Killing , The Postman Always Rings Twice , The Killers , Roadblock , Focus , Double Indemnity Tagline Before your shocked eyes the city blasted SIN-SIDE OUT! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Crime wave trailer
Crime Wave (also known as The City is Dark) is a 1954 film noir, directed by Andre DeToth. It was adapted from a short story which originally appeared in The Saturday Evening Post - "Criminal Mark" by John and Ward Hawkins.
Contents
Plot
'Doc' Penny (Ted de Corsia) and his gang rob a gasoline station and in the process a police officer is killed and one of the gang members is wounded. The wounded thug imposes himself on Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson), an ex-con trying to start a new life, and demands he call a disreputable doctor for help. The doctor arrives, but too late. The gang member is dead. After his death, Lacey calls his parole officer who involves a hard-nosed cop, Detective Lieutenant Sims (Sterling Hayden), who doesn't think he can reform.
Later, the remaining gang members show up at Lacey's apartment. Fearing for his wife's (Phyllis Kirk) safety, he decides to let the men stay. Subsequently, Penny forces Lacey to rob a bank with them, but Lacey alerts the police (by planting a note in his medicine cabinet) who staff the entire bank with police officers and ambush the robbers. In the end, most of the gang is killed, but Lacey and his wife are safe.
Cast
References
Crime Wave (1954 film) WikipediaCrime Wave (1954 film) IMDbCrime Wave (1954 film) Rotten TomatoesCrime Wave (1954 film) themoviedb.org