- Overview
Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?
- Release Date
29 September 1948
- DirectingRobert Siodmak
- Budget
$0.00
- Revenue
$0.00
- Stars
Videos
User Reviews
See moreCinemaSerf
22 May 2023
Maybe not my first choice as leading man here, but to be fair to Victor Mature he turns in one of his better efforts as officer "Candella". When low-life "Rome" (Richard Conte) finds himself lying in an hospital bed, badly bruised and being pressured by the odious lawyer "Niles" (Barry Kroeger) to admit to a robbery he didn't commit, it falls to the policemen to try to verify who did/knew what - and soon we discover that we have a cop-killer to find. Now "Candella" has been an integral part of this close-knit community for a very long time. He is treated almost like a son by "Ma Rome" and is pretty conflicted as he balances what is right for his job with his local loyalties and his conscience. Things take a turn for the worse for "Rome" when his girlfriend "Teena" (Debra Paget) starts to become embroiled in the investigation and quickly he is faced with tough choices that could put lives at risk as they go into hiding before trying to flee. This is a well paced and scored thriller with an on form Conte rather effective as the borderline smug hoodlum gelling well with both the flighty Paget and the at times almost menacing Mature. It twists and turns a little, giving us a slight indication of the internecine fashion in which these "Little Italy" communities were built and thrived, and the denouement is not quite what you might expect. A tight cast help keep the story focussed and make for an intriguing crime drama with just a little bit extra.
More Like This
Scarface
In 1920s Chicago, Italian immigrant and notorious thug, Antonio 'Tony' Camonte, aka Scarface, shoots his way to the top of the mobs while trying to...
See more
The Docks of New York
A blue-collar worker on New York's depressed waterfront finds his life changed after he saves a woman attempting suicide.
See more
The Big Sleep
Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the...
See more
Do the Right Thing
Salvatore "Sal" Fragione is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the...
See more
The Maltese Falcon
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.
See more
Sweet Smell of Success
New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't...
See more
Invalid
Grumpy handyman Laco loses everything to a group of mobsters. Now wheelchair-bound and with his life spiraling, it's his new friend Gabo, a local...
See more
Prizzi's Honor
Charley Partanna is a hitman who works for the Prizzis, one of the richest crime families in the US. When he sees Irene Walker, it's love at first...
See more
Raw Deal
Mark Kaminsky is kicked out of the FBI for his rough treatment of a suspect. He winds up as the sheriff of a small town in North Carolina. FBI...
See more
Payback
With friends like these, who needs enemies? That's the question bad guy Porter is left asking after his wife and partner steal his heist money and...
See more
Kiss of the Dragon
Liu Jian, an elite Chinese police officer, comes to Paris to arrest a Chinese drug lord. When Jian is betrayed by a French officer and framed for...
See more
Cop Land
Freddy Heflin is the sheriff of a place everyone calls “Cop Land” — a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big city police officers...
See more
Texas Heart
A California lawyer, hiding out in a small Texas town while on the run from the mob, risks exposure when he decides to defend a local man he...
See more
Hoodlums
Loretta is a singer and escort in a mob-owned NYC nightclub and illegal casino. The favorite working girl of manager George, Loretta is unhappy...
See more
Ski Lift to Death
A sports promoter tries to matchmake for a pair of ski champions and, as a result, they end up trapped in a derailed ski-lift car along with a...
See more
We Own the Night
A New York nightclub manager tries to save his brother and father from Russian mafia hitmen.
See more
The Whole Nine Yards
After a mobster agrees to cooperate with an FBI investigation in order to stay out of prison, he's relocated by the authorities to a life of...
See more
Man Against the Mob
In 1930s Los Angeles, a police detective leads an elite squad against a vicious organized crime ring.
See more
The Terminal
Viktor Navorski is a man without a country; his plane took off just as a coup d'etat exploded in his homeland, leaving it in shambles, and now he's...
See more