Product: The Big Combo [VHS] (1955)
Rating: 5.0
Dark Mood But Sprite Script Enliven A Forgotten Thriller
The Big ComboDirector Joseph H. Lewis whose previous credits include the anthologized noir classic Gun Crazy (reviewed June 4, 2011) is on his game once again in this fine but largely forgotten piece of film noir. More stylized than Gun Crazy - it might have been a rule on the set - no filming prior to 1 AM, Lewis was nonetheless alert to symbolism. When breaks develop in a murder case, we are given scenes filmed in broad daylight. Richard Conte is suitably taut, lean and bright as a bullwhip playing a Teflon Don style underworld boss while Cornell Wilde stars as his alter ego, crime fighting Lt. Leonard Diamond. The two adversaries know each other well and exploit each other's weaknesses, one of which is that they share a desire for the same girl. With such a strong storyline, it's a shame there is a by-the-lines performance by Jean Wallace, who had more verve in the same role as Special Prosecutor Howard Malloy's love interest in the 1949 Fletcher Markle thriller Jigsaw. On the other hand, Helen Stanton, as secondary squeeze and dance hall sweetheart Rita, gives an riveting performance. She has good lines "women don't care what a man does, they care how he loves," and her unusually strong eye contact and devout lips indicate a possible casting problem; with the two women in opposite roles, this might have been an even stronger picture. John Alton handled the camerawork and gets maximum effect from the minimalist lighting. His work with a moving target and a dimly lit background in the finale turn Conte into what he is: a cornered rat.