Rogue Cop
Tags: murder

Plot synopsis:
Christopher Kelvaney is a crooked police officer who takes bribes and payoffs from criminals and other nefarious folk. His brother Eddie is a young member of the police force who is honest and loyal.
In a penny arcade, a drug dealer is stabbed to death by a man who claims the territory for himself, and Eddie witnesses a gangland murder. Mob boss Dan Beaumonte gives orders to Kelvaney to buy his brother's silence. Eddie refuses, and Kelvaney is unable to persuade Eddie's sweetheart, nightclub singer Karen Stephenson, to change his mind.
The ruthless Beaumonte brutally mistreats his moll Nancy Corlane, who then tries to help Kelvaney do what he has to do. Kelvaney exposes the fact that Karen was once a mobster's girlfriend in Miami. He gets her to admit that she's not in love with Eddie and is willing to let him go if it will save his life.
An out-of-town button-man named Langley is brought in to kill both brothers, but succeeds only in killing Eddie. His conscience aroused, Kelvaney goes after the mob leaders himself. He admits his corruption to superiors, but asks for a chance to bring them evidence that will put Beaumonte and others behind bars, particularly after Nancy is also found murdered. Kelvaney succeeds in gaining revenge for his brother.

Review: Audiences had seen the crooked cop with the straight-arrow younger brother (The Man Who Cheated Himself); the shantoozie with a past (Gilda, Dead Reckoning, The Last Crooked Mile); the slick mobster beyond the reach of the law with his alcoholic, trophy mistress (Key Largo, Railroaded,The Big Heat); the street-savvy old jane who passes on scuttlebutt for a price (Pickup on South Street).
But, as Roy Rowland's Rogue Cop demonstrates, there were still changes to be rung on those themes, jazzed up with fresh casting and pithy writing.Here, the cop gone sour isn't a homicidal brute like Edmond O'Brien in the same year's Shield For Murder (both movies were adapted from books by William McGivern, as was Fritz Lang's The Big Heat).
When his younger brother Steve Forrest, also a policeman, identifies a connected hit-man, Taylor receives a summons from his paymaster, crime boss George Raft.
Upon delivering the ultimatum, Taylor gets rebuffed by Forrest; he then tries to blackmail his brother's fiancée Janet Leigh, a nightclub singer, into trying to change his mind.
And so the worm turns: Using both Leigh and Raft's discarded moll Anne Francis as his allies, Taylor swears vengeance....Crisply photographed by John Seitz, Rogue Cop burrows snugly into its rotten urban core  a city of dreadful night.
There's plenty of brutal, even sadistic, action, but Rogue Cop is less an action picture than a character study that Taylor, somewhat surprisingly, manages to pull off.
Robert Taylor plays Chris Kelvaney, a dirty cop on the take with the mob in this exciting police drama.
Taylor goes on a campaign of revenge against those very  mobsters, who decide to kill Kelvaney's brother, also a cop, for witnessing something that could incriminate the mob leaders.The biggest surprise here is Robert Taylor's performance as the dirty cop.
With some of the roles he played as he got older, it's hard to believe that at one time MGM was worried about a powder puff image that Robert Taylor had in his youth.Seeing Taylor as Chris Kelvaney in Rogue Cop is like seeing a whole different player than Armand in Camille.
But it's the same guy and a film like Rogue Cop brings out the maturity and depth Taylor had as an artist as well as a person.Taylor is a long time big city cop on the take to gangland boss George Raft.
He's a pretty cynical dude, in his chosen field he's seen a lot of the worst that people can be.But he's got a kid brother played by Steve Forrest who's a straight arrow.
Forrest's death gives Taylor a mission, he'll take Raft down no matter what it costs.There are two prominent female roles, Janet Leigh as Forrest's girl friend who later develops an interest in Taylor and Anne Francis as Raft's moll who turns against him.
Also both Rogue Cop and The Big Heat have blackmail of a syndicate boss as the underpinning of the story.Raft of course is in his element as a gangland boss.
The final shootout with Raft and company with the two of them is one of the best and most realistic ever staged in a film.For Robert Taylor fans, Rogue Cop is an absolute must and people who don't think much of Taylor as player will be jolted at how well he does in this film..
Probably the closest that studio ever came to a noir thriller, only the overall gloss gives it away as an MGM film (guess they just couldn't help themselves); otherwise it could well have come from Warners or RKO.
Robert Taylor is in top form as a hardened detective who has been immersed for so long in the seedy, seamy world of big-city crime that he finally succumbs to its corruption and is even tempted to sell out his younger brother, who is also a policeman.
George Raft as the slimy crime boss, Janet Leigh as his brother's pretty, sweet (but hardly naive) fiancé, Robert Ellenstein (in a standout performance) as his partner and friend who doesn't want to see Taylor become the kind of lowlife he's always hated, all combine with a Chandler-esqe script by Sydney Boehm, tough, no-nonsense direction from Roy Rowland (a reliable but somewhat stolid director of mainly westerns and musicals) and a violent, action-filled climax to make this a must-see for noir fans.
Robert Taylor puts an even harder edge on his 'Johnny Eager' type of role with another hard-boiled, even tougher characterization as a man steeped in underworld crime until his brother (Steve Forrest) is killed by mosbsters.
Crisply directed, nice all-around performances from an attractive cast--Janet Leigh, Steve Forrest, George Raft, Alan Hale, Jr.--with Taylor highly convincing in the tough central role.Not the kind of gritty film noir one would suspect coming from the MGM studios--but well worth it with its Raymond Chandler type of dialogue and a climactic gun fight that is extremely well handled.Crime buffs should enjoy this one--as will Robert Taylor's fans..
Well I wont go on anymore about personal observations other than to say this is a great 1/2 of a movie and Taylor is looking really rogueish and bad, even saying if you cross me again "I'll break both your legs", thats pretty tough talk!
But in the second half we get the polished MGM treatment and there is some pretty lame action and a lot of dialog, and Taylor turning a new leaf to be a good cop after all.
Mayer had been forced out of MGM in favor of the more current Dore Schary who promised harder- hitting films on subjects more topical than Andy Hardy.I guess it's easier to shift personnel than it is to change tradition, because this crime drama has neither the look nor the feel of the real thing.
In short, the movie's an antiseptic treatment of a seamy subject, and all Robert Taylor's tedious tough talk or George Raft's gangster reputation can't muddy up the sheen.
In "Rogue Cop" (1954) Robert Taylor did great.Dev. Sgt.
Chris Kelvaney (Robert Taylor) has a younger brother Eddie (Steve Forrest) who is a street cop.
Eddie can identify a murderer he saw run from the scene of the crime.Big brother Chris, who is "on the take", is contacted by gangster Dan Beaumonte (George Raft, of course) with bribery in mind.
Needless to say that may leave allot of excess bodies lying around...It also may not be as easy as he'd like it to be.Other cast members include: Janet Leigh as Karen Stephanson (Eddie's fiancée); Anne Francis as Nancy Corlane (Beaumonte's alcoholic ex-girl); Robert Ellenstein as Det. Sidney Y.
Myers (Bob does a great job as Chris's partner who is an honest cop); Vince Edwards as murderer Joey Langley (later "Ben Casey" of TV fame 1961-66); Olive Carey as Selma (Chris's connection to snitches) (wife of Harry Sr., mother of Harry Jr. and well-known character actress in her own right.).
Rogue Cop is directed by Roy Rowland and adapted to screenplay by Sydney Boehm from the novel written by William P.
It stars Robert Taylor, Janet Leigh, George Raft, Steve Forrest and Anne Francis.
Seitz.Christopher Kelvaney (Taylor) is a cop on the take from the mob that's fronted by Dan Beaumont (Raft).
When his brother and fellow cop, Eddie (Forrest), is requested to withdraw testimony about a crook covered by Beaumont, Chris is compromised and danger lurks for all involved.A face wrinkled like Venetian blinds.Out of MGM, Rogue Cop is a better than average venture into film noir territories.
"Rogue Cop" is a 1954 film starring Robert Taylor, George Raft, Janet Leigh, Anne Francis, and Steve Forrest.People seem surprised Taylor pulls off the tough guy act - I've seen him do it before, and he was good at it.This is a no-nonsense film about a cop on the take (Taylor) whose honest cop brother (Forrest) can identify someone involved in a murder.
The guy who pays off Taylor (Raft) wants him to convince his brother to suddenly not identify him.
Janet Leigh is beautiful as Forrest's girlfriend with a past, and Anne Francis is Raft's decades-younger alcoholic girlfriend.
Robert Taylor stars as a crooked cop who's caught between a rock and a hard place when racketeer George Raft tells him his idealistic kid brother, rookie Steve Forrest, must recant his testimony in a murder investigation...
McGivern who turned all the hoopla into a topical roman-à-clef trilogy: THE BIG HEAT, ROGUE COP, and SHIELD FOR MURDER.
It was nice seeing Vince Edwards in an early role but the stand-out is Anne Francis as Raft's tipsy moll, a "sister under the mink" to Gloria Grahame in THE BIG HEAT.
Like true Noir, Robert Taylor is not a typical cop but one on the take from the mob.
The problem is that while Taylor isn't above lying or cheating, his brother (Steve Forrest) is a decent guy and won't play along with the crooks.
Robert Taylor at his best as the hard nosed, corrupt cop!.
Robert Taylor was a wonderful choice for this film about a crooked cop, who likes the high life and has little respect for his honest colleagues.
What would eventually stop Chris Kelvaney (Taylor), would be the death of his brother Eddie played by Steve Forrest.
This is the part of a lifetime for Taylor as he walks with the dirt and corruption of the mob boss, George Raft.
Janet Leigh does a nice job as Eddie's reluctant girl, not knowing if she loves him, and when she is confronted by Chris about her shady past with the mob, falls apart.
**SOME SPOILERS** Being on the scene of a murder by giving the escaped killer "Wrinkels" Fallon, Peter Brcco, a parking ticket policeman Eddie Kelvaney, Steve Forrest,has him picked out of a lineup and put in jail to be tried at a later date, What Eddie doesn't know is that "Wrinkles" got the goods on big time mobsters Beumonte and Ackerman, George Raft & Robert F.
The two hoods are now literally scared to death with what Wrinkles' got on them that he'll make a deal with the D.A for a lighter sentence to turn states evidence on them.Beaument and Ackerman do have an ace up their sleeve in having Eddie recant his testimony and that's non-other then his big brother Det. Chis Kelvaney, Robert Taylor, who's been taking payoff from them for years.
It just turns out that Eddie is an incorruptible good and honest cop like his and Chris late and highly decorated father and in trying to do the right thing.
The right thing ends up landing him right on a cold slab in the city morgue.Robert Taylor playing a corrupt cop is at his handsome and devilish best as Det. Kalvaney as he goes through a change of life realizing what a creep he was all these years and a disgrace to not only the police department but to brother Eddie and late hero cop dad.
Kalvaney dealing with crumbs like Beaumonte & Ackerman in the end redeems himself by getting blasted and left bleeding to death in a violent shootout with them.Trying to get Eddie's girl Karen, Janet Leigh, to talk him out of testifying against Wrinkle's Det. Kelvaney blackmails her.
Det. Kelvaney given by his bosses, Beaumonte & Ackerman, 48 hours to turn Eddie around is instead double cross.
The two hoods have Eddie gunned down that evening in full sight of his terrified girl Karen even before she has a chance to get Eddie to change his mind in testifying.It's during these stressful and heart wrenching times that Det. Kelvaney finally sees what a disgrace he was to both his brother dad and finally to himself and has a complete break with his sleazy past.
The rogue cop goes full out, even if it cost him his life, to get Beaumonte & Ackerman not only to clear his guilty conscience but also bring his brothers killers to justice.Also in the movie is a pre-Ben Casey Vince Edwards playing hit-man Joey Langly who's brought in from out of town to knock off Eddie.
With him being gunned down himself in a shootout between Kelvany, and unlike himself, straight laced and honest cop Det Myers, Robert Ellenstein, and gangsters Beaomonte & Ackerman.There's also a very young Anne Francis as Beaumonte's live-in moll Nancy whom he keep drunk all the time,to keep her mind off his business.
The cast includes, Robert Taylor, Steve Forrest, George Raft, Janet Leigh, Anne Francis, Robert Ellenstein, Alan Hale Jr, Robert F.
Simon, Olive Carey and Vince Edwards.Robert Taylor plays a crooked Detective who is on the payroll of Mob boss, George Raft.
Raft needs Taylor to have a word with Taylor's kid brother, rookie cop, Steve Forrest.
Taylor also has a word with Forrest's girl, nightclub singer, Janet Leigh.
(As does Raft's bodyguard, Alan Hale Jr) Taylor warns Raft and Simon that he will be most upset if anything happens to his brother.In the middle of all this is the alcoholic girlfriend of Raft, Anne Francis.
The film now goes to a straight up vengeance picture as the Mob does indeed kill Forrest.
Robert Taylor is excellent as the bent cop as is Raft as the mobster.
Eddie Kelvaney, who sees the murderer running away from the scene, identifies the man as a hired assassin working for the powerful Dan Beaumonte.
The squad detectives that work with Chris have all figured that Chris is a man on the take.Beaumonte calls Chris to try to convince his brother to change his testimony in exchange for fifteen thousand dollars, something that appalls Eddie.
When Eddie is found murdered, Chris makes a decision that will put him against the big boss.
The inner turmoil within Chris will ultimately let him do the right thing as he avenges the death of his brother, thus redeeming him from the bad choices he had made."Rogue Cop" an MGM release of 1954 was a surprise.
The idea that an enforcement officer, in this case a detective that loved the kind of life he could not afford, working for the other side, was a change of pace for the way audiences accepted them, which was always a gamble on the part of the big studios.The film works because of the right elements came together to make this story credible and the appearance of Robert Taylor, who excels as Chris Kelvaney.
Janet Leigh plays the sweet Karen Stephanson, who never really got over of what she felt about Chris, only to hook up with his brother.
Others in the cast included Anne Francis, Robert Ellenstein, Steve Forrest and Alan Hale Jr. doing good ensemble work.
Chris Kelvaney (Robert Taylor), a crooked cop.
He has a younger brother Eddie (Steve Forrest), a uniformed cop on the beat.
One night Eddie sees a murderer escaping from the crime scene and subsequently identifies the crook from mug shots.The murderer, it seems, has friends in high (or low) places in the underworld, Beaumont (George Raft) and Ackerman (Robert F.
They tell Chris to call off Eddie unless he wants his brother killed.
The rest of the movie concerns Chris Kelvaney's quest to avenge his brother while avoiding disgrace from his superiors.Chris Kelvaney is played by Robert Taylor in an Oscar worthy performance as a man who is, at first, satisfied with himself but who comes to realize what a mess he's made of things.
Taylor is utterly convincing in the role, first as the self-satisfied crook and later as the devastated man looking to make amends by turning informer and closing down Raft's crime empire.Steve Forrest's role is underwritten but he makes the best of it.
Unusually for a gangster film, Rogue Cop has two female characters who actually do something.
Janet Leigh is Karen, a former mobster's moll whose escape from the world of crime inspires Chris.
His gentleness is a step on his way to redemption.Robert Ellenstein is especially good as an honest cop who turns on Kelvaney for his dishonesty then supports him at the end.
Rogue Cop. Cop-on-the-take Sgt Chris Kelvaney(Robert Taylor)vows to take down the two mob bosses, Dan Beaumonte(George Raft) & Ackerman(Robert F Simon) responsible for the death of his straight-arrow beat cop brother Eddie(Steve Forrest).
Chris finds out that Eddie's new squeeze Karen(Janet Leigh)was once a mobster's moll from Florida and tries to convince her to talk sense into him against remaining loyal to keeping Fallon in prison.
Through it all, Chris will go rogue as his own as his superiors will desire his badge and resignation for his being under the mob's payroll, but not before he finds the man responsible for Eddie's death.
He plans to not only take out the hit-man, but the two mob bosses as well in a climactic shootout with assistance of good cop Sidney(Robert Ellenstein)who feels resentment from the sergeant for not going the crooked route.Taylor gets a really juicy role as a crooked cop certainly a bit responsible for his brother's death.
He has to face the music when it comes to his activities with the mob and this film puts it to him, but Taylor is good at getting sympathy from the viewer despite his nose-thumbing at being the honest, hard-working cop instead of getting paid, no matter who is forking over the extra salary lining your pockets.
Anne Francis gets one of her best roles as a moll who genuinely loved her man and seems damned for pushing him too far..
While it lacks the sheer grittiness of "Kiss of Death" or "In a Lonely Place" - probably because MGM was the studio that turned out the likes of "The Wizard of Oz", so a crime picture was a bit of a challenge for them - it still packs a punch.
I found the most effective scene to be where Janet Leigh's character takes Robert Taylor's character to task for using the case to advance his career.
Aside from Taylor and Leigh, the cast includes George Raft, Anne Francis and Alan Hale Jr. In other words, it stars Marion Crane, Spats, Altaira Morpheus and the Skipper.