LeonLouisRicci Both Derivative and Influential, This Richard Fleischer B-Movie from RKO was the Kind of Thing that Fleischer Excelled. It's a No Nonsense Noir with the Ever Increasing "Police Procedural" Element that Started to Change Film-Noir Starting About 1950.The Darker Psychological Aspects of the Genre were Pushed to the Background and America Began Flexing and Propagandizing its Muscle, Using Technology and Bureaucracy as Weapons to Announce Proudly that the US was "On Top of the World".This Tight Toned Film is Highlighted by L.A. Locations, Some Sharp Photography, an Insane and Brutal Villain (Hamilton Burger), some Solid Support (Steve Brodie, Adele Jergins), a Bit of Snappy Patter, (after viewing some spilled blood in the getaway car, tough as nails cop Charles McGraw after hearing the robber bled some...McGraw growls..."Not enough for me.".The Fast Pacing and the Clipped Exposition are Woven to Create a Semi-Classic of the Heist Genre. McGraw and Fleischer are in Their Element and This is the Kind of Thing that RKO was Known and Admired For.

secondtake Armored Car Robbery (1950)You know something? This is a perfect movie. I'm not saying it's the most original or a classic masterpiece--it's a crime film, fairly straight up--but it's acted and made with unusual focus and great post-War style. It has enough turns to keep you alert, enough dark dark night scenes to thrill any noir lover, and a steady presence by the main cast to give it intense credibility.Starring in a role he's repeated elsewhere is Charles McGraw as the weary, determined, no-nonsense cop. Around him are cops with a similar kind of determination. The thugs are quite believably thuggish, too, including the terrific leading bad guy played by William Talman.Yes, no big names here. And that's part of the appeal. No magic aura, no expectations or star power to get in the way, just some gritty crime back and forth, fast and beautifully made.And the movie is ahead of its time, too, and influential without much acknowledgement. Near the end is a scene, at an airport, with a suitcase full of money bursting open and blowing away. Sound familiar? Yes, it's a mild version of the astonishing end to Kubrick's masterful "The Killing," made in 1956 But that cuts both ways, because in the heist at the center for the action the criminals use tear gas to hold up an armored truck, much like they did in the famous "Criss-Cross" in 1948.Such is the movies, I think, and it makes you realize (and appreciate) how part of the success of any movie is simply how well done it is. And this one, coming from someone who has seen way too many of this kind of movie (as if you can see too many), is really great. See it!

mark.waltz The old Wrigley Field in Los Angeles becomes the setting for a heist of the armored car by a group of crooks who then shoot it out with the police. One officer is sent to the hospital with a bullet wound, while one of the crooks is seriously wounded yet manages to make it past the officers who search each car passing through their barricade. This riveting crime drama/film noir examines both the thieves' plans to how the investigators take each clue they receive to identify the culprits. Add in a burlesque queen (married to one of the robbers), some thrilling car chases and a finale that will have you dropping your jaw, and you've got a fun-filled "B" feature that shows once again if crime does pay, it comes at a cost.You've seen all of these character types in movies before, and how the gangsters all seem to be in sync until the bottom falls out. Betrayal always follows, and some will live, but a few will most likely die. These films don't shirk on action, and with mostly a cast of unknowns, seem grittier than some of the "A" features of similar themes. This 1950 RKO movie is pretty much the same theme as 1955's low-budget noir, "The Killing" (set at a race track rather than a ball game). You can pretty much predict how everything is going to turn out, but it is so much fun watching it all unfold. Adele Jergens, one of the great brassy blondes of the golden age of Hollywood, is memorable as the burlesque queen the cops question and who may or may not lead them to the bandits. Crackling dialog, rough action and a no-holds barred and unapologetic atmosphere of grit make this a must for crime/film noir lovers.

Michael_Elliott Armored Car Robbery (1950) *** (out of 4) Thief Dave Purvis (William Talman) plays the perfect heist of an armored car in L.A. but things take a disastrous turn when cops show up on the scene. A gunfight breaks out and a cop is killed, which doesn't sit well with Lt. Jim Cordell (Charles McGraw) who will stop at nothing to make sure those responsible are brought to justice. This film was released by Warner as a film-noir but I personally didn't see anything to connect this to that genre. This is, however, a fine crime picture that has two great actors delivering strong performances and in the end they're reason enough to watch the film. I think the biggest problem with the movie is that director Flesicher never builds up any atmosphere nor does he ever build up any real suspense. In many ways the film is very by-the-numbers because it seems like the director and screenwriter never tried to go out of their way to do something special but instead they just deliver the goods and make for a pleasant 67-minutes. The movie features some great locations around Wrigley Field as well as several scenes inside a burlesque show, which adds to the fun. The heist sequence was fairly well-directed and the pay-off is nice as well. The ending is going to remind people of Kubrick's THE KILLING, although it's a lot more graphic in nature here. Talman and McGraw are two veterans of this genre and both men know how to make their characters speak without saying a word. Both men have incredible faces that really tell us all we need to know and it seems as if both actors were having a lot of fun in these roles. Talman is very laid-back in his role and his character really comes across very collective and cool. McGraw, in an early Dirty Harry type role, is tough as nails and you just know he's not going to stop.