The Big Combo

[3.0
stars] [IMDb Link]

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We're still trolling through those good old film noirs. This 1955 movie is—well, not great. But there are some fun bits.

Cornel Wilde plays a policeman obsessed with taking down the "Big Combo"; I guess they called it that because "Mafia" was too controversial. The Combo's kingpin is "Mr. Brown", and he's played by a much younger Don Barzini, Richard Conte. Mr. Brown is every kind of nasty, mostly relying on his thugs Fante and Mingo (Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman!) to visit violence and intimidation upon his opponents. His weak spots are (a) girlfriend Susan, who despises him, and (b) ex-wife Alicia, who may or may not be sleeping with the fishes. Also showing up in a surprisingly small role is Brian Donlevy, as an ex-kingpin who Brown routinely humiliates.

Here's a neat bit of trivia: Although Cornel Wilde's cop character is (inexplicably) in love with Brown's girlfriend Susan, he dallies with convenient burlesque queen Rita (to Rita's eventual regret). Rita is played by bombshell Helene Stanton, who is the real life mother of "Dr. Drew" Pinksy. What a world.

Acting is sub-par, dialogue is wooden, so you have to look for other ways to enjoy the movie. I thought Fante and Mingo were pretty obviously gay, which would be scandalous for a 50's movie; IMDB confirms.


Last Modified 2024-01-28 2:46 PM EDT