Another trim, spare RKO crime quickie from the 1950's. The set up is mechanical and the plot rather pedestrian, but it has that funky flavoring you often get when character actors are given the chance to play leads. It also scores points for showing the nuances of police work in a credible "Ahhh, so that's how it works" manner.
Charles McGraw, William Talman, Don McGuire and Steve Brodie aren't exactly household names; however they, particularly McGraw and Brodie, made a career out of these kinds of un-ambitious but competent enough flicks. And Talman (sort of a skid row Peter O'Toole facially) as the ultra-careful mastermind of the job, sure does make quite a nasty villain - just as he also did in another cult item from around this time "The Hitch-hiker".
A sub-plot of McGraw's new partner (McGuire) trying to prove himself worthy falls flat, partially because McGuire is an unremarkable screen presence but also due to a slightly too short running time. You watch movies like these for the tight dialogue and this one has some good zingers, but at times you can also see it lapsing into self-parody, signaling the genre's imminent demise.
Charles McGraw, William Talman, Don McGuire and Steve Brodie aren't exactly household names; however they, particularly McGraw and Brodie, made a career out of these kinds of un-ambitious but competent enough flicks. And Talman (sort of a skid row Peter O'Toole facially) as the ultra-careful mastermind of the job, sure does make quite a nasty villain - just as he also did in another cult item from around this time "The Hitch-hiker".
A sub-plot of McGraw's new partner (McGuire) trying to prove himself worthy falls flat, partially because McGuire is an unremarkable screen presence but also due to a slightly too short running time. You watch movies like these for the tight dialogue and this one has some good zingers, but at times you can also see it lapsing into self-parody, signaling the genre's imminent demise.