The Big Combo – Review

It’s boxing night in the big city. Susan Lowell (Wallace) runs away trying to escape gangster Mr. Brown’s (Conte) company, but two thugs Fante (Van Cleef) and Mingo (Holliman) stop her. They eventually relent and call her a cab home. This is witnessed by Detective Sam Hill (Adler).

At the 93^rd Precinct, Captain Petersen (Middleton) checks in with Detective Lieutenant Leonard Diamond (Wilde). Peterson notes how much money has been spent by the Lt. investigating Mr. Brown and his organization. He is unsure how to justify the spending to the Commissioner. Diamond just wants to catch the top man and figures that will topple the gangsters.

Will this die-hard cop Diamond be able to find some charges that will stick to Mr. Brown, or will the no-good thug worm out of it all? Will the tail he pinned on Brown’s girl Susan Lowell six months ago be the key to taking him down? What will happen if Diamond starts having feelings for Lowell himself?

The Big Combo is a classic crime and cop thriller full of dark twists and characters. Despite its 50s setting the dialogue is good and the story works well. It is a pretty straight forward time but it features some noir elements to push it up a notch. It is well put together overall.

The actors keep it on the rails and the script features a few nice turns. The pacing is good as the runtime is short, and there is enough intrigue to keep the viewer interested. It is directed with style and features some nicely framed shots as the bullets begin to fly. Check it out if you like old school crime classics.

"It happens to be against two laws, God’s and man’s. I’m booking her on the second."