Directed by Joseph Lewis
Police Lieutenant Leonard Diamond (Wilde) seeks to take down Mr. Brown (Conte), the head of the local mob. Susan Lowell (Jean Wallace), Brown's girlfriend is caught in the middle. She doesn't like the way Brown treats her but she is unwilling to testify against him. Diamond doesn't have anything on Brown until Lowell attempts to commit suicide. While she is in the hospital she mumbles a name, Alicia, which Diamond overhears. The name leads him on a hunt to discover who Alicia is and what happened to her.
Diamond is given a hard time by Police Chief Petersen (Robert Middleton), his boss, and assisted by Detective Joe Hill (Jay Adler). Joe McClure (Brian Donlevy), Brown's right hand man, is an enforcer who resents Brown but doesn't have the nerve to challenge him for control of the mob. Fante (Lee Van Cleef) and Mingo (Earl Holliman) assist McClure with carrying out Brown's orders, including an attempt on Diamond's life.
The acting wasn't always tip top but the cinematography was dazzling. I especially like how the search for Alicia propels the movie forward. Richard Conte was great in his role as Mr. Brown.
I enjoyed this movie a lot, even though I'm not crazy about the title. It isn't perfect but I would recommend it to anyone who likes movies of the noir flavor.
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