DA Jim Fremont must balance his upward mobility with the downward spiral of the underworld, where a drunken bum holds the .45 caliber key to his political future. I worked for several District Attorneys during my 23-year career and not one was an action hero like Jim Fremont, Esq.! Sidney Salkow’s taught direction propels this forward like a gunshot in its brief 75-minute trajectory, limiting talky exposition and focusing upon action. DP Kenneth Peach isn’t flashy or stylish, but his compositions don’t get in the way of the story either. It’s perfectly utilitarian.
Union Boss Artie Blane (Dick Foran) is framed for murdering an accountant who was on his way to a secret meeting with DA Jim Fremont (Brian Keith), ledgers in hand. As the evidence accrues against the defendant, Fremont can use this conviction as a springboard to land the Governorship. The narrative friction begins with his discovery of evidence that could overturn the conviction. Fremont’s moral and ethical dilemma soon leads to fisticuffs, kidnapping, and shootouts! The story upholds the Rule of Law as Fremont doesn’t hesitate to do the right thing, even if his career suffers as a result. The trial conviction hinges upon two alibi witnesses, Blane’s fiancée Laura (Beverly Garland) and neighbor Sylvia (Beverly Tyler) but their testimony is subverted with a tape recording of Blane’s voice, a gimmick that proves he wasn’t in Laura’s apartment. This evidence is presented by the DA during cross-examination, and one wonders why the trial wasn’t delayed until proper forensic analysis was completed. It’s an appealable mistake by the defense attorney, especially in a Death Penalty case! However, to soothe Laura who proclaims her man’s innocence after conviction, Fremont has the tape analyzed. Turns out it’s a fake!
Brian Keith portrays the District Attorney as a forthright family man, and we never truly believe he will put himself before the life of a man he now knows to be innocent. Beverly Garland is strident yet honest, playing her character with intelligence and compassion. But it’s Elisha Cook Jr as Candymouth Duggan, the derelict who wanders the waterfront and finds the revolver used in the accountant’s murder, that steals the film. He becomes the cornerstone of the story, and as expected, when he’s removed the gangster’s scheme collapses under its own weight. Which doesn’t help Duggan, as he’s soused when the bad guys drop him from an overpass directly in front of a moving train! Fuck, that’s a brutal death. The final shootout as police Tommy Gun the bad guys is also fierce but deserved. And in the end, Fremont frees Blane and becomes headline news.
Final Grade: (B-)
