The Big Heat (1953)

When a police officer on the take kills himself, he leaves a letter to the District Attorney exposing the corruption of the city's officials and the mobster (Alexander Scourby) behind the corruption. But the cop's widow (Jeanette Nolan) takes the letter and uses it to blackmail the mob boss and assure herself a life of comfort. The cop (Glenn Ford) assigned to the case finds his investigation stymied by superior officers who want the case closed. Based on the novel (which was first serialized in the Saturday Evening Post) by William P. McGovern and directed by Fritz Lang (FURY). This is one of the greatest of the film noir genre and considered by many to be Lang's greatest American film (though personally I prefer WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS). Lang rolls out the film in a series of scenes each building upon each other to a potent finale. Sydney Boehm's screenplay provides some razor sharp dialogue and gives even the most minor character a fleshed out identity. The acting is superb right down from Ford's cop to Dorothy Green, who has just one scene as a barfly. The film contains two unexpected acts of violence which must have shocked 1953 audiences right out of their seats. The first rate cast includes Gloria Grahame, Lee Marvin, Jocelyn Brando, Carolyn Jones, Peter Whitney, Adam Williams and Willis Bouchey.