Placing us in the back seat with three escaped convicts, director André De Toth makes us culpable from the very beginning in his 1953 film noir Crime Wave. We know that there is an inevitability to the scene, though at first, we do not know exactly what that is.
The three unscrupulous amigos are on a crime wave (who would have thunk it?). Pulling up to a gas station late one night, the attendant finds himself knocked out by the group – they then take their sweet time filling their tank and robbing the store. Soon, a cop drives by, circling around when he does not see his friend at the pump. Things turn ugly, leaving one of the criminals shot and the officer dead with two slugs in his chest.
Splitting up, gang leader ‘Doc’ Penny (Ted de Corsia) and his thuggish accomplice Ben Hastings (an early role for Charles Bronson – you can tell this as he is credited as Charles Buchinsky) take off, leaving their wounded compatriot to fend for himself.
He stumbles his way right onto the doorstep of former convict Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson), a man who has gone straight after spending several long years in the pen. Looking for aid, he has already made a hasty call to an unscrupulous doctor by the name of Hessler (Jay Novello), though by the time he arrives, the wounded man has taken his last breath.
This places Steve and his sweet wife Ellen (Phyllis Kirk) in a dire situation, as they are unsure of what to do with the dead body slumped in their livingroom. Phoning his parole officer (James Bell) for advice, too-clever-for-his-own-good Detective Lieutenant Sims (Sterling Hayden) has already surmised that the criminal would be heading for the Lacey home. A man with a distrust of any former felonious individual, he never gives Steve the benefit of the doubt.
Shaking him down for three long days, the man is unwilling to say anything – still following the stringent criminal’s code, despite the fact that he has left that life in the distant past. It is not long before Penny and Hastings come knocking, further complicating the lives of the Lacey’s. Needing Steve as a replacement for his deceased partner (as Penny has put together a team to rob a bank), the uncouth, rough-and-tumble pair take his wife as collateral so that Steve takes on the role of getaway driver.
Leaving Ellen with a creepy criminal (Timothy Carey), will Steve take the rap once again after being dragged into this sordid affair, or will he be able to escape them (and Detective Sims) to return once again to his beloved wife and normal life?
Crime Wave should perhaps be termed film noir-lite, as it does have many of the elements we have come to expect from the genre, though it is missing quite a few as well. Firstly, our lead Steve is quote/unquote a good guy. Though he has a criminal past, he has turned over a new leaf, finding a great job as an aeroplane mechanic and has been blessed with a loving wife in Ellen (who does not have an ounce of femme fatale in her being). Similarly, De Toth’s direction is inspiring, though it feels more like a straightforward crime flick than shadowy film noir (except for a few scenes).
What really makes this film stand out are the performances. Hayden is imposing as the Detective, his nearly six foot, five inch frame helping depict a man that you would not want to be tracked by. Replacing the typical cigarette with a revolving door of toothpicks, it gives him an ever-present sneer. His philosophy is just as intriguing, as he truly believes the adage that if you were once a criminal, you will always be a criminal. He foreshadows what will become the anti-hero of the 1960s and 70s, where vigilantes and cops like Dirty Harry Callahan would do what was needed (not necessarily what was proper) to get the job done. Nothing demonstrates this more than his final surprising meeting with Steve – an interesting twist that shows that the man has his own code – and plays by his own rules. Nelson and Kirk are wonderful as the loving married couple. Placed in a dangerously precarious predicament, it is interesting as we watch them work through the ever-growing issues. Similarly, it is rivetting to watch Nelson’s Steve battle his own demons, attempting to continue to walk the straight and narrow even when coppers and criminals are constantly interfering with his life (and telling him that he will never be reformed). Bronson (aka Buchinsky) must also be commended. He is rough, gruff and tough, capturing the persona that we would come to love as he gained fame in the 60s and 70s (think/see The Magnificent Seven or Death Wish). Lastly, I have to mention Timothy Carey. Though some of you will undoubtably not know the name, the man has a cult following for a reason. Mesmerizing to watch, he is like nothing you’ve ever seen. With a lockjawed grimace etched on his face, he looks like an insane version of The Joker from Batman. We certainly wouldn’t want to be in the same room as this maniac, and we feel sorry for Ellen when she is placed in a one-on-one situation with the outlaw. Check out two Stanley Kubrick films, The Killing and Paths of Glory, to see a pair of classic performances from the actor.
It turns out that this motion picture could have been very different. Jack L. Warner desperately wanted Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner for the film, though De Toth vehemently protested – arguing for Hayden. Exhausted, Warner gave in, adding the stipulation that the movie had to be filmed in fifteen short days (an exuberant De Toth completed it in fourteen – some even claim that it was thirteen).
Another engaging feature is that it is shot on location, providing a sense of realism to the film. Though much of what we see has disappeared from Los Angeles, you will likely recognize the famed Union Station and the L.A. City Hall Building.
Though not as rich as other film noirs, Crime Wave is a fun little seventy-three minute excursion into the criminal underworld. Fast paced, sharply shot, and featuring a bevy of engaging performances, this is a lesser know noir feature that is worth giving a chance. So, don’t feel guilty about participating in this caper, just enjoy the ride.
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