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CrimeThriller

The Big Heat

- A hard cop and a soft dame.

After the suspicious suicide of a fellow cop, tough homicide detective Dave Bannion takes the law into his own hands when he sets out to smash a vicious crime syndicate.

Release Date : 1953-10-14

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Columbia Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Glenn Ford

Character Name : Det. Sgt. Dave Bannion

Original Name : Glenn Ford

Gender : Male

Gloria Grahame

Character Name : Debby Marsh

Original Name : Gloria Grahame

Gender : Female

Lee Marvin

Character Name : Vince Stone

Original Name : Lee Marvin

Gender : Male

Jeanette Nolan

Character Name : Bertha Duncan

Original Name : Jeanette Nolan

Gender : Female

Alexander Scourby

Character Name : Mike Lagana

Original Name : Alexander Scourby

Gender : Male

Jocelyn Brando

Character Name : Katie Bannion

Original Name : Jocelyn Brando

Gender : Female

Peter Whitney

Character Name : Tierney

Original Name : Peter Whitney

Gender : Male

Willis Bouchey

Character Name : Lt. Ted Wilks

Original Name : Willis Bouchey

Gender : Male

Robert Burton

Character Name : Det. Gus Burke

Original Name : Robert Burton

Gender : Male

Adam Williams

Character Name : Larry Gordon

Original Name : Adam Williams

Gender : Male

Carolyn Jones

Character Name : Doris

Original Name : Carolyn Jones

Gender : Female

Howard Wendell

Character Name : Police Commissioner Higgins

Original Name : Howard Wendell

Gender : Male

Chris Alcaide

Character Name : George Rose

Original Name : Chris Alcaide

Gender : Male

Michael Granger

Character Name : Hugo

Original Name : Michael Granger

Gender : Male

Dorothy Green

Character Name : Lucy Chapman

Original Name : Dorothy Green

Gender : Female

Ric Roman

Character Name : Baldy

Original Name : Ric Roman

Gender : Male

Dan Seymour

Character Name : Mr. Atkins

Original Name : Dan Seymour

Gender : Male

Edith Evanson

Character Name : Selma Parker

Original Name : Edith Evanson

Gender : Female

Harry Lauter

Character Name : Hank O'Connell (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Lauter

Gender : Male

Michael Ross

Character Name : Segal (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Ross

Gender : Male

Phil Arnold

Character Name : Retreat Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Phil Arnold

Gender : Male

Sidney Clute

Character Name : Retreat Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Sidney Clute

Gender : Male

Michael Jeffers

Character Name : Retreat Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Jeffers

Gender : Male

Linda Bennett

Character Name : Joyce Bannion (uncredited)

Original Name : Linda Bennett

Gender : Female

Charles Cane

Character Name : Police Guard Outside Lagana Home (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Cane

Gender : Male

Byron Kane

Character Name : Police Surgeon (uncredited)

Original Name : Byron Kane

Gender : Male

John Close

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : John Close

Gender : Male

Phil Chambers

Character Name : Hettrick (uncredited)

Original Name : Phil Chambers

Gender : Male

John Crawford

Character Name : Al - Bannion's Brother-in-Law (uncredited)

Original Name : John Crawford

Gender : Male

John Doucette

Character Name : Mark Reiner (uncredited)

Original Name : John Doucette

Gender : Male

Al Eben

Character Name : Harry Shoenstein (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Eben

Gender : Male

Douglas Evans

Character Name : Councilman Gillen (uncredited)

Original Name : Douglas Evans

Gender : Male

Fritz Ford

Character Name : Sailor (uncredited)

Original Name : Fritz Ford

Gender : Male

Donald Kerr

Character Name : Cabby (uncredited)

Original Name : Donald Kerr

Gender : Male

Lyle Latell

Character Name : Moving Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Lyle Latell

Gender : Male

John Merton

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : John Merton

Gender : Male

Celia Lovsky

Character Name : Lagana's Mother in Portrait (uncredited)

Original Name : Celia Lovsky

Gender : Female

Ted Stanhope

Character Name : Lagana's Butler (uncredited)

Original Name : Ted Stanhope

Gender : Male

Herbert Lytton

Character Name : Martin (uncredited)

Original Name : Herbert Lytton

Gender : Male

Mike Mahoney

Character Name : Dixon (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Mahoney

Gender : Male

Laura Mason

Character Name : B-Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Laura Mason

Gender : Female

Paul Maxey

Character Name : George Fuller (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Maxey

Gender : Male

Joseph Mell

Character Name : Medical Examiner (uncredited)

Original Name : Joseph Mell

Gender : Male

Patrick Miller

Character Name : Intern (uncredited)

Original Name : Patrick Miller

Gender : Male

William Murphy

Character Name : Reds (uncredited)

Original Name : William Murphy

Gender : Male

Ezelle Poule

Character Name : Mrs Tucker (uncredited)

Original Name : Ezelle Poule

Gender : Female

Norma Randall

Character Name : Jill (uncredited)

Original Name : Norma Randall

Gender : Male

Robert Stevenson

Character Name : Bill Rutherford (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Stevenson

Gender : Male

William Vedder

Character Name : Janitor (uncredited)

Original Name : William Vedder

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Fritz Lang deals nicely in obsession and corruption. Detective Dave Bannion is investigating the suicide of corrupt cop Tom Duncan. As he gets deeper, and his colleagues get nervous, his wife is inadvertently killed by a car bomb that was meant for him, he turns from mannered family man into a vengeful obsessive, the heat is most definitely coming down on those responsible. Writer Sydney Boehm took a "Saturday Evening Post" serial (written by William McGiven), and crafted a tight, biting and incredibly bleak script. Handed it into director Fritz Lang's hands, who then cloaked it (along with Charles Lang's perfectly apt photography) with dripping noir nastiness. Playing out as a tale of murder, revenge and pure hatred, The Big Heat holds up now as one of the best of the dialogue driven noir pieces of the 50s. Lang isn't concerned with showing the violence exactly, more like the reaction of our protagonists to the violence in the piece, this makes for a sort of ethereal viewing, with the sets themselves becoming integral to our characters personalities. The cast are excellent, Glenn Ford as Bannion was never better than he is here, but even he is playing second fiddle to the fabulous Gloria Grahame as Debby Marsh, a Moll who makes a decision that has very far reaching consequences. It begs the question as to why Grahame never had a far better career, for here she is one of film noir's best (anti?) heroines. Rounding out a trio of great performances are Lee Marvin as the vile and brutal Vince Stone - Marvin of course would go on from here and deliver a ream of brilliant gruff hard bastard performances. A potent, gripping and superb piece of film noir. 9/10

G

griggs79

@griggs79

2024-12-02

_The Big Heat_ is a blistering slice of film noir; its shocking violence—especially the infamous coffee-throwing scene—still jolts in its cruelty, surpassing most of its contemporaries. Fritz Lang crafts a relentlessly dark narrative of corruption and vengeance, with Gloria Grahame and Lee Marvin delivering performances that are nothing short of magnetic. Their talent is sure to leave you appreciative and in awe. However, Glenn Ford's portrayal of Bannion feels disappointingly one-note, his stiffness paling against Marvin's menacing energy. A near-masterpiece, held back by its lead.