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Crime

Vice Squad

- Holds you... like a gold diggin' woman!

A Los Angeles police captain (Edward G. Robinson) ties the case of a slain policeman to a bank robbery, all in a day.

Release Date : 1953-07-31

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Sequoia PicturesSol Lesser Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : The Girl in Room 17

Cast

Edward G. Robinson

Character Name : Capt. 'Barnie' Barnaby

Original Name : Edward G. Robinson

Gender : Male

Paulette Goddard

Character Name : Mona Ross

Original Name : Paulette Goddard

Gender : Female

K.T. Stevens

Character Name : Ginny

Original Name : K.T. Stevens

Gender : Female

Porter Hall

Character Name : Jack Hartrampf

Original Name : Porter Hall

Gender : Male

Adam Williams

Character Name : Marty Kusalich

Original Name : Adam Williams

Gender : Male

Edward Binns

Character Name : Al Barkis

Original Name : Edward Binns

Gender : Male

Barry Kelley

Character Name : Dwight Foreman

Original Name : Barry Kelley

Gender : Male

Jay Adler

Character Name : Frankie Pierce

Original Name : Jay Adler

Gender : Male

Mary Ellen Kay

Character Name : Carol Lawson

Original Name : Mary Ellen Kay

Gender : Female

Joan Vohs

Character Name : Vickie Webb

Original Name : Joan Vohs

Gender : Female

Lee Van Cleef

Character Name : Pete Monty

Original Name : Lee Van Cleef

Gender : Male

Harlan Warde

Character Name : Det. Lacey

Original Name : Harlan Warde

Gender : Male

Dan Riss

Character Name : Lt. Bob Imlay

Original Name : Dan Riss

Gender : Male

Lewis Martin

Character Name : Police Lt. Ed Chisolm

Original Name : Lewis Martin

Gender : Male

Murray Alper

Character Name : Cop (uncredited)

Original Name : Murray Alper

Gender : Male

Joanne Arnold

Character Name : Mona Ross' Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Joanne Arnold

Gender : Female

William Boyett

Character Name : Officer Kellogg (uncredited)

Original Name : William Boyett

Gender : Male

Leonard Bremen

Character Name : Fred (uncredited)

Original Name : Leonard Bremen

Gender : Male

Paul Bryar

Character Name : Lt. Cade (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Bryar

Gender : Male

Jack Carr

Character Name : Fred (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Carr

Gender : Male

Russ Conway

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Russ Conway

Gender : Male

Edgar Dearing

Character Name : Fitz (uncredited)

Original Name : Edgar Dearing

Gender : Male

Edward Earle

Character Name : Vault Teller (uncredited)

Original Name : Edward Earle

Gender : Male

George Eldredge

Character Name : Mr. Lawson (uncredited)

Original Name : George Eldredge

Gender : Male

Gil Frye

Character Name : Cop (uncredited)

Original Name : Gil Frye

Gender : Male

Percy Helton

Character Name : Mr. Jenner (uncredited)

Original Name : Percy Helton

Gender : Male

Byron Kane

Character Name : Prof. Bruno Varney (uncredited)

Original Name : Byron Kane

Gender : Male

Robert Karnes

Character Name : Lou (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Karnes

Gender : Male

Mickey Knox

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Mickey Knox

Gender : Male

Mike Lally

Character Name : Detective in Lineup and Bank (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Lally

Gender : Male

Wallace Earl

Character Name : Mortuary Receptionist (uncredited)

Original Name : Wallace Earl

Gender : Female

Harry Lewis

Character Name : Arresting Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Lewis

Gender : Male

Lee Phelps

Character Name : Vickie's Apartment Manager (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Phelps

Gender : Male

Lorin Raker

Character Name : Mr. Moore (uncredited)

Original Name : Lorin Raker

Gender : Male

Charles Sherlock

Character Name : Detective in Lineup Room (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Sherlock

Gender : Male

Charles Tannen

Character Name : Dutch (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Tannen

Gender : Male

John Verros

Character Name : Count Alfredo Giovanni de Montova (uncredited)

Original Name : John Verros

Gender : Male

Christine White

Character Name : Miss Easton (uncredited)

Original Name : Christine White

Gender : Female

Mack Williams

Character Name : Mr. Schaefer (uncredited)

Original Name : Mack Williams

Gender : Male

Harry Wilson

Character Name : Man in Lineup (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Wilson

Gender : Male

William Woodson

Character Name : Dave (uncredited)

Original Name : William Woodson

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Look sister … That was a cop they killed - and you gals know who pulled the trigger! Vice Squad (AKA: The Girl in Room 17) is directed by Arnold Laven and adapted to screenplay by Lawrence Roman from the novel "Harness Bull" written by Leslie T. White. It stars Edward G. Robinson, Paulette Goddard, K.T. Stevens, Porter Hall, Adam Williams, Lee Van Cleef, Edward Binns, Barry Kelley and Jay Adler. Music is by Herschel Burke Gilbert and cinematography by Joseph F. Biroc. Whichever title the marketing people throw at this MGM programmer does not in any way tell you exactly what sort of film is on offer. I mean, "Vice Squad" sounds devilishly tempting but this is merely one strand in a whole, likewise the suggestive "The Girl in Room 17" is exactly the same. Really - and it is too bland for MGM suits to have ever considered - it should have been called "A Day in the Life of a Los Angeles Police Captain", for that is exactly what this is, and damn great it is too. Robinson is Captain Barnaby, who while trying to focus on who is responsible for the killing of a cop, has to juggle several other incidents in the day whilst coming to believe that a planned bank robbery the same day could be linked to the cop's murder. What quickly transpires is that Barnaby is not merely a cop, throughout the day he also has to be a psychiatrist and a councillor. He will have to make deals - not all text book legal - and he will use tricks and tactics that would now make the prissy brigade shiver and shake - and yet to get the right results has to be the order of the day here. He even will, during the chaos of the day, be called into a TV show interview to exude the upstanding greatness of the police force. What a day! As police procedural "noirs" of the 50s go this one sits at the top end of the table. The editing (Arthur H. Nadel) is high quality as it stitches all the threads together without halting the flow of the story, the multitude of subplots seamlessly holding attention throughout. Within these sublots we find cynicism and dramatic verve, some choice suggestive and mocking dialogue, and even some censor baiting humour (hello underwear thief). Cast are superb within their respective roles, led by a steely in character Robinson, and even though Goddard (all swingy hips and suggestive postures as the "escort agency" boss) is underused (a crime given her scenes with Robinson are electric), this is a fine roll call of 40s/50s genre performers doing justice to the material to hand. This was at the beginning of what would be a limited big screen directorial career for Arnold Laven (he would become a prolific TV series director/producer), but he marshals this one splendidly. He's helped by having Biroc (Cry Danger) on photography duty, where Biroc brings some deft noir visuals to the play (see the cross shadows as Barnaby takes troubling phone calls). Nifty location work comes out of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Long Beach, and how nice to report that there is now a nice looking print of the pic out there to sample. Ultimately though we want a hot pot of crims, coppers, shysters and working dames to seal our deal, and here we get the all - and all in one day! 8/10