The Big Combo (1955)

This is a great little noir where detective Cornel Wilde has fallen in love with Jean Wallace, the girlfriend of the gangster he is trying to bring down. The gangster, Richard Conte, has quickly moved up the ranks of his organization through clever and merciless means. The plot revolves around the various activities that got Conte to the top of the heap and has kept him there. It’s a bit like Scarface told from the side of the police. Wilde is an obsessed man, skirting the lines of what is proper while being menaced by Conte’s ruthless and conniving mob boss. Among the cast of characters, there’s a second in command who used to be on top and wants to get back there, a pair of close-knit goons, an adult entertainer girlfriend, and a missing wife. The black and white cinematography is played to perfect effect here with shadows used throughout to create tension, add emphasis, and just fill the film with atmosphere.