Review: The Big Combo

Police lieutenant Cornel Wilde is hell-bent on bringing gangster Richard Conte down, but the latter is too slippery to thus far get caught with his hands dirty. Wilde has also fallen for Conte’s sad girlfriend Jean Wallace and wants to rescue her, despite being warned to let it go by his boss (Robert Middleton) who thinks it’s become a waste of time and police resources. Wilde is undeterred, and thinks the key to bringing the mobster down lies with the mysterious disappearance of someone named ‘Alicia’. Earl Holliman and Lee Van Cleef play hitmen in Conte’s employ, Brian Donlevy is Conte’s chief underling, and Helene Stanton is Wilde’s dancer squeeze.

 

This 1955 noir from director Joseph H. Lewis (a veteran of B-movies and TV work) seems to get more praise with age, and it is indeed a solid film. I have to say though, that I was more interested in the actors, characters, and technical aspects than I was invested in the actual plot as scripted by Philip Yordan (“El Cid”, “The Fall of the Roman Empire”). The B&W cinematography by John Alton (“Elmer Gantry”) for instance is absolutely stunning. Masterful, artful use of shadow and light. Easily some of the best in noir cinema that I’ve seen. So if you’re a fan of B&W cinematography and the typical noir visual style, you’re going to want to see this film for that alone.

 

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Richard Conte but he’s really terrific in this, and a seething Cornel Wilde is much better than usual. I had no idea either actor had this in them, Wilde is seriously enraged here and Conte seems to really embody his character. The scene-stealers for me however are Lee Van Cleef, Ted de Corsia, and Jean Wallace. The stunning Wallace looks a bit like Grace Kelly, and has a kind of Inger Stevens-esque sadness/vulnerability to her that I found captivating. You’re likely to be as taken with her as Wilde seems to be. There’s a sadness to Ted de Corsia’s excellent, small part as a former underling of Conte’s now in hiding. As for Lee Van Cleef, he’s excellent in this and makes you wonder why on Earth he never became a star outside of the spaghetti western genre. You can’t take your eyes off him here, total star quality in my view. He and Earl Holliman were my main reason for tracking this film down as I’d heard their henchmen characters were queer-coded. Some of it is a bit of a reach, but lines like ‘I’m gonna show you guys how to be men!’ and ‘The cops will be looking for us in every closet!’ are impossible to be read in any other way when heard by modern ears. Hell, I’m surprised that last one managed to get past the Production Code to be honest. Holliman’s performance overall is a bit of a giveaway too. It’s a shame the duo aren’t in more of the film because you actually kinda care about them in an odd way, despite their being violent hitmen. Maybe it’s because of the obvious bond they have for one another being somewhat relatable. Look out for the very fine Helene Stanton and also Helen Walker in sadly her final screen role. Playing the dancer girlfriend of Cornel Wilde, the brunette Stanton really makes her minutes count here, making an immediate impression. Meanwhile, I was sad to learn that Walker retired at age 35 after this film and later died of cancer in 1968 at just 47. Far too young and clearly a talent, even if her role here isn’t especially large she’s still very good in it.

 

It’s not all trumps in the cast I’m afraid, as a miscast Brian Donlevy stands out like a sore thumb here. As stiff as he is in every film I’ve seen him in, I can’t figure out how this bloke got so many acting gigs let alone fathom him being cast here as Conte’s second-in-command. Who thought he was right for the part?

 

Rock-solid second-tier crime/noir flick with outstanding B&W cinematography, memorable characters, and some terrific performances. Story-wise it’s nothing substantial but certainly serviceable. Everything else elevates the film, including a nice jazzy score from David Raksin (“Kind Lady”, “The Bad and the Beautiful”, “Will Penny”). Great finale, too. 

 

Rating: B-

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