Vice Squad (1953 film)
| Vice Squad | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Arnold Laven |
| Screenplay by | Lawrence Roman |
| Based on | Harness Bull 1937 novel by Leslie T. White |
| Produced by | Jules Levy Arthur Gardner Sol Lesser (uncredited) |
| Starring | Edward G. Robinson Paulette Goddard |
| Cinematography | Joseph F. Biroc |
| Edited by | Arthur H. Nadel |
| Music by | Herschel Burke Gilbert |
Production company | Sequoia Pictures |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates |
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Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $262,000[1] |
| Box office | $600,000[1] |
Vice Squad is a 1953 American film noir crime film directed by Arnold Laven and starring Edward G. Robinson and Paulette Goddard.[2] The film is also known as The Girl in Room 17.[3]
Plot
In Los Angeles, two criminals Al Barkis and Pete Monte attempt to hotwire a car inside a car lot, while Vickie Webb bids farewell to Jack Hartrampf, a married undertaker, in a nearby apartment building. Kellogg, a police officer, attempts to arrest Monte inside the car, but is shot by Barkis. As the criminals drive off, Hartrampf witnesses the shooting and rushes to Kellogg's aid. He is brought to police headquarters for questioning, but is reluctant to testify so his affair does not become known.
Captain Barnaby arrives in his office, and his secretary Ginny informs him that Kellogg remains in critical condition. There, he meets with Miss Easton, who believes her mother is being victimized by an overseas fake count for marriage fraud. Barnaby replies he needs more evidence and assigns Sgt. Atkinson to investigate. In the hallways, he meets Frankie Pierce, an ex-convict on parole, who claims Barkis is planning a bank robbery.
Inside the interrogation room, Barnaby pleads with Hartrampf to testify about the shooting, but Hartrampf declines. During a police lineup, Barnaby is handed Frankie's criminal record and assigns Lt. Chisolm to investigate; meanwhile, Kellogg dies. Elsewhere, Barkis and his accomplices meet at a warehouse and wait for Dutch who, unknowingly to them, has been detained for the lineup. Dutch is released and arrives at the warehouse, where he tells the criminals that Kellogg is dead.
Back at the police station, Barnaby notifies bank president Schaefer of the robbery, and plans to set a trap to catch them. When his attorney Dwight Foreman arrives, Hartrampf states he could not see either criminal as it was nighttime while he was leaving a nearby apartment. Barnaby is also told that Mona Ross, who runs an escort agency, is willing to collaborate unless two of her girls are released. Barnaby complies. Elsewhere, at the station, Alfredo Di Nova, the fake count, is apprehended. Di Nova is found to have committed identity fraud, and is told to leave town or face criminal charges.
Barkis and his accomplices move forward to rob the bank, where Chisolm and his undercover officers exchange gunfire. While Dutch and another robber are shot dead, Barkis wounds Chisolm and takes Carol Lawson, a bank teller, hostage and escapes. After the incident, Hartrampf is released from police custody. However, he is re-arrested under false pretenses of drunkenness and disorderly conduct. While Barnaby is in his office, he phones Mona and has his officers apprehend her for information.
When Mona arrives, she tells that one of her girls, Dolores, has been seeing Marty Kusalich, one of Barkis's men, who is staying at Dolores's apartment. Two officers arrive and arrest Marty. During interrogation, Marty claims he had no knowledge of the attempted robbery. When ballistic evidence confirm that Barkis had shot Kellogg, Barnaby schemes to implicate Marty. Hartrampf is told to identify Marty and is released from custody. Threatened with the death penalty, Marty testifies Barkis and Monte were the real culprits and reveals the location of the warehouse.
On the run, Pete Monte steals a boat to sail towards the warehouse, where Barkis is holding Carol hostage. Carol attempts to escape, but drops her glasses. Detective Lacey arrives to rescue her and shoots Barkis. Monte arrives shortly after and is arrested. Barnaby arrives on site, where Miss Easton phones her mother, telling her she is safe.
Cast
- Edward G. Robinson as Capt. Barnaby
- Paulette Goddard as Mona Ross
- K.T. Stevens as Ginny
- Porter Hall as Jack Hartrampf
- Adam Williams as Marty Kusalich
- Edward Binns as Al Barkis
- Barry Kelley as Dwight Foreman
- Jay Adler as Frankie Pierce
- Mary Ellen Kay as Carol Lawson
- Joan Vohs as Vickie Webb
- Lee Van Cleef as Pete Monte
- Harlan Warde as Det. Lacey
- Dan Riss as Lt. Bob Inlay
- Lewis Martin as Police Lt. Ed Chisolm
- Byron Kane as Prof. Bruno Varney
- Christine White as Miss Easton
References
- ^ a b "Why Vidpix Makes Sense". Variety. 11 March 1959. p. 32.
- ^ Vice Squad at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
- ^ "Vice Squad (1953)". FilmAffinity. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
External links
- Vice Squad at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Vice Squad at IMDb
- Vice Squad at the TCM Movie Database (archived version)
- Vice Squad film scene on YouTube