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This is a great little crime movie. It has a truly sleazy feel and is very well directed. Fred Sears! That guy knew how to turn out these trashy but effective crime exposes! Dennis O'Keefe, who seems a little down-at-the heels, is the lead. He goes undercover to blow the lid off a syndicate run by mama's boy Paul Stewart. With his eyes sunken and dark, Stewart is a highly effective villain (albeit a suave one.) His current girlfriend sings at a club he runs. We hear her sing, and she is pretty darn good. That's because she's played by Abbe Lane. Lane had a good vocal style and she knew how to be sewn into a glamorous dress. Real-life husband Xaviar Cugat is on-hand, too: He's her band-leader and is pining after her.

Though she gets lower billing, the main female is really Allison Hayes. Yes: The star of the immortal "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman." Hayes does a fine job. She's an interesting presence: She looks like a meaner version of Jane Russell.

The only distracting part of the movie is the O'Keefe character's name: Barry Amsterdam. It kept reminding me of a certain comic on a classic TV show about writers for a TV comedy ...

O'Keefe had the goods, though. He is one of the best of all noir actors.

Dennis O'Keefe plays Barry Amersterdam, an accountant hired by authorities to infiltrate the syndicate in order the get the goods on the top man Arnie Valent. He works his way in and soon rises to become the mobs top accountant. Along the way he is distracted by Joyce Kern (Allison Hayes) a women out to avenge the mob murder of her father. CHICAGO SYNDICATE is a standard "B" crime thriller of the period. It is one of many films made in the fifties purporting to expose the sin, crime, corruption and vice of some major American city. Dennis O'Keefe gives his usual breezy performance. Allison Hayes is sexy. The best performance is Paul Stewart as mob boss Arnie Valent. Stewart was always at his best when he played slimy crooks, and he is quite convincing here as the nasty mob boss who loves his mother and likes to beat women.

There's little in the late noir Chicago Syndicate that hadn't already been done, and more memorably, in the cycle, but, given the limitations of its director and cast, it does its job. When a renegade syndicate bookkeeper is gunned down on a crowded street in broad daylight (incidentally triggering his wife's suicide), federal agents enlist Dennis O'Keefe, a forensic accountant working for the police, to infiltrate the underworld. In no time he's won the trust of boss Paul Stewart (whose start in movies was in Citizen Kane, as Raymond the sinister butler). Stewart idolizes his mother, who refuses to budge from his tough old neighborhood. But apparently she's the exception that tests his misogynistic rule (`Everything gets better with age, except women,' he observes).

He's right to be wary, because women hold the tools to destroy him. His current trophy (Abbe Lane), who sings with bandleader Xavier Cugat in mob night spots, drinks too much and endures humiliation and beatings at his hands. But even an attempt to `scare the girdle off her' fails, as she holds incriminating microfilm, stashed away as her insurance policy. Her rival for his attentions (Allison Hayes) has a secret agenda: she's the orphaned daughter of the slain bookkeeper, nursing a vendetta. When she thinks O'Keefe can grease her way to the top, she throws herself at him (`Now you're romancing me like I was Liberace,' he puzzlingly tells her.) She becomes his helpmate – and decoy.

In the style of the syndicate movies of the 1950s, in the wake of the Kefauver hearings on organized crime, there's an emphasis on the complex corporate structure of Stewart's illegal business operations. Too much exposition, however, is left to voice-over narration. And while the movie doesn't shy away from ugly incident, it's quite devoid of the atmospheric dread that distinguished, for instance, Fritz Lang's The Big Heat. O'Keefe, too, seems to have aged more than the eight years separating this movie from his similar role in Anthony Mann's T-Men, making it less of a surprise that his first movie role was in 1930. Chicago Syndicate holds interest less for its own sake than as evidence of how the noir cycle was running down, if not quite out; the same year offered Joseph H. Lewis' brilliant take on much the same territory, The Big Combo.

Has anyone else noticed that Charles Lane appears with his back to the camera in the scene where Paul Stewart warns his syndicate partners about not cheating him? The voice also seems to be his. He doesn't show up anywhere else in the film. I have not been able to find him associated with it on any credit listings, including the abbreviated IMDb cast list. I thought this was a pretty good genre film. It's always nice to see Paul Stewart in a bigger role. Don't recall ever seeing Abbe Lane in a film before. I really thought she was better than the other female lead, despite having less to do. Although her acting ability cannot really be assessed from this single role, I am surprised she did not have a lengthier career.

Because this film starred Dennis O'Keefe (who was wonderful in his Film Noir appearances), I was sure to see it. And fortunately, the overall effort was exciting and engaging--making it a decent later example of the genre. While not as bloody and earthy as many Noir films, due to the head of the mob priding himself on being a well-spoken gentleman, nevertheless is a decent film of this type.

The film begins with a contract killing so stop an accountant from spilling his guts about organized crime. A citizen's group decides that they need to try a new way to infiltrate the mob--send in a freelance agent who isn't a cop or part of the Treasury or Justice Departments. So Dennis O'Keefe is recruited and he is able to eventually rise very high in the ranks--and leading to a wonderful showdown.

I think the reason I like O'Keefe in these films is because he's so ugly--or at best ordinary looking. For Noir, this is great, as pretty boys and the like are NOT something you'd expect. So, when Edmund O'Brien isn't available, O'Keefe is a good substitute.

Full of excellent intrigue, an interesting and unusual plot and sure to please fans of the genre, CHICAGO SYNDICATE nearly earns an 8--it's that good.

FYI--It is interesting that in one scene where they are standing outside a movie theater, the picture listed on the marquee is ON THE WATERFRONT--another film about mobsters which came out at about the same time as CHICAGO SYNDICATE.

The best part of "Chicago Syndicate" for me was seeing Abbe Lane and Xavier Cugat! I remember them from television and their chihuahuas. In fact, I think they fought over them in the divorce.

Dennis O'Keefe is Barry Amsterdam who goes undercover to get dirt on organized crime. An accountant has just been murdered as he was about to tell what he knew. A citizen's group sends in O'Keefe, with the promise of a $60,000 fee.

Amsterdam wins the trust of the main man (Paul Stewart), and he sets out to find his secret ledger and anything else that will serve as evidence. He meets lovely Sue Morton, who turns out to be the sister of the accountant who was killed. She joins Barry in bringing down the criminals.

In the late '40s and '50s, many films were made with a narration, as this one was. Usually they are pretty dry. This one wasn't, with some good scenes and a nice performance by O'Keefe. Abbe Lane plays the mobster's girlfriend, and she sings with. Benny Chico's (Cugat's) band. She was a knockout.

A Good Production and a Decent Cast Can't Raise this Functionary, Pedestrian Picture from the Prolific 1950's Police Procedurals.

Film-Noir had All but Given Up the Ghost with the Eisenhower Era Emphasis on Big-Brother Watchdog Law Enforcement Forever "Looking Out For You".

Noir's Grit was Increasingly Being Scrubbed by the Booming Decade's Affluence.

The Odd Thing in this one is that Female Firebrands Abbe Lane and Allison Hayes are at the Core of Anything that Makes it Special.

Both Broads are in Fine Form with Clinging Dresses and Firecracker Personalities.

Some Scenes Stand Out, like the Climax Chase, and Abbe Lane Taking a Beating.

Of Minor Interest is Bandleader Xavier Cugat in a Speaking Part.

But the Film Struggles to have an Edge and Succumbs to Sedentary Situations Concerning Book-Keeping and other Mundane Aspects, like Paul Stewart and His Ma.

Slightly Above Average because of Lane, Hayes, and Stewart.

But Dennis O' Keefe seems Worn-Out and Past His Prime.

Good Street Scenes with Bigger than Big Cars and Chicago Locations also Help

Worth a Watch.

Accountant and war hero Dennis O'Keefe is contacted by the authorities and offered a big chunk of cash to infiltrate mobster Paul Stewart's operation. Stewart's former accountant had come forward claiming to have evidence that would convict him, but he was murdered before he could turn it over. They want O'Keefe to find out what he knew.

This plan apparently does not include any way of introducing O'Keefe to Stewart, so he strolls into Stewart's nightclub claiming he witnessed the murder. Luckily Stewart hires him instead of killing him. With the help of Allison Hayes (the 50 foot woman herself), who turns out to be the daughter of the murdered man, and Stewart's nightclub singer girlfriend Abbe Lane (wife of Xavier Cugat, who also has a prominent role) he gets the evidence.

This film sets itself up as a realistic, shot-on-locations crime flick, but other than a lot of great street shots of Chicago, it's more of a cheap, tawdry B noir (and I mean that as a complement). It's a really rough and tumble flick with some pretty surprisingly grim scenes for the 50's, including Stewart's thugs delivering a pretty intense beating to Lane. It's an enjoyable if pretty slight outing.

Xavier Cugat plays a few songs with Lane singing and that is superb.

I saw the show on Turner Classic Movies. The plot was entertaining. It kicks off with a murder of a mob accountant who gave inside info to a newspaper man (the "Syndicate" didn't like that.) The newsman then gets some leading Chicago people plus lawmen together to try to "break the Syndicate wide open." They persuade Barry Amsterdam (Dennis O'Keefe), an aspiring accountant dreaming of starting his own business, to infiltrate the mob and get the lowdown on the crooks. He ends up doing an amazing job, for an accountant! But the use of real street scenes is what made this a very interesting movie for a Chicago history buff like me. You can see many downtown locations (theaters, buildings, bridges, rivers, street signs), era shots (men in hats, big cars, 50s trains & buses) and dialog about real places (Halsted, Ohio, The Palmer House, Maxwell Street). Lot's of fun!

I guess the best crime dramas that Sam Katzman produced were those directed by the likes of Fred S Sears and William Castle; those movies seemed serious, not clumsy, lousy, such as the costume swashbucklers produced by Katzman, or even most of his westerns. MIAMI STORY, MIAMI EXPOSE, INSIDE DETROIT, RUMBLE ON THE DOCKS, CHICAGO SYNDICATE. I agree that those films propose more or less the same schemes, in addition to the expose lines, undercover cops, gang wars...Nothing new actually, but excellent, if you consider the fact that Sam Katzman produced those films. For once, Sam Katzman did not deceive me. EARTH VS FLYING SAUCERS was famous, thanks to Ray Harryhausen's special effects. Paul Stewart as awesome as he was in Lewis Allen's noir for Paramount co starring Alan Ladd.

This solid B film highlights the acting skills of two fine actresses; Abbe Lane and Allison Hayes. Lane was handicapped by being known as a nightclub singer with the talented (in music) Xavier Cugat. Unfortunately, Xavier was a horrendous actor. Allison Hayes never seemed to have made it to the A level films, which was a shame, as she had real talent. There were two situations in this film that did not ring true. One was taking a job that almost certainly would have you earning a 50000 life insurance policy for your wife plus 10000 for burial expenses. This would be like me taking a job as an accountant for the Gotti family. Fat chance. No amount of money is worth that risk. The second, and more hilarious comment was that the syndicate was now cracked wide open and had been put out of business. Fat chance.

A cheesy "B" crime thriller of the early '50, the story is droll, the characters wooden, Allison Hayes and Abbe Lane are the only two sexpots that make it an eye-catcher, but one short shot, only a few frames long, shows an "el" train crossing the river on the State Street bridge, of the 6000 series Pullman-built cars painted in their original 1950 paint scheme, as they were delivered when new in 1950. For traction fans like me, that one short take makes the picture worthwhile. I think films like this one, Ulmer's DETOUR, D.O.A. with Edmund O'Brien,THE FUGITIVE with Harrison Ford, and others of the film noir genre, (big city crime dramas) make it interesting if for nothing other than the fact that I know Chicago and San Francisco intimately and recognize most of the street locations. Other wise it's a really droll boring film!

Straight forward good cops and robbers movie typical of the late 40s-50s. Surprising good performance by Abbe Lane, and Paul Stewart is always good.

I never really rated Dennis O'Keefe and though he's in one of his better roles here, he's still pretty wooden. He is "Barry" who was an army number-cruncher who has now been drafted into an investigation by the FBI into organised crime in Chicago. The mobsters in that city are shrewd and brutal, so this task was always going to be perilous at the best of times, much more so when he encounters the complex "Connie" (Abbe Lane). She is the nightclub singing girlfriend, and frequent punchbag, of the kingpin "Arnie" (Paul Stewart) and she is also being pursued by their band-leader (Xavier Cugat). Also muddying the waters is the aggrieved "Sue" (Allison Hayes) who has a mean streak a mile wide when it comes to her search for retribution. What now ensues is all rather predictable, but it is augmented by a strong effort from Hayes and an effectively menacing one from Stewart. The direction and writing give them enough to keep it moving along and it has to be said - Abbe Lane can hold a tune and dance the mambo. It's quite watchable Saturday afternoon fayre, but I doubt you will remember it for long afterwards.

Nothing happens in this rather bleak and sordid noir about Chicago gangsters, until Alison Hayes pulls the gun in the middle of the film, and then the action starts, amounting to rather interesting proportions. Dennis O'Keefe is no William Holden, who would have been the right actor for this role - Dennis is too fidgety. Paul Stewart on the other hand is perfect for his character, and the other ladies are good as well, Abbe Lane as the night club primadonna in decline with a catch on the boss, and his mother. The best scenes are with these women, while it is Alison Hayes who runs the show from half way on. The finale approaches the depths of "The Third Man".

So although you yawn and look for something else to do meanwhile during the first half of the film, the second half must have all your attention. The dialog is riveting and splendid all the way, even Xavier Cugat gets a role to play and not only instruments, so it's after all a film well worth seeing.

One of your other reviewers called it a droll boring little movie. While I wouldn't go that far, i think it fails to reach its potential. It starts with some exciting street scenes full of excitement in Chicago and then quickly sinks into an average lowkey narrative with Dennis O'Keefe walking through every scene pretty much as... well, Dennis O'Keefe! More dramatic characterisation is called for. And less boardroom chat and more streetscene spats!

Broadcast TV Movie channel shows 2 film noir movies Thursday and Sunday night Thought I had seen them all. Solid characters keep your attention. As do the eye candy hot 50's bullit bra broads, MCM sets, Cool Chicago background and awesome 50's sedans Love the News Reel crime drama narration