Armored Car Robbery

Wow, this was a neat little film, far better than I had hoped. I don't tape many shows on TV, but this was one I'm sure glad I did, especially since it is not available on VHS or DVD.

I say "little" film because it's only 67 minutes long. Richard Fleischer, who directed THE NARROW MARGIN (1952), another short and fast-moving crime story, directed this movie, too, and you can see some similarities. The major similarity is how fast-paced these films are. Another is the presence of one of the best 'B' tough guys ever: Charles McGraw.

Because of that, and it's so interesting to view, it's one I plan on viewing a number of times. McGraw, as the cop, and William Talman, as the leader of the gang, are fun to watch.

It's a heist tale and most of the film is about the gang trying to escape after the robbery and what happens to each one. In that regards, it reminds me a bit of another great film: THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, which also came out at this time. This isn't up to that level, but it's good and highly recommended viewing if you see it listed on TCM, where I saw it.

Armored Car Robbery (1950)

*** (out of 4)

Thief Dave Purvis (William Talman) plays the perfect heist of an armored car in L.A. but things take a disastrous turn when cops show up on the scene. A gunfight breaks out and a cop is killed, which doesn't sit well with Lt. Jim Cordell (Charles McGraw) who will stop at nothing to make sure those responsible are brought to justice. This film was released by Warner as a film-noir but I personally didn't see anything to connect this to that genre. This is, however, a fine crime picture that has two great actors delivering strong performances and in the end they're reason enough to watch the film. I think the biggest problem with the movie is that director Flesicher never builds up any atmosphere nor does he ever build up any real suspense. In many ways the film is very by-the-numbers because it seems like the director and screenwriter never tried to go out of their way to do something special but instead they just deliver the goods and make for a pleasant 67-minutes. The movie features some great locations around Wrigley Field as well as several scenes inside a burlesque show, which adds to the fun. The heist sequence was fairly well-directed and the pay-off is nice as well. The ending is going to remind people of Kubrick's THE KILLING, although it's a lot more graphic in nature here. Talman and McGraw are two veterans of this genre and both men know how to make their characters speak without saying a word. Both men have incredible faces that really tell us all we need to know and it seems as if both actors were having a lot of fun in these roles. Talman is very laid-back in his role and his character really comes across very collective and cool. McGraw, in an early Dirty Harry type role, is tough as nails and you just know he's not going to stop.

Remembered mostly as Hamilton Berger, TV's Perry Mason's opponent always doomed to fail, William Talman radiates with star quality as the anti-hero in this taut programmer. With few words and with no fanfare, Talman etches a finely tuned portrayal of a brainy and fussy gangster. The man is a portrait of self-discipline and clean-living except that he is a crook. Charles McGraw does well as his adversary, the detective, but it's Talman who captures our imagination and leaves indelible imprint on our minds as the meticulous crook who has figured out everything to the most infinitessimal detail. There's just one thing he doesn't know: this is an early 50's movie, so his character must learn that crime doesn't pay!

Director Richard Fleischer was responsible for two of the best of the low-budget '50s cops-n-robbers flicks, both notable for starring Charles McGraw, one of the great movie bad guys, as a tough detective. One, "The Narrow Margin," is quite well known; this is the other one, and while not as well known, it certainly should be. The story is about a vicious gang of robbers, headed by a murderous psychopath (William Talman, who seemed to have a corner on that market in the '50s), pulls off an armored car robbery that goes awry. Detective McGraw is out to track down the gang. The film is a textbook example of the best of the B movie--swiftly paced, tightly edited, with a good story and a cast of veteran character actors that work together like a well-oiled machine. Some clever plot twists and startling (for the time) violence make this one a keeper. Very highly recommended.

Great B-movie cast with many nice touches. Everybody's favorite 50's psycho William Talman heads the heist gang, looking almost suave and sleek at times. He even gets to kiss the girl, probably the only time in his career. Too bad he turned legit on the old Perry Mason show. That fine utility actor Steve Brodie has some good moments too, along with a sneering Douglas Fowley and a blue-collar Gene Evans. And, oh yes, mustn't forget the great cheap blonde of the era, Adele Jergens, all decked out in her best Victoria's Secret finery. Her strip show may be on the tame side, but we get the idea. And in dogged police pursuit, the ever-forceful Charles McGraw who could play either side of the legal fence with jut-jawed persuasion. There's a thousand slices of A-grade thick ear wrapped up in this hard-boiled assembly.

Then too, director Fleischer makes all the deft moves-- the balky car, the gruesome corpse. Maybe somebody forgot the utility bill, but there's a real change of mood half-way through, when the screen shifts from high-key daylight to low-key noir as the shadows and bodies pile up. Yeah, you've probably seen it all before, but rarely done this well and with an Oscar night of B-movie all-stars. Too bad, Stanley Kubrick didn't acknowledge this modest programmer when he lifted the caper film to artistic heights in The Killing (1956). As he learned, prop washes make a superb visual blender for loose dollar bills, along with a lasting note of dramatic irony. Acknowledged or not, this little potboiler has all the earmarks of RKO's golden age of take-no-prisoners noir.