Crime Against Joe

Crime Against Joe is a modest noir thriller with much to be modest about. Red herrings as murder suspects are fine, but in this case too many were created in the story leaving a lot of loose ends in what should have been a more coherent script.

The title character is John Bromfield a returned Korean War veteran with a severe drinking problem. That's how we first meet him, living with mom Frances Morris and trying to become a painter. Another Toulouse L'Autrec, taller, less talented and as big a boozer.

But one night when Bromfield has had a snootful and gets a ride home from buddy Henry Calvin a cab driver, there's a murder of a woman and he's the number one suspect. Back in high school he was a big man on campus, but he's a flop now.

Here's where it goes completely haywire. From the town drunk he sobers up real fast and with the help of Julie London a rollerskating server and singer at a fast food place he puts the pieces together.

I knew Henry Calvin was in the cast. But the man with the girth best known as the rabblerouser from Ship Of Fools, the Wazir in Kismet and most of all Sergeant Garcia in Zorro is absolutely unrecognizable. That deep bass voice is not employed at all.

Granted this was a program filler, but little care was taken with the preparation of Crime Against Joe.

Amateur night in Tucson! Melodramatic (and rather fruity) murder-mystery/character portrait, made quickly and on the cheap in Arizona, could be called "The Shame of Sleepwalking". Unemployed artist named Joe--still living at home with Mom, whom he calls "Nora"--is wrongly accused of attacking girls at night. He's temporarily released from police custody after a smitten carhop comes to his defense (she lies because she loves him!). Unfortunately, her alibi doesn't hold up, so the two become fast-working sleuths to get Joe off the hook. Co-feature from Bel-Air Productions, distributed by United Artists, is surprisingly enjoyable despite wooden acting and directing. As Joe, John Bromfield is a lousy drunk but he improves (his unself-conscious manly swagger is also winning). Playing Joe's secret sweetheart--nicknamed "Slacks" (no girlie business with this lady)--Julie London is a bit too mature and refined to be convincing as a drive-in waitress, yet her stoic demeanor proves appealing as well. The denouement is satisfying, plus there's an amusingly weird side plot about a society girl suffering subconscious distress while living under the thumb of her possessive father. *** from ****

Struggling artist, Joe Manning (John Bromfield) goes out on a drinking binge. His evening takes a bizarre turn when a sleepwalking woman (Patricia Blair) crosses his path.

From this point, Joe's luck changes, and he gets mixed up in a murder. With the cops on his trail, Joe sets out to prove his innocence and track down the real killer.

CRIME AGAINST JOE is an enjoyable crime drama / mystery. There are some nice twists and a satisfying finale. Bromfield is convincing in his desperate role.

Co-stars the incredibly beautiful, Julie London, years before her Dixie McCall days!...

... back in the middle of the last century. Maybe this one is not a timeless flick never to be forgotten. But hey, it is fun to watch it late night. It is charming to watch a noir movie. This comes from a time when there was no tv series... Or at least not like today... And I can see here what would become a teenage horror/slasher movie late, in the 80's. It is a fast paced thriller with two or three funny moments, not very complex, no remarkable characters... However, a good movie. What should I stop to watch tomorrow? Law and Order? I mean, I will, but eventually I will come back to the noir, crime cinema. Nice to get to know the history, the culture.

Despite a very low production budget, and a no-name cast (except for the talented Julie London), Crime Against Joe pulls off a bit of an upset as an entertaining film. Although I figured out the killer after about fifteen minutes (and disregarded the enormous red herrings that followed), I was still entertained by the film and its dynamics of a small town, where everyone seems to know everyone else. A libertine mother of a supposed "artist" finds Joe living off of his mother. This is not a crime against humanity, but it does put Joe in a bad light. Slacks, played by London, works at a drive-in burger joint and goes out with Joe's best friend. A couple of late-night murders are committed and Joe is a prime suspect. See if you can figure out the killer quickly. It will surprise some folks.