IMDb RATING
6.6/10
1.3K
YOUR RATING
A small town newspaperman's investigation into a local bookie operation turns up a web of organized crime.A small town newspaperman's investigation into a local bookie operation turns up a web of organized crime.A small town newspaperman's investigation into a local bookie operation turns up a web of organized crime.
Featured review
Robert Wise directs but without much enthusiasm and Lee Garmes, the cinematographer has little opportunity to show his skill. Indeed, this little B movie, I hesitate to use the much overused 'noir' tag, is most uninspired. Prompted, apparently, by the real life Senate Committee on organised crime and even sporting an afterword by the real life head of that committee, Senator Estes Kefauver, urging American citizens to play their part in stamping out such crime in their neighbourhoods, this still lacks a bit of 'life'. John Forsythe doesn't help with a lacklustre performance as the lead and Joan Camden even less so as his wife. The thing here is that this was clearly intended as a well meaning do good kind of a film, setting out the problem and urging everyone to help solve it. To help things along at one point the wife asks her husband, 'What is the mafia?' so there's little doubt at what level this film was aimed. Competent but far too uninteresting a story and with no violence the 'real life' message is about all this has.
- christopher-underwood
- Mar 11, 2014
- Permalink
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to director Robert Wise, the movie was shot entirely in Reno, NV, in 22-23 days. They used the newspaper office there, the City Hall, the street. Not one shot was filmed in the studio.
- GoofsWhile Jim Austin gets the short telephone call from Phil Harding, the clock on the newspaper office wall advances from 8 minutes before the hour to 21 minutes past.
- How long is The Captive City?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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