MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

sol- Visited by a wounded former cellmate in the middle of the night, a reformed criminal finds himself pestered by both the police and his other ex-con associates after the wounded man dies in his apartment in this downbeat crime drama. Simple as this set-up might sound, it actually pivots around a rather complex dynamic as the protagonist, played by Gene Nelson, finds in himself truly in a bind as neither the cynical detective investigating him, nor his former cellmates, believe that he has actually reformed, and nothing that he can say or do can convince either side that he has really gone straight. Nelson is not particularly effective in the lead role and Phyllis Kirk is given little to do as his trusting wife, but 'Crime Wave' benefits enormously from a talented supporting cast including a young Charles Bronson as one of the ex-cons and an uncredited Timothy Carey as a slightly unhinged associate. The film's best performance comes from Sterling Hayden though as the misanthropic and condescending fast-talking cop who believes that nobody is capable of change - a mantra that is interesting to consider in light of his attempts to quit smoking by chewing on toothpicks instead. Hayden also gets a very memorable final shot and he is the one key reason to see the movie. As far as film noir entries go, this is hardly the most exciting and well-paced offering out there. The movie has, however, a lot of interest as it tries to question whether or not a person is actually capable of changing when everyone else believes that it is an impossibility. Once a crook, always a crook?

The-Social-Introvert Crime Wave is an excellent example of film noir. Right from the opening shot it has noir written all over it from cinematographer Bert Glennon. And like most noir, you get straight into it – the film's opening holdup/murder scene at the gas station lets you know you're going to be in for a rough ride. Speaking of rough, Sterling Hayden was perfectly cast as the hard-headed, tough cop. The rest of the cast (which includes an eye-catching Charles Bronson) were pretty good as well. At times I thought Gene Nelson could show a bit more enthusiasm, but he did his job nonetheless.Scenes were filmed on location, which was impressive. As was the fact that the movie was filmed in 13 days. Wow. The story isn't fresh, but you get stuck in right away and are with Steve Lacey as he struggles to keep himself and his wife away from the criminals who drag him into their plans for a bank robbery. The dialogue is classic noir. It's a shame that this movie is another forgotten noir film. I mean, it's not The Maltese Falcon but it sure as hell is worth watching.Crime Wave is a minor film but one worth watching – it is surprisingly well shot, paced and interestingly cut. An excellent example of the low- budget crime dramas that Hollywood churned out during the 50's, I was a little underwhelmed by the ending. The cop just kind of has a complete switch of character when he tells the husband and wife duo that they are free and won't be bothered with. It seemed like a typical rushed ending that we get from a lot of B movie noirs.My Rating: 7/10Final Word: SatisfactoryFull Review: http://cineranter.wordpress.com/2014/08/24/movie-review- crime-wave/

drystyx An ex con tries to go straight, but some other hoodlums won't let him.This movie has more message than story. Sterling Hayden steals most of the screen time as the usual tough cop, enhanced by his famous gigantic frame.His attitude is very modern. His detective character seems to think he is front of a camera all the time. Or it could be he is always on his toes, on the job, never giving an inch.His intuition is understandable, as he figures out what is going on, and that the ex con and his beautiful newlywed wife are unwilling participants in a scheme.The best message here is something that people knew in this era, then forgot, and now remember again.Crooks are stupid. The "mastermind" keeps boasting how smart he is, and his cronies agree, but they are just as stupid and backward thinking as the saner characters say they are.The public used to know this. The Godfather series, which is basically again a thug talking about how smart his fellow thugs are, changed that. The Godfather debacle gave the ignorant masses the delusion they love, "organized" crime. It's always been disorganized, even when thugs sit in rooms and have meetings.The Mafias of the world need the Godfather to buffalo the ignorant masses.This movie tells it more like it is. Simpletons who think they're supermen.It would score higher with better acting. Even Bronson looks like an actor playing a role here. It doesn't have a natural look, but the message is better than the way the story is told.

seymourblack-1 There's something particularly pleasing about a relatively short, low budget movie which has the power to make a great impact and "Crime Wave" (a.k.a. "The City Is Dark" & "Don't Cry Baby") is just such a movie. It's very well acted, has interesting characters and maintains a lively pace throughout. The story's main protagonist is an ex-con who's trying desperately to go straight and neither the cops nor the criminals believe in his determination or ability to do so. He's pressured and threatened by both and this puts him in a tight spot because if he cooperates with the criminals, he'll inevitably fall back into a life of crime and if he doesn't, he and his wife could find themselves in mortal danger.Since serving out a prison sentence, Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson) has been successful in avoiding further trouble. He's married to Ellen (Phyllis Kirk), has his own apartment and also a well-paid job as an airplane mechanic. His problems begin when one of his ex-cell mates turns up at his home. Gat Morgan (Ned Young) who's seriously injured is carrying a gun and Steve and Ellen are forced to let him stay. Shortly after, Dr Otto Hessler (Jay Novello)arrives to attend to Gat's gunshot wound but it's too late as Gat dies before the doctor can help. Hessler takes the dead man's money to cover his costs and leaves.At the same time, LAPD Detective Lieutenant Sims (Sterling Hayden) has been able to confirm that the three men who had just carried out a gas station robbery and killed a motorcycle cop were a group of escaped convicts who'd broken out of San Quentin. He has a hunch that the men will contact their old cell mate and so arrests Steve and takes him in for questioning. Steve insists that he's unable to help and is eventually released.Steve's situation then gets worse when the other two gang members, Doc Penny (Ted de Corsia) and Ben Hastings (Charles Bronson) turn up at his apartment. Hastings takes Steve's car and goes to Hessler's place where he kills the doctor and then has to escape on foot because a passer-by had witnessed the murder. As soon as the car found close to the murder scene is identified as Steve's, he becomes the focus of a police manhunt. Penny and Hastings then force Steve to help them carry out a bank robbery and the tension builds steadily because Steve has tipped off the cops and also, the heist doesn't go according to plan.Sims and Hessler are the two strongest characters in "Crime Wave". Sims is big, tough and permanently dishevelled and habitually chews toothpicks to help him give up smoking. He's intimidating and deeply cynical and doesn't believe that Steve or any ex-con can be rehabilitated. His unsophisticated method of operation simply involves bullying and threatening everyone regardless of whether they happen to be suspects or witnesses and Sterling Hayden gives an immensely powerful performance in this role.Dr Hessler is a very believable underground physician, a man who's no longer able to practice medicine legitimately and who's turned his attentions to caring for animals instead. He's obviously suffered some misfortune in the past and consoles himself by turning to the bottle. His genuine fondness of animals is a positive quality, which goes some way to balance out such actions as relieving a dead patient of his (albeit stolen) money. Jay Novello does well in bringing out the different aspects of Hessler's character so vividly.The visual style of this movie is quite striking and the nocturnal scenes are particularly well framed and lit. The shadowy streets add powerfully to the atmosphere of the piece and the use of so many location shots is effective in strengthening the movie's strong sense of realism. "Crime Wave" is very enjoyable on a number of levels and certainly merits greater recognition than it's been given in the past.