The Big Combo

The Big Combo (1955) is director Joseph H. Lewis' black-and-white film noir. According to film critics, this film stands with others like Fritz Lang's The Big Heat as one of the great film noir classics. This dark film is a tormented story of violence and dangerous obsession. Photographed by cinematographer and noir icon John Alton (who worked on I, the Jury; He Walked by Night) with music by David Raksin. Actors Wallace and Wilde were married when the film was shot.

Plot

Policeman Leonard Diamond (Cornel Wilde) is on a personal crusade to bring down sadistic gangster, Mr. Brown (Richard Conte). He's also obsessed with a woman (Jean Wallace), who also happens to be Brown's captive lover. Mr. Brown taunts Diamond every step of the way which seems to make Diamond more obsessed. Brown's right-hand man, over the hill, hard of hearing and shifty-eyed McClure (Brian Donlevy) plots with gangsters (and possibly lovers) Fante (Lee Van Cleef) and Mingo (Earl Holliman) to overthrow Mr. Brown but ends up getting tourtured in a violent scene rare for it's time. Meanwhile Diamond has found a witness that could finally nail the elusive gangster, Mr. Brown's wife - a woman who was thought to have died years ago. The film ends dramaticly in a classic foggy airplane hanger shootout.

Related Topics:
Cornel Wilde - Richard Conte - Jean Wallace - Brian Donlevy - Lee Van Cleef - Earl Holliman

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