arthur_tafero This is top-notch noir. The queen of the femme fatales, Gloria Grahame is perfectly cast in this sleazefest. Even the miscast Gene Barry (Bat Masterson, War of the Worlds) as a really bad guy is very good in the film as well. It was amusing to see Chuck Conners (The Rifleman, The Big Country) as a cop; a role he was well-suited for. He was a much better actor than baseball player. The story is pretty good with one exception; why would you hold on to a gun that killed a cop if you were wealthy? The escalation of violence and the gruff Sterling Hayden (perfectly cast) harassing the suspect from the beginning of the film without let-up is perfectly logical, although not legally sound. The film is in the top echelon of this genre; don't miss it.

mcmason-72160 This is an underrated film noir that hasn't gotten much exposure within the genre. Sterling Hayden and Gloria Graham were well known performers in the genre at the time and they both do an excellent job in this film. But the big surprise to me was Gene Barry as the duplicitous criminal and supposed religious family man. When I was growing up in the 1960's, Gene Barry was a very familiar face on TV. He starred in numerous TV dramas such as Burke's Law, The Adventurer, and The Name of the Game. These were very predictable TV dramas where Barry often played virtuous characters fighting criminals. He was the epitome of the bland corporate TV actor. But in Naked Alibi, Barry portrays a much more conflicted character and he rises to the occasion. It does an excellent job in his role. What has often amazed me is how actors that were so good in low budget film noir movies in the 1950's eventually became stuck in vacuous and uninspiring roles on TV in the 60's. It is probably the greatest shame of American TV and movie culture that talented actors were forced into unimaginative and simplistic roles just so they could survive. Gene Barry is a perfect example of someone who could have had a great acting career if he hadn't been destroyed by Hollywood.

Martin Teller A grimly determined homicide detective tries to nab a suspected cop-killer, even after getting kicked off the force. Although there are some implausible plot elements, this is a pretty good noir. It's anchored by stellar performances from Sterling Hayden (in a part quite similar to his role in CRIME WAVE, from the same year) and the great Gloria Grahame (whose character is rather suspiciously close to her part in THE BIG HEAT, from the previous year). Gene Barry is very good too, although I can't say much about him without spoiling things. The film takes an unpredictable second act twist, at least it was far different from what I was expecting, which was more of a LOOPHOLE scenario. Grahame's entrance is strange -- she looks a bit awkward doing the nightclub singer shtick, but perhaps it suits her character to be uncomfortable in that position. The story is paced very well and has some brutal scenes, fine cinematography and generally good dialogue. Maybe not one of the greats, but definitely worth checking out, especially for Grahame fans.

doc-72 Finally caught up with this on AMC. I wish Sterling Hayden had focused more on his Hollywood career, instead of returning to the sea from time-to-time. He's easily in the league of the Noir "Roberts" (Taylor, Ryan, Mitchum)...with a little JohnWayne to boot. Good picture....not *really* Film Noire....and not Gloria Grahame's best.doc