Vice Squad

1953 "Holds you... like a gold diggin' woman!"
Vice Squad
6.7| 1h27m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 31 July 1953 Released
Producted By: Sol Lesser Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A Los Angeles police captain (Edward G. Robinson) ties the case of a slain policeman to a bank robbery, all in a day.

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Sol Lesser Productions

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bsmith5552 "Vice Squad" is a nice little docudrama about a day in the life of Vice Squad Captain Barney Barnaby (Edward G. Robinson).The film opens with Al Barkis (Edward Binns) and Pete Monk (Lee Van Cleef) hot wiring a car for an unknown purpose. A beat cop comes upon them and tries to stop them but is shot. Unbeknownst to the killers, a meek little man Jack Hartrampf (Porter Hall) witnesses the crime. As the squad cars arrive Hartrampf is arrested and is taken to HQ.Capt. Barnaby arrives the next morning and begins his investigation by grilling the beleaguered Hartramph. Barnaby learns that Hartramph had been "carrying on" with an unknown lady behind the scenes. His lawyer, Dwight Foreman (Barry Kelley) assures him that he will get off for lack of evidence and that Hartrampf's wife needn't know of his discretion.Barnaby suspects that Hartrampf knows more than he is telling. Aware that the man is innocent of the crime, he nevertheless conspires to keep him in custody until he can unravel the mystery surrounding the shooting. A snitch, Frankie Pierce (Jay Adler) tells Barnaby that he has heard of an impending bank robbery about to take place.We are next shown the gang's preparations for the heist. The Barkis gang, which also includes a reluctant Marty Kosalitch (Adam Williams) finalize their plans. Meanwhile, Barnaby continues with his investigation and learns that Vicki Webb (John Vohs) is the lady with whom Hartrampf has been keeping company.The bank robbery is foiled by the police but Kosalich backs out just before the robbery attempt. In their escape the gang takes sweet young Carol Lawson (Mary Ellen Kay) hostage.Barnaby enlists the aid of Mona Ross (Paulette Goddard) an "escort service" Madam to help him track down the whereabouts of the gang. Barnaby tricks Hartrampf into identifying Kosalitch as the killer, forcing him to reveal the hiding place of the gang. Fearing for the safety of the hostage, Barnaby closes in on the gang and.........................Robinson as always, is better than his material. Although this was not an "A" feature, Robinson's performance along with those of Porter Hall, Barry Kelley, Edward Binns et al raise the quality of the film. Paulette Goddard, once a stunning beauty was now showing her age and would soon retire from films. Her role here is minimal.An excellent little film.
melvelvit-1 Arnold Laven's VICE SQUAD is a 1953 "police procedural" B that follows LA police chief Edward G. Robinson around for a day and he sees it all: a patrolman shot, a marriage bunco, pickpockets, an "escort service", a bank heist, police snitches, and other flotsam and jetsam with some harmless insanity and adultery thrown in for good measure. It's all in a day's work for the chief, a no-nonsense man with a kind side (reminiscent of Robinson's "Asa Keyes" only less verbose) who gives everything from misdemeanors to murder raps the attention they merit and even manages to squeeze in an appearance on a TV talk show (cut short, of course, when he finds out the cop died). He's got time for everyone and always gets his man but the methods the police use would cause rioting in the streets today. Oh well, the ends justify the means and it's all for a good cause at the end of this day. Actors like Eddie G., Barbara Stanwyck, and a host of others always did their professional best in these kinds of '50s B's which makes them a pleasure to watch even if the movies themselves aren't so hot. This one's not bad with the LA locations and unsung character actors (milquetoast Porter Hall, sinister Lee Van Cleef, sweaty Adam Williams, and an uncredited Percy Helton) all helping to raise it a notch above the routine. The billed-above-the-title co-star Paulette Goddard didn't hurt, either, and makes the most of her brief scenes. She's a sassy "escort operator" in sunglasses and mink that was probably based on "Hollywood Madam" Brenda Allen, in the news at the time for testifying before a Senate subcommittee hearing on police corruption in LA. Those hearings became the basis for William McGiver's THE BIG HEAT, which was made the same year and, in fact, VICE SQUAD seems like a "good cop/bad cop" counterpoint to Fritz Lang's brutal noir.
HillieBoliday I totally enjoyed this movie! I especially liked that EGR played his character cool, calm and collected. You don't see him yelling at his men and gesticulating all over the place! He portrayed his character as an adept psychologist, an independent thinker, who exhibits grace under fire. He uses compassion and sensitivity in a reassuring way. He sees all of the pieces to a puzzle and knows exactly where to place them in order to make a full picture.The locations, cars and clothes just blew me away. I grew up in Los Angeles during the early 50's, and I remember riding in a 1949 Ford and 1953 Buick that my father owned.The way the men looked in their full dress suits and sky highs (slang term for hats); and the women in their quiet elegance (never without gloves); is one of the reasons I love movies from the 40's and 50's. Even to this day, if I pass through an old part of Los Angeles that is somewhat still intact (which is rare) from that time; it brings back old sweet memories, and I want to stay in that time warp and never come out. If you like EGR, cars, great locations, clothes, coolness and justice....Then you need to see this movie. All I need is for this movie to be released on DVD.
basketballpete Excellent cast. Paulette Goddard, basic minor role but still has the oomph. E.G. Robinson never ceases to amaze me, he is always the main force in all the movies he is in, I never tire of seeing him on film. The film did a very good job of developing the day to day business of a major city police station without making the police to appear as super human beings.