Directed by Bretaigne Windust (credited) and Raoul Walsh (uncredited)
1951/USA
Warner Brothers presents A United States Picture
First viewing
Joseph Rico: I’m forgetful. Sometimes I meet a guy and then I never see him again. I got a big turnover in friends.
This is a “B” movie with an “A” star – Humphrey Bogart.
Bogart plays District Attorney Martin Ferguson. Ferguson is about to try Alberto Mendoza (Everett Sloane), boss of a contract murder organization, for murder. His only witness is Joseph Rico, Mendoza’s former right hand man. Rico gets cold feet at the last minute and becomes unavailable. Ferguson has a nagging feeling that there was something overlooked during the investigation. He decides to go over the record piece by piece starting from the beginning starting a long flashback. With Zero Mostel in an early small role as a gang member.
This is an OK programmer about on par with a very good TV police procedural. Raoul Walsh took over from ailing director Windust but insisted Windust take the credit. It was Bogart’s last film for Warner Bros.
Trailer
