BUNCO SQUAD (1950)

[Dewey1960]

Here's a last-minute reminder about a thoroughly intriguing 1950 RKO semi-noir airing in the early morning hours on TCM: BUNCO SQUAD. Ostensibly a police drama focusing on the efforts of the "bunco squad" (officers dedicated to busting fraudulent rackets) to rid Los Angeles of phony spiritualists, fortune tellers and astrologers, it manages to successfully land the realm of noir largely because of the very nasty performance of Ricardo Cortez as the ringleader of these mercenary crooks and the typically snazzy look given the film by the crack RKO lighting technicians. A well-above average, 67 minute B noir; check it out!

[ChiO]

Recommended over THE MOB and THE CASE AGAINST BROOKLYN? So many choices with programming the ole DVR tonight, but THE UNDERCOVER MAN directed by my favorite half-seasoned director is a fer-shure recording.

[Mr. Arkadin]

Setting my alarm as we speak.

[Ollie]

I've ended up with good copies of all of these, so if anyone missed them - !

THE MOB is a favorite because of Broderick Crawford and because of the closing scene. It's not quite as slick as Grace Kelly's closing line in TO CATCH A THIEF, but considering it's Broderick Crawford and not Cary Grant, it makes the final moment even funnier.

Someone in TCM programming dept went to some trouble to stack up all of these "undercover" films together, starting with Edward G. going under in BULLETS OR BALLETS, then Edmund O'Brien in WHITE HEAT...

[ChiO]

Yesterday was a nice TCM day. Unfortunately, I missed BULLETS OR BALLOTS and BUNCO SQUAD, but I did capture THE SELLOUT (How many movies are there with Whit Bissell as a Good Guy and Burt Mustin as a Bad Guy? Plus Thomas Gomez, Audrey Totter, Everett Sloane and, rehearsing for The Streets of San Francisco, Karl Malden? Whoever said nepotism is a bad thing?), THE UNKNOWN MAN, THE UNDERCOVER MAN and THE MOB.

[Ollie]

ChiO, I confess that I'll get just about everything Burt Mustin does. Whit Bissell, too. And on the Brit side, I've discovered an odd addiction to Michael Gough. I keep claiming that I also collect Hedy and Gene Tierney films, too, as if this props up whatever manhood I have left! But I'm also a sucker for Audrey Totter and Virginia Mayo, and a load of actresses who very often kill us poor guys, one way or another, in their films. I'm not sure what THAT says about my proclivities.

And every time I want to live my life like Bob Hope, Wifey pulls out PRINCESS & THE PIRATE and says then she'll be Virginia Mayo. Dumping me, unceremoniously, at the end. Boy... life is tough all over.

[Dewey1960]

ChiO quipped: "Recommended over THE MOB and THE CASE AGAINST BROOKLYN? So many choices with programming the ole DVR tonight, but THE UNDERCOVER MAN directed by my favorite half-seasoned director is a fer-shure recording."

Yes to both. THE MOB and THE CASE AGAINST BROOKLYN, entertaining as they might be on some level, never quite achieve anything all that interesting, although BROOKLYN comes closer to winning that particular cigar than THE MOB. Part of the reason could be that its director, Paul Wendkos, had just the year before made the incredible film THE BURGLAR.

As for Lewis' UNDERCOVER MAN, let's just say that even geniuses seem to be, on occasion, capable of lowering their otherwise high standards. Close, but not close enough.