Monday, November 26, 2018

VICE RAID 1959 (KINO)

I just bought the MGM release of this in July and wouldn't you know Kino brings it out along with two other Mamie Van Doren film noir gems.

The picture quality is slightly better than on the MGM release, but this film is just a great as ever. I am pleased that Kino has gone ahead and released several of these little gems from United Artists and I hope they continue to do so. Here is my review of this film from July of this year with a few revisions.

MAMIE VAN DOREN!!

I have never seen an Imperial Picture directed by Edward L. Cahn that I disliked. This is another winner.

Richard Coogan is Det. Whitey Brandon who is intent on smashing a top crime syndicate headed by Vince Malone (Brad Dexter). Bradon causes Malone so much trouble that he has his mob send in a beautiful call girl named Carol Hudson (Mamie Van Doren) to set him up and destroy him.

The plan works perfectly and Bradon is taken off of the force and disgraced. However, Brandon isn't going to lay still for this and he sets out to wipe Malone off the map. Carol has her mind changed when her teenage sister comes to visit and is sexually assaulted by one of Malone's men named Phil Evans (Barry Atwater).

Soon after Carol and Whitey work together with the police to bring about the syndicate downfall. In my opinion Cahn never made a bad film and this is a totally enjoyable little crime drama with many familiar faces.

Mamie flaunts every inch of her beautiful body for the viewer, at least as much as was allowable in 1959. She is perfect for the role and does her usually excellent job.

The film is fast moving and I wish it was better known today, but it is available from MGM so I would recommend picking it up. The rest of the wonderful cast includes Carol Nugent, Frank Gerstle, Nestor Paiva, Russ Bender and narrated by John Dehner, who did the narration for many, many Cahn films, and it's always nice to hear him move the story along.

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