The Case Against Brooklyn (1958)

How sad is this?

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

"The Case Against Brooklyn" is about cops on the take selling their "protection" to the illegal off track betting houses.After a reporter exposes corruption within the police force, District Attorney Norris (Tol Avery) decides to do something about it. Unable to trust the police, he plans to plant newly graduated policemen under cover to ferret out the syndicates. Officer Pete Harris (Darren McGavin), an ex-marine, and Jess Johnson (Brian Hutton) are assigned to the task. In the opening, we learn that Gus Polombo (Joe DeSantis) is heavily in debt to the syndicate headed by Finelli (Nestor Paiva). Unable to pay up, he crashes his truck so that his wife Lil (Maggie Hayes) will collect his insurance. We also learn that Rudi Franklin (Warren Stevens) is the go-between among the various betting parlors as well as being the syndicate's enforcer.Harris and Johnson through Lil learn that a barber shop is the front for Finelli's operation. Jess is discovered setting up a wire tap and is killed by bad cop Sgt. Bonny Robert Osterloh). Capt. Wills (Emile Meyer) questions Bonney and releases him. Willis you see, is on the take as well.Harris strikes up a "friendship" with Lil Polumbo who also is pursued by Franklin. After having a little too much to drink one night, Lil reveals to Franklin the Harris is a cop. After being worked over by the gang, Harris is falsely arrested. After being released, Harris returns to his home and his wife Jane (Peggy McKay) where a tragic event occurs.Harris then goes after the gang. Capt. Wills protests to Finelli about all of the killings stating that he wanted no part in murder when he went on the take. Just then Harris arrives at the gang's headquarters and..........................................................Darren McGavin was always one of my favorite actors. He never quite made it to the "A" list but had a long and varied career with his best work coming in various TV series (Mike Hammer, Riverboat etc). Maggie Hayes too, had a long career but seemed a little too long in the tooth to be a convincing "femme fatale". Warren Stevens similarly to McGavin never made it to the "A" list but too had a long and varied career both in movies and TV. And singer Bobby Helms (My Special Angel, Jingle Bell Rock) makes a very brief appearance as what else, a bar singer crooning a forgettable tune.Still and all despite its low budget, this film makes a fair little noire. A good supporting cast of familiar faces and strong leads make this an enjoyable little second feature.

Sure, if you were collecting over $4 million a month, you could afford to give pay-offs to crooked cops to keep the decent law officers from breaking up this gambling racket. So when honest cop Darren McGavin discovers what's going on, he makes it his mission to break up this racket once and for all and discover who is behind all of the protection that the racket is getting. He gets support from his lovely wife (a young Peggy McKay, best known to today's "Days of Our Lives" audiences as the feisty senior Caroline Brady) who doesn't realize how deep he'll get in, especially when he hooks up to get information from widow Margaret Hayes whose husband was killed after being beaten up due to a gambling debt to the racket.This fast moving crime drama with some aspects of film noir is tight and brisk, with narration typical of film noir docu-dramas. In the mid-late 1950's, Columbia made a lot of these types of films, and some go in where others fear to tread. This one goes deep into the dirt of these rackets, showing innocent people getting killed or beaten up, and involves a personal drama as well. McGavin is perfectly rough around the edges, not quite a Sterling Hayden or Robert Ryan, but just an every day guy trying to lead a decent living. McKay stands out in a scene where she acknowledges the disillusions of the marriage since his involvement began which leads to a shocking twist. The stand-out, however, is Margaret Hayes as the lonely widow, a bit of a lush, who reveals the inner depths of her soul, especially in a scene where she is stood up by McGavin due to circumstances beyond his control.

The Case Against Brooklyn is a terrific 1958 movie based upon a real New York police scandal. It's a very well crafted crime drama, typical of the era. A classic piece for the times. And there's plenty of great acting (keeping in mind this was filmed in the 1950's where action moves were exaggerated).Darren McGavin is excellent as the chief undercover officer who tries to discover the highest levels of the corruption. If you're a fan of current day crime/dramas, movies like "The Case Against Brooklyn" are the movies upon which good quality crime/dramas have their foundation. That said, it was made in 1958. So it doesn't have the "gloss" of later films. None the less, it's fantastic to watch.

Opine that a film is noir, and the arguments will sprout up like mushrooms in a dark cellar. This gritty little feature, however, should cause contention only among those who designate noir in terms of directors, inclusive years, or other mercenary measures. The plot concerns police corruption, and the protagonist is an unsullied, but savvy rookie cop who is ready and willing to cast sentiment aside and get the goods by hook or crook. The Production Code is cracking, and characters talk of a woman putting out and a good guy's willingness to cheat on his wife. There's no soft soap or sappiness--only an oblique noir world that twists and turns and delivers flashes of light amidst the gloom.