The Big Combo (1955) Film Review B-

The cops will be looking for us in every closet.’

Fante to Mingo in “The Big Combo”
DIRECTOR: Joseph Lewis
BOTTOM LINE: Lt. Leonard Diamond (Cornel Wilde) has spent years trying to convict crime boss Mr. Brown (Richard Conte) but lacks evidence. His superiors order him to stop, but Diamond persists, driven by both justice and personal obsession. Brown maintains control through brutality, aided by his henchmen, Fante and Mingo, played by Lee Van Cleef and Earl Holliman. Fante and Mingo are clearly a gay couple, and everyone on screen seems to know it and respect their relationship. They sleep in the same bedroom, albeit in separate beds – how director Joseph Lewis managed to get by the Hays Office is a minor miracle. Their chosen profession also contributes to our fascination with them and enhances their sex appeal.

Arguably Lewis’s greatest movie and a film noir classic, it’s also worth watching for John Alton’s black-and-white cinematography and the performances of Conte, Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace, who was married to Wilde at the time, and Brian Donlevy. “The Big Combo” marked the final screen appearance of actress Helen Walker, who was so impressive opposite Tyrone Power in Edmund Goulding’s “Nightmare Alley.” The memorable score is by David Raksin. Original screenplay by Philip Yordan.

“The Big Combo” of the title refers to a crime syndicate run by Mr.Brown.

Allied Artists

STREAMING: Amazon Prime, Apple TV+ and YouTube

Seventy Queer Films Made Under the Hays Code (1934-1967)
Seventy Queer Films Made Under the Hays Code (1934-1967) Table Summary
https://thebrownees.net/seventy-queer-films-of-the-new-hollywood-1967-1981
Seventy-Queer Films of the New Hollywood (1967-1981) Table Summary
https://thebrownees.net/the-great-cinematographers-of-hollywoods-golden-age/

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