The Big Heat

Last updated
The Big Heat
The Big Heat (1953 poster).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Fritz Lang
Screenplay by Sydney Boehm
Based onthe Saturday Evening Post serial and 1953 novel
by William P. McGivern
Produced by Robert Arthur
Starring
Cinematography Charles Lang
Edited byCharles Nelson
Color process Black and white
Production
company
Columbia Pictures
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • October 14, 1953 (1953-10-14)(New York City)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.25 million (US) [2]

The Big Heat is a 1953 American film noir crime film directed by Fritz Lang starring Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, and Jocelyn Brando [3] about a cop who takes on the crime syndicate that controls his city.

Contents

William P. McGivern's serial in The Saturday Evening Post , published as a novel in 1953, was the basis for the screenplay, written by former crime reporter Sydney Boehm.

The film was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2011. [4] [5]

Plot

Homicide detective Sergeant Dave Bannion, of the Kenport Police Department, is called to investigate the suicide of a rogue fellow officer, Tom Duncan. His wife, Bertha Duncan, says her husband had recently been in ill health. He left behind an envelope addressed to the district attorney, which she keeps under wraps and locks away in her safe-deposit box at the bank.

The mistress of the late cop, Lucy Chapman, contradicts Mrs. Duncan, telling Sgt. Bannion that Tom Duncan had not been in ill health, and had no reason to kill himself, but had recently agreed to a divorce with his wife. Meanwhile, Duncan's widow refuses to explain the couple's luxurious home. The next day, Lieutenant Ted Wilks is under pressure from "upstairs" to close the case, and rebuffs Bannion. Lucy Chapman is found strangled to death, her body covered with cigarette burns. Although the Chapman case is in the sheriff's jurisdiction, Bannion investigates and receives threatening calls at his home. He confronts Mike Lagana, a mob boss that runs the city, and discovers that people are too scared to stand up to the crime syndicate. When Bannion ignores warnings to desist, his car is planted with explosives. The car bomb kills his wife, Katie. Accusing his superiors of corruption, Bannion chides corrupt Police Commissioner Higgins, accusing him of obeying the orders of Lagana. Higgins puts Bannion on immediate suspension and orders him to turn in his badge. Determined to find those responsible for his wife's murder, Bannion continues to investigate.

He hopes to discover a lead at a nightclub called "The Retreat". When Lagana's second-in-command, Vince Stone, punishes a woman there, burning her with a cigar butt, Bannion stands up to him and his thugs. This impresses Stone's girlfriend, Debby Marsh. The two hit it off and take a cab to the hotel where he is now living. When Debby accidentally reminds Bannion about his late wife, he tells her to leave. Debby reluctantly returns to Stone's penthouse. He accuses her of talking to Bannion about his activities and throws a pot of boiling coffee in her face. Higgins, who had been playing poker with Stone and his group there, takes her to a hospital.

Debby returns to Bannion at his hotel; the left side of her face badly burned and half-covered in bandages. For protection, he puts her in a hotel room close to his. Debby identifies the man who had arranged the planting of the car bomb as Larry Gordon, one of Stone's associates. She also tells him where Gordon is staying. Bannion forces Gordon to admit to the car-bombing, and to reveal that Duncan's widow is blackmailing Stone and Lagana with incriminating documents. Bannion does not kill Gordon, but promises to spread the word that he talked. Afterward, Gordon is killed by Stone's men. Bannion then confronts Mrs. Duncan, accusing her of betraying Lucy Chapman and protecting Lagana and Stone. With his hands at her throat, Bannion tells Mrs. Duncan that if she is killed, the evidence she has against Lagana will be revealed. Before Bannion can follow through on his threats, cops sent by Lagana arrive, and he is forced to leave.

Bannion goes to deal with Stone when Wilks arrives, now prepared to take a stand against the mob and his corrupt boss. Debby goes to Mrs. Duncan and starts talking about their respective associations with gangsters. When Mrs. Duncan attempts to phone Stone for help, Debby shoots her dead.

Bannion tails Stone, who returns to his penthouse, where Debby has been waiting for him. She throws boiling coffee in his face in an act of revenge. In retaliation, Stone shoots her. After a short gun battle, Bannion captures Stone. As Debby dies on the floor, she confesses to shooting Mrs. Duncan. Stone is arrested for murder and officer Duncan's damning evidence in the note he left behind for the D.A. is made public. Lagana and Higgins are indicted, and Bannion is reinstated to his job as a homicide detective.

Cast

Production

The film was based on a fictional serial by William P. McGivern, which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post from December 1952 and was published as a novel in 1953. Initially, McGivern's novel was to be produced by Jerry Wald, who wanted either Paul Muni, George Raft or Edward G. Robinson (who worked with director Fritz Lang in Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street ) for the role of Dave Bannion. Columbia Pictures paid $40,000 for McGivern's novel. Lang directed the film while Sydney Boehm wrote it.

Boehm changed many details in the novel. Commissioner Higgins is not in the novel and Lieutenant Wilks is the corrupt policeman. An honest policeman called Cranston, who was in the novel, was omitted from the film.

In the novel, it is not known until the end that the widow of the policeman who had killed himself (named Deery in the book, Duncan in the film) was blackmailing Lagana. Debby shoots her and then mortally wounds herself. After Stone is cornered by Bannion, he is killed by another policeman. Instead of taking place in Philadelphia, the film takes place in the fictional city of Kenport.

Columbia wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the part of Debby Marsh but did not want to pay the fee 20th Century Fox demanded for the loan of their star, so Gloria Grahame was cast instead.

Rex Reason was slated to play either Tierney or Detective Burke, but his agent wanted a larger part. In the end, Reason was not cast and Peter Whitney and Robert Burton got the roles of Tierney and Burke respectively.

In the scene at the bar where Stone and Bannion first meet, the house band is performing "Put the Blame on Mame," a song also heard in the 1946 noir classic Gilda , also starring Ford, and also produced by Columbia. [6]

Preservation

The Academy Film Archive preserved The Big Heat in 1997. [7]

Critical response

"The... memorable violence in The Big Heat... implies that the world must be destroyed before it can be purified."

— Film historian Andrew Sarris in "You Ain’t Heard Nothin' Yet": The American Talking Film History & Memory, 1927–1949. [8]

The New York Times and Variety both gave The Big Heat very positive reviews at the time. Bosley Crowther of the Times described Glenn Ford "as its taut, relentless star" and praised Lang for bringing "forth a hot one with a sting." [9] Variety characterized Lang's direction as "tense" and "forceful." [10] Critic Roger Ebert subsequently praised the film's supporting actors and added the film to his personal canon of "Great Movies". [11]

Writer David M. Meyer states that the film never overcomes the basic repulsiveness of its hero, but notes that some parts of the film, though violent, are better than the film as a whole: "Best known is Gloria Grahame's disfigurement at the hands of psycho-thug Lee Marvin, who flings hot coffee into her face." [12]

According to film critic Grant Tracey, the film turns the role of the femme fatale on its head: "Whereas many noirs contain the tradition of the femme-fatale, the deadly spiderwoman who destroys her man and his family and career, The Big Heat inverts this narrative paradigm, making Ford [Det. Bannion] the indirect agent of fatal destruction. All four women he meets—from clip joint singer, Lucy Chapman, to gun moll Debby—are destroyed." [13]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 98% of 42 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10.The website's consensus reads: "Presented with stark power by director Fritz Lang, The Big Heat is a delightfully grim noir that peers into the heart of darkness without blinking." [14]

Awards and honors

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

In December 2011, The Big Heat was selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. [18] Proclaiming it "one of the great post-war noir films", the Registry stated that The Big Heat "manages to be both stylized and brutally realistic, a signature of its director Fritz Lang." [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Harold and Maude</i> 1971 American romantic black comedy–drama film by Hal Ashby

Harold and Maude is a 1971 American romantic black comedy–drama film directed by Hal Ashby and released by Paramount Pictures. It incorporates elements of dark humor and existentialist drama. The plot follows the exploits of Harold Chasen, a young man who is intrigued with death, and who rejects the life his detached mother prescribes for him. Harold develops a friendship, and eventual romantic relationship, with 79-year-old Maude who teaches Harold about the importance of living life to its fullest.

<i>The Graduate</i> 1967 romantic comedy drama film by Mike Nichols

The Graduate is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The film tells the story of 21-year-old Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate with no well-defined aim in life who is seduced by an older married woman, Mrs. Robinson, but then falls for her daughter, Elaine.

<i>The Docks of New York</i> 1928 film

The Docks of New York is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring George Bancroft, Betty Compson, and Olga Baclanova. The movie was adapted by Jules Furthman from the John Monk Saunders story The Dock Walloper.

<i>Scarlet Street</i> 1945 film by Fritz Lang

Scarlet Street is a 1945 American film noir directed by Fritz Lang. The screenplay concerns two criminals who take advantage of a middle-aged painter in order to steal his artwork. The film is based on the French novel La Chienne by Georges de La Fouchardière, which had been previously dramatized on stage by André Mouëzy-Éon, and cinematically as La Chienne (1931) by director Jean Renoir.

<i>Now, Voyager</i> 1942 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper

Now, Voyager is a 1942 American drama film starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, and directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Casey Robinson is based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Olive Higgins Prouty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria Grahame</span> American actress (1923–1981)

Gloria Grahame Hallward was an American actress. She began her acting career in theatre, and in 1944 made her first film for MGM.

<i>In a Lonely Place</i> 1950 film by Nicholas Ray

In a Lonely Place is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation of Dorothy B. Hughes' 1947 novel of the same name.

<i>Rebecca</i> (1940 film) 1940 American romantic psychological thriller film by Alfred Hitchcock

Rebecca is a 1940 American romantic psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It was Hitchcock's first American project, and his first film under contract with producer David O. Selznick. The screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison, and adaptation by Philip MacDonald and Michael Hogan, were based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celia Lovsky</span> Austrian-American actress

Celia Lovsky was an Austrian-American actress. She was born in Vienna, daughter of Břetislav Lvovsky (1857–1910), a minor Czech opera composer. She studied theater, dance, and languages at the Austrian Royal Academy of Arts and Music. She is best known to fans of Star Trek as the High Priestess T'Pau, and to fans of The Twilight Zone as the aged daughter of an eternally youthful Hollywood actress.

<i>In the Heat of the Night</i> (film) 1967 film by Norman Jewison

In the Heat of the Night is a 1967 American neo-noir mystery drama film directed by Norman Jewison, produced by Walter Mirisch, and starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. It tells the story of Virgil Tibbs (Poitier), a Black police detective from Philadelphia, who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation in a small town in Mississippi. The film was adapted by Stirling Silliphant from John Ball's 1965 novel of the same name.

<i>The Ghost and Mrs. Muir</i> 1947 film by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is a 1947 American supernatural romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and is based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R.A. Dick. In 1945, 20th Century Fox bought the film rights to the novel, published only in the United Kingdom at that time. It was shot entirely in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William P. McGivern</span> American novelist

William Peter McGivern was an American novelist and television scriptwriter. He published more than 20 novels, mostly mysteries and crime thrillers, some under the pseudonym Bill Peters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jocelyn Brando</span> American actress and writer (1919–2005)

Jocelyn Brando was an American actress and writer. She is best known for her role as Katie Bannion in the film noir The Big Heat (1953).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanette Nolan</span> American actress (1911–1998)

Jeanette Nolan was an American actress. Nominated for four Emmy Awards, she had roles in the television series The Virginian (1962–1971) and Dirty Sally (1974), and in films such as Macbeth (1948).

<i>Mildred Pierce</i> (film) 1945 American melodrama/film noir film by Michael Curtiz

Mildred Pierce is a 1945 American melodrama/film noir directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Joan Crawford, Jack Carson, and Zachary Scott, also featuring Eve Arden, Ann Blyth, and Bruce Bennett. Based on the 1941 novel by James M. Cain, this was Crawford's first starring role for Warner Bros., after leaving Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1996, Mildred Pierce was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected for preservation in the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.

<i>Rogue Cop</i> 1954 film by Roy Rowland

Rogue Cop is a 1954 American film noir directed by Roy Rowland, based on the novel by William P. McGivern, and starring Robert Taylor, Janet Leigh, and George Raft.

<i>White Heat</i> 1949 American film noir directed by Raoul Walsh

White Heat is a 1949 American film noir directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Edmond O'Brien.

<i>Little Caesar</i> (film) 1931 film

Little Caesar is a 1931 American pre-Code crime film distributed by Warner Brothers, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, and starring Edward G. Robinson, Glenda Farrell, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. The film tells the story of a hoodlum who ascends the ranks of organized crime until he reaches its upper echelons. The storyline, based on real life Mafia boss Salvatore Maranzano, was adapted from the novel of the same name by William R. Burnett. Little Caesar was Robinson's breakthrough role and immediately made him a major film star. The film is often listed as one of the first fully-fledged gangster films and continues to be well received by critics.

<i>Criminal Lawyer</i> (1937 film) 1937 American drama film directed by Christy Cabanne

Criminal Lawyer is a 1937 American drama film directed by Christy Cabanne from a screenplay by G. V. Atwater and Thomas Lennon, based on a story by Louis Stevens. The film stars Lee Tracy, Margot Grahame and Eduardo Ciannelli. RKO produced the film and premiered it on January 26, 1937, in New York City, with a national release a few days later on January 29. It was the second time Stevens' story had been used for a film, the first being 1932's State's Attorney, starring John Barrymore and Helen Twelvetrees, directed by George Archainbaud, and also produced and released by RKO.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Green (actress)</span> American actress (1920–2008)

Dorothy Green was an American stage, film, and television actress. Her career spanned more than four decades, with her work principally being in supporting roles on many popular television series from the early 1950s into the 1980s.

References

  1. ↑ Ebert, Roger (2004-06-06). "The Big Heat". The Great Movies . Retrieved 2016-06-24.
  2. ↑ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954
  3. ↑ "The 100 Best Film Noirs of All Time". Paste. November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  5. ↑ "2011 National Film Registry More Than a Box of Chocolates". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  6. ↑ Blottner, Gene (2015). Columbia Pictures: A Complete Filmography, 1940-1962. McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-7014-3.
  7. ↑ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
  8. ↑ Sarris, 1998. p.119
  9. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (October 15, 1953). "The Screen In Review; 'The Big Heat' Has Premiere at the Criterion -- 'Grapes Are Ripe' Also Opens Here". New York Times . Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  10. ↑ Variety staff (December 31, 1952). "The Big Heat". Variety . Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ Ebert, Roger (June 6, 2004). "The Big Heat (1953)". The Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2005.
  12. ↑ Meyer, David M. (1998). A Girl and a Gun: The Complete Guide to Film Noir on Video. Avon Books. ISBN   0-380-79067-X.
  13. ↑ Tracey, Grant (January 1997). "10 Shades of Noir: The Big Heat". Images (2). Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  14. ↑ "The Big Heat". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved March 29, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  15. ↑ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  16. ↑ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  17. 1 2 "AFI's 10 Top 10 Nominees" (PDF). Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. 1 2 "2011 National Film Registry More Than a Box of Chocolates". Library of Congress. December 28, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2011.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.