Vice Squad (1953 film)

Last updated
Vice Squad
Vice Squad 1953 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Arnold Laven
Screenplay byLawrence Roman
Based onthe novel Harness Bull
by Leslie T. White
Produced by Jules Levy
Arthur Gardner
Sol Lesser (uncredited)
Starring Edward G. Robinson
Paulette Goddard
Cinematography Joseph F. Biroc
Edited byArthur H. Nadel
Music by Herschel Burke Gilbert
Production
company
Sequoia Pictures
Distributed by United Artists
Release dates
  • July 18, 1953 (1953-07-18)(Los Angeles)
  • July 31, 1953 (1953-07-31)(United States)
  • August 25, 1953 (1953-08-25)(New York City)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$262,000 [1]
Box office$600,000 [1]

Vice Squad is a 1953 American film noir crime film directed by Arnold Laven and starring Edward G. Robinson and Paulette Goddard. [2] The film is also known as The Girl in Room 17. [3]

Contents

Plot

A married undertaker having an affair, Jack Hartrampf, is a reluctant eyewitness to the shooting of a Los Angeles cop. He does not wish to testify, but captain of detectives "Barney" Barnaby is just as determined. After a bank robbery pulled by Alan Barkis and his gang, another policeman is gunned down and a bank teller is taken hostage. Escort agency madam Mona Ross is willing to help Barnaby with the case for a fee. Barnaby places one of Barkis' partners, Marty Kusalich, under arrest until Marty implicates the real killer. Pete Monte steals a boat in an attempt to get Barkis to freedom, but Barnaby and his lieutenant, Lacey, arrive in the nick of time.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward G. Robinson</span> American actor (1893–1973)

Edward G. Robinson was an American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays, and more than 100 films, during a 50-year career, and is best remembered for his tough-guy roles as gangsters in such films as Little Caesar and Key Largo. During his career, Robinson received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in House of Strangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulette Goddard</span> American actress (1910–1990)

Paulette Goddard was an American actress and socialite. Her career spanned six decades, from the 1920s to the early 1970s. She was a prominent leading actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Goddard</span> American actor (1936–2023)

Mark Goddard was an American actor who starred in a number of television programs. He is probably best known for portraying Major Don West in the CBS series Lost in Space (1965–1968). He also played Detective Sgt. Chris Ballard, in The Detectives, starring Robert Taylor.

<i>Two Rode Together</i> 1961 film by John Ford

Two Rode Together is a 1961 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones. The supporting cast includes Linda Cristal, Andy Devine, and John McIntire. The film was based upon the 1959 novel Comanche Captives by Will Cook.

<i>Larceny, Inc.</i> 1942 film by Lloyd Bacon

Larceny, Inc. is a 1942 American film. Originally released on May 2, 1942, by Warner Bros., the film is a cross between comedy and gangster genres. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, the film stars Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Broderick Crawford, and Jack Carson, and features Anthony Quinn, and Edward Brophy.

<i>Star Spangled Rhythm</i> 1942 all-star cast musical film

Star Spangled Rhythm is a 1942 American all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, with the intent of entertaining the troops overseas and civilians back home and to encourage fundraising – as well as to show the studios' patriotism. This film was also the first released by Paramount to be shown for 8 weeks.

Paul Mantee was an American film and television actor.

<i>Brother Orchid</i> 1940 film by Lloyd Bacon

Brother Orchid is a 1940 American crime/comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Edward G. Robinson, Ann Sothern and Humphrey Bogart, with featured performances by Donald Crisp, Ralph Bellamy and Allen Jenkins. The screenplay was written by Earl Baldwin, with uncredited contributions from Jerry Wald and Richard Macauley, based on a story by Richard Connell originally published in Collier's Magazine on May 21, 1938. Prior to the creation of the movie version of Connell's story, a stage adaptation was written by playwright/novelist Leo Brady. The script was originally produced at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C..

<i>Mr. Winkle Goes to War</i> 1944 film by Alfred E. Green

Mr. Winkle Goes to War is a 1944 war comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson and Ruth Warrick, based on the 1943 novel by Theodore Pratt.

<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.

<i>Pot o Gold</i> (film) 1941 film by George Marshall

Pot o' Gold is a 1941 American romantic musical comedy film starring James Stewart and Paulette Goddard, directed by George Marshall, and based on the radio series Pot o' Gold. The film was released April 3, 1941, eight months before the NBC radio series came to an end. Paulette Goddard's singing voice was dubbed by Vera Van. The film was known as The Golden Hour in the United Kingdom.

<i>Million Dollar Baby</i> (1941 film) 1941 film by Curtis Bernhardt

Million Dollar Baby is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Priscilla Lane, Jeffrey Lynn, Ronald Reagan, May Robson and Lee Patrick. The film was based on a short story by Leonard Spigelgass. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros.

<i>Tampico</i> (film) 1944 film by Lothar Mendes

Tampico is a 1944 drama/war film directed by Lothar Mendes and starring Edward G. Robinson, Lynn Bari, Victor McLaglen, Marc Lawrence, and Mona Maris. It was released by 20th Century Fox.

<i>Sins of Jezebel</i> 1953 film by Reginald Le Borg

Sins of Jezebel is a 1953 American historical drama film produced by Sigmund Neufeld and directed by Reginald Le Borg. It stars Paulette Goddard as Jezebel, the biblical queen of the northern kingdom of Israel during the 9th century BC. The film was shot in Ansco Color for widescreen projection.

<i>The Ghost Breaker</i> (1922 film) 1922 film by Alfred Edward Green

The Ghost Breaker is a 1922 American silent horror comedy film about haunted houses and ghosts. It was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Alfred E. Green and starred Wallace Reid in one of his last screen roles. The story, based on the 1909 play The Ghost Breaker by Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard, had been released on film in 1914, directed by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel.

<i>The Crystal Ball</i> (film) 1943 film by Elliott Nugent

The Crystal Ball is a 1943 film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard.

<i>Sky Racket</i> (film) 1937 film by Sam Katzman

Sky Racket is a 1937 American drama film directed by Sam Katzman and starring Bruce Bennett, Joan Barclay, and Duncan Renaldo.

<i>George Whites Scandals</i> (1934 film) 1934 film by George White

George White's Scandals is a 1934 American pre-Code musical film directed by George White and written by Jack Yellen. The film stars Rudy Vallée, Jimmy Durante, Alice Faye, Adrienne Ames, Gregory Ratoff, Cliff Edwards and Dixie Dunbar. The film was released on March 16, 1934, by Fox Film Corporation. George White also produced George White's Scandals for RKO in 1945. It was directed by Felix E. Feist and starred Joan Davis and Jack Haley.

<i>The Richest Man in Town</i> 1941 film directed by Charles Barton

The Richest Man in Town is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Frank Craven, Edgar Buchanan and Roger Pryor. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures.

<i>Ill Fix It</i> 1934 film by Roy William Neill

I'll Fix It is a 1934 American romantic comedy film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Jack Holt, Mona Barrie and Winnie Lightner. It was produced by Columbia Pictures.

References

  1. 1 2 "Why Vidpix Makes Sense". Variety. 11 March 1959. p. 32.
  2. Vice Squad at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films .
  3. "Vice Squad (1953)". FilmAffinity . Retrieved 29 December 2020.