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Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Alexander Scourby, Lee Marvin ... see more see more... , Jeanette Nolan , Peter Whitney , Willis B. Bouchey , Robert Burton , Adam Williams , Howard Wendell , Chris Alcaide , Michael Granger , Dorothy Green , Carolyn Jones , Ric Roman , Dan Seymour , Edith Evanson , Phil Arnold , Linda Bennett , Charles Cane , Sidney Clute , John Doucette , Al Eben , Douglas Evans , Robert Forrest , Byron Kane , Lyle Latell , Harry Lauter , Mike Mahoney , Paul Maxey , Joseph Mell , John Merton , Patrick Miller , William Murphy , Michael Ross , Ted Stanhope , William Vedder , Phil Chambers , John Close , Herbert C. Lytton , Ezelle Poule , John Crawford

Fritz Lang directed this gritty drama of gangland murder and police corruption, which was considered quite violent in its day. Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) is a scrupulously honest police detective who l... read more read more...earns that one of his fellow officers has committed suicide. Bannion is told by the officer's wife, Bertha (Jeanette Nolan), that he was severely depressed after being told he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. But the cop's mistress, a barmaid named Lucy (Dorothy Green), has another tale to tell. She claims that he left behind a suicide note detailing a complex trail of corruption in the department, leading to mob boss Mike Lagana (Alexander Scourby), and now Bertha plans to use the note to blackmail Lagana. When Lucy is found dead beside an abandoned road, with her body showing obvious signs of torture, Bannion is convinced that her story was true, and he goes after Lagana. When he threatens to expose Lagana's dealings, the gangster orders Bannion killed. But the car bomb meant to finish Bannion off instead kills his wife Katie (Jocelyn Brando). The police take Bannion off the case, but, convinced his peers are trying to cover their tracks, Bannion follows the case alone, determined to get revenge. Lee Marvin and Gloria Grahame shine in key supporting roles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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5,272 ratings

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26 critics

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Fritz Lang

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DVD Release Date: December 18, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (350)

  • bbcfloridabound
    June 15, 2011
    bbcfloridabound
    Film Noir that's for sure, they just don't make them like this anymore. Glenn Ford plays a detective who is working a case where city officials and the mob are involved, He's putting the heat on the mob trying to solve the apparent suicide of another police officer, and the mob i... read mores putting the heat on his family. Enjoyable scene's at home wife cooking dinner having a few cocktails. Beer at a bar cost 35 cents, a real phone booth that cost a dime had a door on the booth so no one could hear your conversation unlike today with cell phones. Overall an outstanding Black and White Film, Marlen Brando's sister played in this movie and she was pretty hot back in the day Jocelyn Brando. And Gloria Grahame played a gangsters girl and she was also hot, don't see women like this on the big screen today. No Class no Talent welcome to 2011. The movie is 4 1/2 stars all the way.
  • ajv2688
    November 7, 2010
    ajv2688
    Another good thriller from Fritz Lang, I liked it.
  • imrealgod
    March 31, 2010
    imrealgod
    Not at all bad if you wanna kill some 90 hot minutes. However, if you 're looking for an unpredictable thriller, this one isn't gonna satisfy you.
  • smith44
    March 2, 2010
    smith44
    "We're sisters under the mink."
  • bottcorecords1
    November 27, 2009
    bottcorecords1
    The Big Heat is right up there with "Touch of Evil" as one of the top noir films of the 1950s. The movie starts with the suicide of police sergeant which soon sets off a chain of events which will transform Detective David Bannion (Glenn Ford) into a single-minded machine. The ... read morestory of crime and corruption will be familiar to anyone who's ever seen similar cop movies and yet, it's not a tired film, it moves along at a fast and angry pace. Modern films like "Sin City" owe a great debt to this film, and Clint Eastwood seems to have modeled his entire career off of it (Who knew Glenn Ford of all people could inspire Dirty Harry?). This is down-and-dirty gutter crime disguised in a 1950s package. Director Fritz Lang (Metropolis) makes use of cheap sets and backgrounds, if not ignoring them all together as his characters set fire to the screen. Debby (Gloria Grahame) girlfriend of mobster Vince Stone (Lee Marvin) walks the tight rope above her violent boyfriend's temper, always willing to prod him, even though it might cost her. None of the characters seem too in charge of their own destinies though. The mob bosses sit around, fretting over the rogue cop who pursues them, and the corrupt police officials watch impotently as the mob bosses beat and torture women. Only Bannion seems motivated by some specific purpose, and whether that's justice or revenge, no one can really say. He's seemingly indestructable and unstoppable, and shows no sense of fear as he charges through rooms of petty criminals. Debby attempts to seduce him, more as a way of annoying Vince Stone than of getting any pleasure from him, but she can only elicit an unconscious disgust in Bannion: "I wouldn't Touch anything of Stone's" he snarls at her. Such pure, unrestrained hatred rarely finds it's way onto the big screen, and it's alot of fun to watch. Artistic touches are subtle as Lang allows the story to unfold artfully, the directing style could be described as no-frills, but it's necessarily sparce, as it allows the story and performances to stand in the forefront. Fans of crime drama should see this film, not because of it's historical importance, or because it inspired so many imitators, they should see it because it's just damned good.
  • pier007
    May 3, 2009
    pier007
    Glenn Ford plays the only cop with guts in a city filtered by corruption.
    Concise direction, topnotch acting and a ceaseless, brutal and intense plot make an splendorous noir, full of drama and tension.
  • rubystevens
    March 22, 2009
    rubystevens
    a great revenge thriller. this is how it's done! glenn ford takes on the mob, with some help from gloria grahame, leading to a big showdown with the always awesome lee marvin. they fucked with the wrong guy!
  • kenstachnik
    September 8, 2007
    kenstachnik
    This movie is great. The chemistry between Ford and Brando (Marlon's older sister) is unbelievable. Lang is an under appreciated master.
  • garyX
    September 7, 2007
    garyX
    Fritz Lang directs Glen Ford as an uncompromising cop on the trail of organized criminals and corrupt officers in his own department, and when a car bomb kills his young wife, the gloves definitely come off...One of the toughest early noirs you're going to see, Ford reinforces hi... read mores tough guy credentials and faces off against a young Lee Marvin as a brutal mobster. The on and off screen violence is some of the most brutally realistic you are going to see in a film of this era; I can't remember an earlier film that featured a car bomb, and as such this can be seen as a direct influence on the modern gangster flick. The sentiment is ladled on a little too thickly in portraying Ford's home life, the other female characters (Gloria Grahame's tart with a heart and woman scorned, and Jeanette Nolan's cynical opportunist) are far more interesting but otherwise, it's close to flawless. Classic noir that's as tough and uncompromising as it's star.
  • jjnxn
    June 16, 2007
    jjnxn
    gloria grahame is great!!

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Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
April 9, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Ford's portrayal of the homicide sergeant is honest and packs much wallop. Lang's direction builds taut suspense, throwing unexpected, and believable, thrills at the audience. Full Review

Don Druker
April 9, 2008
Don Druker, Chicago Reader

Brutal, atmospheric, and exciting -- highly recommended. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 20, 2006
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

That's the beauty of Lang's moral ambidexterity. He tells the story of a heroic cop, while using it to mask another story, so much darker, beneath. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Mr. Lang can direct a film. He has put his mind to it, in this instance, and he has brought forth a hot one with a sting. Full Review

John Petrakis
July 20, 2002
John Petrakis, Chicago Tribune

In many ways, Fritz Lang's The Big Heat, scripted by former crime reporter Sydney Boehm, laid the groundwork not only for "Dirty Harry," but for the whole sub-genre of 'rogue cop' films that began to ... Full Review

Peter Canavese
May 22, 2012
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

For those who take their film black...Moral rot gets full play in Lang's 1953 police drama. [Blu-ray] Full Review

Sean Axmaker
December 5, 2009
Sean Axmaker, Seanax.com

Fritz Lang, once the master of grand expressionist scenes, directs with a stripped down style and a lean narrative drive... Full Review

Cole Smithey
July 25, 2009
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Everything about "The Big Heat" is "hard boiled." Full Review

April 9, 2008
TV Guide's Movie Guide

A scalding face-full of harsh reality, courtesy Fritz Lang. Full Review

April 9, 2008
Film4

Lang presents one of the great works of film noir. The acting is first rate, Boehm's script tough and efficient, and the whole affair is photographed with the appropriate expressionist, chiaroscuro li... Full Review

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