The Big Heat (1953)

US 89m, B&W
Director: Fritz Lang; Cast: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Lee Marvin, Jeanette Nolan,
Alexander Scourby, Jocelyn Brando

The Big Heat is the gritty story of an honest cop who turns vigilante when the force refuses to prosecute a mob boss who is responsible for a car bombing that killed his wife. Although not as colourful as “Dirty” Harry Callahan,  Detective Sgt. Dave Bannion becomes a ruthless anti-hero in his ruthless search for justice. Lacking a femme fatale, The Big Heat is an atypical film noir whose female characters are themselves the subject of considerable physical and mental abuse (Klaus Ming July 2014).