Pretty much the entire cast delivers good performances. Robert Mitchum swaggers through the movie calmly exuding righteousness (!), machismo, and testosterone as a good cop dedicated to fighting a sprawling web of political intrigue and corruption.
Robert Ryan is superb as a nasty, snarling thug, the ruthless boss of a vicious gang of hoodlums who specialize in murdering witnesses.
William Talman -- who starred as the psychopathic killer in The Hitch Hiker -- is convincing but underused as a decent, dependable cop.
Lizabeth Scott is disappointing as a trashy blonde nightclub singer. She doesn't seem to get 'into' her part and delivers a bland, lack-luster performance.
Although the cast's acting in general is good, the direction and cinematography are mediocre. The plot is predictable and holds no surprises, no twists, no denouement. Although the story hints at a mastermind who is pulling Ryan's strings, the angle is not developed and we never find out who it is (probably the Governor). Not a classic, but Ryan's performance is worth the cost of admission.
Robert Ryan is superb as a nasty, snarling thug, the ruthless boss of a vicious gang of hoodlums who specialize in murdering witnesses.
William Talman -- who starred as the psychopathic killer in The Hitch Hiker -- is convincing but underused as a decent, dependable cop.
Lizabeth Scott is disappointing as a trashy blonde nightclub singer. She doesn't seem to get 'into' her part and delivers a bland, lack-luster performance.
Although the cast's acting in general is good, the direction and cinematography are mediocre. The plot is predictable and holds no surprises, no twists, no denouement. Although the story hints at a mastermind who is pulling Ryan's strings, the angle is not developed and we never find out who it is (probably the Governor). Not a classic, but Ryan's performance is worth the cost of admission.