I arrived on this while on a mission to track down another Sterling Hayden film after Naked Alibi (1954), and while that was a decent pot-boiler along with a sizzling Gloria Grahame and a whole lot of seediness - Crime Wave is on a whole 'nother level. A simple plot but humanly complex, a straight procedural in some ways, but also shot with a commitment to gritty realism that is alien to much noir (with notable exceptions), and reminded me a lot of Gun Crazy (1950). The villains, the hero, the detective are played for reals and the stakes just keep getting higher as the film proceeds, sweetened by the presence of Phyllis Kirk. The atmosphere moves from tense to taut to dynamite in swift measure, and the script is just as whiplash-paced, curt and down-to-business, adding to the tightness of this whole fever dream experience. Incredible casting, directing and cinematography that turns a B- movie into a B++ absolute gem. Watch it now! :)
Review of Crime Wave
