The Big Combo

"The Most Startling Story The Screen Has Ever Dared Reveal!"

1955 1h 28m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 180

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Police Lt. Leonard Diamond vies to bring a clever, well connected, and sadistic gangster to justice all the while obsessing over the gangster's girlfriend.

“The Most Startling Story The Screen Has Ever Dared Reveal!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

PhiloSubscription

Fandor Amazon ChannelSubscription

FlixFlingSubscription

Cast

Cornel Wilde
Leonard Diamond
Jean Wallace
Susan Lowell
Brian Donlevy
Joe McClure
Richard Conte
Mr. Brown
Lee Van Cleef
Fante
Earl Holliman
Mingo
Robert Middleton
Police Capt. Peterson
Helen Walker
Alicia Brown

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Writers: Philip Yordan
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

71 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Joseph H. Lewis, shot by John Alton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert S. Eisen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Cornel Wilde and Jean Wallace and Brian Donlevy carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Most Startling Story The Screen Has Ever Dared Reveal!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0047878 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Joseph H. Lewis directs. John Alton behind the camera. Robert S. Eisen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
271 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Joseph H. Lewis, shot by John Alton. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Robert S. Eisen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Cornel Wilde and Jean Wallace and Brian Donlevy carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The Most Startling Story The Screen Has Ever Dared Reveal!".
7IMDB entry: tt0047878 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 10 themes, including "film noir", "police corruption", "police detective", "double cross".

The technical file

Cinematography: John Alton
Editing: Robert S. Eisen
Production design: Rudi Feld
Costume design: Don Loper
Makeup / hair: Carla Hadley
Sound: Earl Snyder
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Big Combo (1955)

Also by

Joseph H. Lewis

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-11-14
★ 7/10
Cornel Wilde is quite good as the detective charged with investigating a local crime boss (Richard Conte) who thus far has proved a bit Teflon. After a few years of this relentless pursuit, he has managed to fall for the hoodlum's lady (Susan Wallace) and his captain deduces that he has become too close to remain objective and so the case is to be stopped. That all changes when Conte's thugs accidentally kill the woman (instead of him) and it all becomes truly personal! It's a well directed, pacy and, at times, suspenseful crime drama from the pen of Philip Yordan that could perhaps have been just ten minutes shorter to tighten it up.

Production companies