mark.waltz Sure, if you were collecting over $4 million a month, you could afford to give pay-offs to crooked cops to keep the decent law officers from breaking up this gambling racket. So when honest cop Darren McGavin discovers what's going on, he makes it his mission to break up this racket once and for all and discover who is behind all of the protection that the racket is getting. He gets support from his lovely wife (a young Peggy McKay, best known to today's "Days of Our Lives" audiences as the feisty senior Caroline Brady) who doesn't realize how deep he'll get in, especially when he hooks up to get information from widow Margaret Hayes whose husband was killed after being beaten up due to a gambling debt to the racket.This fast moving crime drama with some aspects of film noir is tight and brisk, with narration typical of film noir docu-dramas. In the mid-late 1950's, Columbia made a lot of these types of films, and some go in where others fear to tread. This one goes deep into the dirt of these rackets, showing innocent people getting killed or beaten up, and involves a personal drama as well. McGavin is perfectly rough around the edges, not quite a Sterling Hayden or Robert Ryan, but just an every day guy trying to lead a decent living. McKay stands out in a scene where she acknowledges the disillusions of the marriage since his involvement began which leads to a shocking twist. The stand-out, however, is Margaret Hayes as the lonely widow, a bit of a lush, who reveals the inner depths of her soul, especially in a scene where she is stood up by McGavin due to circumstances beyond his control.

bkoganbing A real scandal involving several NYPD police officers stationed in Brooklyn was the basis for this crime and corruption story that became the plot for The Case Against Brooklyn. Cops are being paid off at an alarming rate to close their eyes and look the other way as illegal betting parlors open up for business all over the Borough of homes and churches. The District Attorney in Kings County who at that time in real life was a man named Edward Silver is determined to do something about it. In the film the character's name is Michael Norris and he's played by Tol Avery. What Avery's decided to do is literally hijack the whole graduating class at the Academy and have them work for him undercover. One of them, Darren McGavin is sent undercover to romance the recent widow of Joe DeSantis who committed suicide so his double indemnity clause could pay off Nestor Paiva the bookie who's sent some of his enforcers around to collect. As McGavin romances Margaret Hayes that certainly puts a strain on his marriage to Peggy McCay.And the triangle becomes four sided as Warren Stevens who does a bit of everything for Paiva, muscle, bagman, and even hit-man also starts courting Hayes to see what could spill to the cops, if she can find some that she can trust. Best performances in the film by far are from DeSantis and Hayes. As the victim you can feel things closing in for DeSantis as he makes that final gesture for his wife's solvency. And Hayes you can feel sorry for the fact she's being used by both sides. How it all ends, let me say that the climax takes a leaf from the Fritz Lang noir classic The Big Heat and if you know that film, you know about 80% of how the story will come out.McGavin himself is a ruthless sort looking to prove himself, knowing that a good job here will cement his reputation. In real life it would have gained him a long career in Internal Affairs.A year after the Dodgers left Brooklyn, The Case Against Brooklyn is a fine noir drama based on a real incident in the beloved former home of the Bums.

Carolyn Paetow Opine that a film is noir, and the arguments will sprout up like mushrooms in a dark cellar. This gritty little feature, however, should cause contention only among those who designate noir in terms of directors, inclusive years, or other mercenary measures. The plot concerns police corruption, and the protagonist is an unsullied, but savvy rookie cop who is ready and willing to cast sentiment aside and get the goods by hook or crook. The Production Code is cracking, and characters talk of a woman putting out and a good guy's willingness to cheat on his wife. There's no soft soap or sappiness--only an oblique noir world that twists and turns and delivers flashes of light amidst the gloom.

ksf-2 Only the second film that Paul Wendkos directed, the "Case Against Brooklyn" is a look inside the New York police department. The lead, Officer Pete Harris (Darren McGavin ) must separate the good guys from the bad guys without getting knocked off himself. McGavin had been in films and numerous TV appearances for 10 years, along with co-stars Margaret Hayes, Peggy McCay, and Warren Stevens. It's a bit like an episode of Dragnet - there's an omniscient narrator giving us the play by play. At one point, there's a singer in a lounge, Bobby Helms, who sings "Jacqueline", in a complete standstill, deadpan manner as he leans against the jukebox. The real interesting note here is that he was also the co-writer on "Jingle Bell Rock"... too bad he didn't sing that one. The character here with real personality has about the smallest role - the landlady Mrs. Carney, played by Cheerio Meredith, is eccentric, nosy, and likes to give advice. You probably recognize her as the gossipy "Emma Watson" from the Andy Griffith show. I was determined to watch this through to the end, but it's as dry as a piece of toast with no buttah.