Rogue Cop (1954)

One of the most irritating things that I've heard is the occasional claim that the '50s were an innocent, wholesome era. Leaving aside the fact that drooling nostalgia ignores the bad things that happened (and there were lots of those in the '50s), it's mainly a bland characterization of the past. It pushes the idea that there was little to no crime back then. Well, if film noirs are any indication, there was not only crime, but corruption and all manner of sleaze. Movies like "Kiss of Death", "In a Lonely Place" and "The Killing" show some of humanity's basest tendencies. A lesser known one is Roy Rowland's Academy Award-nominated "Rogue Cop". Like many entries in the genre, this depicts gangsters, corrupt cops, and blonde women. While it lacks the sheer grittiness of "Kiss of Death" or "In a Lonely Place" - probably because MGM was the studio that turned out the likes of "The Wizard of Oz", so a crime picture was a bit of a challenge for them - it still packs a punch. I found the most effective scene to be where Janet Leigh's character takes Robert Taylor's character to task for using the case to advance his career. You don't usually expect the elegant Leigh to be that forceful, but it shows her versatility as an actress.It's not a masterpiece but worth seeing. Aside from Taylor and Leigh, the cast includes George Raft, Anne Francis and Alan Hale Jr. In other words, it stars Marion Crane, Spats, Altaira Morpheus and the Skipper.

"Rogue Cop" is a 1954 film starring Robert Taylor, George Raft, Janet Leigh, Anne Francis, and Steve Forrest.People seem surprised Taylor pulls off the tough guy act - I've seen him do it before, and he was good at it.This is a no-nonsense film about a cop on the take (Taylor) whose honest cop brother (Forrest) can identify someone involved in a murder. The guy who pays off Taylor (Raft) wants him to convince his brother to suddenly not identify him. His brother won't go along with it, making for problems.I had actually just seen a 1933 Taylor film and what struck me is how many octaves his voice had gone down! Smoking and age will do that.There isn't anything special about this film. Janet Leigh is beautiful as Forrest's girlfriend with a past, and Anne Francis is Raft's decades-younger alcoholic girlfriend. Both women are fresh- faced and lovely. No pulling of punches in this movie by Taylor. My mother worshiped the ground he walked on, so I well remember his series, The Detectives. He could be rough and tough with the best of them.

Rogue Cop is a movie about sin, redemption and forgiveness. The story is told through the life of Det. Sgt. Chris Kelvaney (Robert Taylor), a crooked cop. Kelvaney is living high off his contacts in the underworld, dressing beautifully and throwing money around as no honest cop could. He has a younger brother Eddie (Steve Forrest), a uniformed cop on the beat. One night Eddie sees a murderer escaping from the crime scene and subsequently identifies the crook from mug shots.The murderer, it seems, has friends in high (or low) places in the underworld, Beaumont (George Raft) and Ackerman (Robert F. Simon). They tell Chris to call off Eddie unless he wants his brother killed. Eddie, being a straight arrow, refuses to cooperate and suffers the consequences. The rest of the movie concerns Chris Kelvaney's quest to avenge his brother while avoiding disgrace from his superiors.Chris Kelvaney is played by Robert Taylor in an Oscar worthy performance as a man who is, at first, satisfied with himself but who comes to realize what a mess he's made of things. Gradually he becomes disgusted with himself and begins to understand that he needs forgiveness for his past. Taylor is utterly convincing in the role, first as the self-satisfied crook and later as the devastated man looking to make amends by turning informer and closing down Raft's crime empire.Steve Forrest's role is underwritten but he makes the best of it. Unusually for a gangster film, Rogue Cop has two female characters who actually do something. Janet Leigh is Karen, a former mobster's moll whose escape from the world of crime inspires Chris. There is a wonderful scene where Chris is bullying Karen to get her to help his brother. He grabs her roughly and kisses her. She resists and then gradually responds to the kiss. Leigh's face eloquently portrays the change. Anne Francis plays Beaumont's drunken mistress Nancy. Kelvaney is the only person who treats her kindly when her paramour throws her out. His gentleness is a step on his way to redemption.Robert Ellenstein is especially good as an honest cop who turns on Kelvaney for his dishonesty then supports him at the end. A wounded and possibly dying Kelvaney asks him for forgiveness but the reply is ambiguous.Rogue Cop's John F. Seitz was nominated for a best black and white cinematography Oscar for 1954. The movie was based on a novel of the same name by mystery writer and screen writer William P. McGivern.

Cop-on-the-take Sgt Chris Kelvaney(Robert Taylor)vows to take down the two mob bosses, Dan Beaumonte(George Raft) & Ackerman(Robert F Simon) responsible for the death of his straight-arrow beat cop brother Eddie(Steve Forrest). The drama starts when a lowlife named 'Wrinkles' Fallon(Peter Brocco)kills a man in this gaming place. The man responsible for placing the ID on Fallon was Eddie who would receive a commendation for his work in bringing a killer to justice. But, Fallon is a photographer/blackmailer who captured Beaumonte and Ackerman snuffing someone out and he needs to be freed from jail or they take the fall. Beaumonte puts pressure on Chris to convince Eddie it's best not to keep his story on Fallon legit or else. But, Eddie is an honest product of his pop's raising and will not follow in his crooked brother's footsteps. Chris finds out that Eddie's new squeeze Karen(Janet Leigh)was once a mobster's moll from Florida and tries to convince her to talk sense into him against remaining loyal to keeping Fallon in prison. With Beaumonte and Ackerman squirmy and nervous about being taken down, they bring a foreign hit-man in to put away Eddie. Beaumonte has a lovely alcoholic moll Nancy(Anne Francis)who embarrasses him with her stumbling around and little jokes and cans her out on the street to another gangster for which she opens her mouth about certain things she knows..Beaumonte now sets his sights on wringing her neck as well. Through it all, Chris will go rogue as his own as his superiors will desire his badge and resignation for his being under the mob's payroll, but not before he finds the man responsible for Eddie's death. He plans to not only take out the hit-man, but the two mob bosses as well in a climactic shootout with assistance of good cop Sidney(Robert Ellenstein)who feels resentment from the sergeant for not going the crooked route.Taylor gets a really juicy role as a crooked cop certainly a bit responsible for his brother's death. He has to face the music when it comes to his activities with the mob and this film puts it to him, but Taylor is good at getting sympathy from the viewer despite his nose-thumbing at being the honest, hard-working cop instead of getting paid, no matter who is forking over the extra salary lining your pockets. George Raft also is quite effective as a real scumbag mobster who says what he means, to the point with little in the way of small talk. Janet Leigh doesn't have to stretch too much..it's her looks this film is aiming for..that and to poke away at Chris' heart. She's the one who he can speak to as the world caves in around him..when both the police and the mob turn their cold shoulders to him. Sure, it's of his own making, but that's what makes the role so juicy for Taylor..it's not black & white at all, but all sorts of shades of grey. The film is ultimately about redemption, setting things straight, and accepting the life you've lived with all the problems that capsize because of it. Anne Francis gets one of her best roles as a moll who genuinely loved her man and seems damned for pushing him too far.