Damn Citizen (1958)

An interesting tidbit about this film is the appearance of New Orleans painter, James Belton Bonsall as a deputy. Bonsall was living in California at the time and had some minor connections to the movie industry. He appears in this film (and in some of the advertising posters) smashing slot machines with a sledge hammer. Inasmuch as the adverts for this film are more accessible than copies of the film itself, Bonsall's minor role becomes effectively more significant. Bonsall died in 1999 without children, leaving his artwork as his primary legacy. It is not known whether he appeared in any other films, though he did a bit of stage acting, and was cast in a New Orleans production of "The Grass Harp" by Capote.

"Damn Citizen" 1958A by the numbers documentary style noir about police corruption. The story is based on real events and people and stars Keith Andes as Col Francis Grevemberg. Grevemberg, an ex-army officer, is offered the command of the Louisiana State Police. Louisiana was at the time considered to be the most corrupt State in the Union.Everyone seems in on the scam with officers looking the other way for their cut of the action. Every time Andes raids a gambling club or bordello they find the place has been warned. So Andes is forced to fire most of the force and start from scratch.He starts a rigorous screening and training course hoping to weed out the crooks. When this fails, Andes decides to play the mob's game and sends officer Jeffery Stone undercover. Stone pretends to be a crooked cop and gets himself thrown off the force. Some of the other fired cops have been working as gunmen for the gambling mob and Stone is quickly offered a job.Andes right hand man, Gene Evans, has also been working behind the scenes selling info to the crooks for the then hefty sum of $1,000 a week. Edward Platt plays the head of the mob. He offers Andes a bribe which is turned down. He then tries a bit of blackmail by having a woman peel off her duds in front of Andes while a cameraman snaps away.No dice, Andes steps up the pressure and Platt responds in kind. Someone pays a visit to Andes' home and deposits the decapitated body of the family dog in his children's bed. Then undercover cop Stone is murdered and his body left in Andes' car. Now Evans steps forward and tells Andes about all the info he has collected by pretending to be a informant for the mob. Andes then forces an old friend, Lynn Bari, who is a member of the mob to turn States evidence. Guns are produced and used, doors are kicked in and Platt and his boys hauled off for a long holiday at the State's expense.A real stand up policer with good work from the cast and crew. There is a small morals lecture at the start but then the film goes right to speed and never lets up. Besides Andes, Bari, Evans and Platt the cast includes Maggie Hayes, Ann Robinson and Clegg Hoyt.The jazzy musical score is supplied by Henry Mancini of Peter Gunn and Pink Panther fame.The story is written by Stirling Silliphant whose work includes Nightfall, The Line-up and the series M-Squad, Naked City, Route 66 and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.The d of p was Ellis W Carter who worked on THE HUMAN JUNGLE and the George Blair directed LONELY HEART BANDITS. ( A plug for LONELY HEART BANDITS which is one of my fav low rent noir) Carter also lensed one of the better 50's sci-fi classics, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN.Director Robert Gordon's only other work of note was 1947's noir, BLIND SPOT. A good low-budget sleeper and a fine time-waster. (b/w)

Based on fact (and with appearances by several of the actual people involved), this tells the story of a police chief appointed by the state of Louisiana to rid its state police force of entrenched corruption. This is a taut, straightforward little film, in the tradition of "The Phenix City Story," and director Robert Gordon, while no Phil Karlson, does a good job on a limited budget and with a competent but non-star cast. Keith Andes is quite effective as the lawman who came up against a bit more than he expected, and Gene Evans (nice to see him in a good-guy role for once) complements him well as a state trooper who is as disgusted by the corruption as Andes is. An interesting story helped along by some sharp dialogue, tight pacing and good performances by most of the cast (there are a few less-than-inspired ones that tend to slow things down a bit, but not fatally) make this little-known film one to watch.

This movie is a good capture of the underworld crime in Louisiana during the prohibition era. It never made it big time because the acting is not top notch. Looking beyond that there is an excellent recall of how Louisiana, and particularly one man, handled the crime bosses of Louisiana. It is of particular interest to me because a large number of my family served as extras.