- The usual trouble with crime pictures filmed in "documentary style" is that real life is really boring. I expect that more than half of all police work involves sitting at a desk filling out forms or waiting around patiently for a criminal to make their big mistake, and that just doesn't make for exciting cinema. Footage of switchboard operators switches me off. Occasionally, well-directed films like The Naked City transcend the genre, but the rest of them generally seem duller than their contemporaries, even if they are slightly more realistic. The interesting conceit of Crime Wave is that it flirts with the documentary style without actually trying to be a realistic film.
- The basic situation is perhaps not all that implausible. Led by a gangster type named 'Doc' Penny (Ted de Corsia), a small criminal outfit consisting of a brute named Hastings (Charles Buchinsky) and a hired gun named Morgan (Nedrick Young) have been committing low-yield robberies up and down the California coast. One night, they hit a gas station, and Morgan gets himself shot. Desperate to get medical treatment, he contacts a crooked veterinarian named Hessler (Jay Novello) and sets up a meeting at the home of fellow ex-convict Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson). Too bad for Lacey that he picked this time in his life to go completely legit.
- It isn't long before gangsters and cops alike are hounding Lacey for help. The amusingly gruff Police Detective Sims (Sterling Hayden) asserts that Lacey has reverted back to a life of crime, but Lacey's wife (Phyllis Kirk) and parole officer (James Bell) think differently. On the other hand, Doc Penny and Hastings know that Lacey is a straight arrow, but insinuate themselves into his life anyway. Whether or not he likes the idea, it looks like Lacey is going to have to help Doc Penny with his upcoming bank robbery caper if he ever wants to get clear of this dangerous gang. Let's just hope he finds a way to do it so that he can go back to worrying about "the hazards of life on the outside."
- While the proceedings may sound believable enough, the characters are another matter entirely. Leading the pack is Detective Sims, who would probably be biting off people's heads if he weren't fiercely gnashing toothpicks instead. Sterling Hayden made his entire career out of being the biggest, toughest man in the room, and his captivating performance in this film is no exception. Hessler, too, is a fascinating specimen who strongly prefers the company of canines when he isn't rummaging through the pockets of dead men. The most interesting character, however, may be the one planted behind the camera. Director André De Toth dabbled in both westerns and horror, and is most famous for the film House of Wax that was, until recently at least, probably the best known 3D film. Did I mention that De Toth lost an eye in an anti-Nazi demonstration and was married to Veronica Lake (who had only two of his 19 children)? Regardless of the details of his personal life, Crime Wave's impressive direction, real settings, low-light cinematography, and realistic ambient soundtrack prove that he was the right man for this job. A job he finished filming in only 13 days, I might add.
- Charles Buchinsky is also known as...Charles Bronson!
- Hank Worden has a cameo.
- Based on a short story by John and Ward Hawkins.
