I recently saw The Turning Point on TCM's Noir Alley with Noir Expert Eddie Muller and he only had good things to say about the film. My reaction to it was not as enthusiastic as Mr. Muller although it's still better than a number of noirs, many of which fall into the "B list" picture category. The Turning Point is actually an "A list" film as evidenced by the casting (with the hot star of the time William Holden in the lead role).
Then what exactly is wrong with The Turning Point? Well the first quarter is kind of slow. Holden plays a cynical newspaperman Jerry McKIbbon on the trail of DA John Conroy's (Edmond O'Brien) cop father, Matt (Tom Tully) whom he believes is on take from mob boss Neil Eichelberger (Ed Begley). Jerry follows John's Dad around and does indeed discover that he's been a crooked cop for years. But all the determined newspaperman does is follow his suspect around from place to place-not much suspense here.
Jerry suggests that Matt play along with the mob and pilfer a police report from the police archives which Eichelberger fears may incriminate him. The mob gets wind that Matt is now talking to Jerry and arrange for him to be assassinated by a low level hoodlum Monty LaRue (Tony Barr) who is turn gunned down by Eichelberger's henchman at the scene of Matt's murder. So things finally do pick up at this juncture.
The story slows down again as DA John Conroy conducts hearings grilling Eichelberger who artfully dodges questions regarding his business history. The hearings mimic the nationally broadcast Kefauver Congressional hearings into mob activities. The only memorable thing about this scene is Carolyn Jones' acting debut as a mob moll (Jones of course became famous as Morticia in the Addams Family).
But the stakes once again increase exponentially when the mob torches the Arco Securities building, a company that contains business records that can incriminate them. It's an effective scene as innocent people are shown as burn victims on the street.
A subplot involves Conroy's assistant, Amanda Waycross (Alexis Smith) who falls for Jerry much to Conroy's chagrin.
Following the burning down of the Arco Securities building and the tremendous loss of life, Conroy becomes depressed and is on the verge of quitting but suddenly gets an unlikely break when Carmelina LaRue (Adele Longmire), wife of the slain assassin Monty, comes forward and offers to testify against Eichelberger's cronies.
The mob attempts to kill both Carmelina and Jerry (who can corroborate her testimony) but is only successful with the latter. I suppose the intentional lack of a happy ending here broke the Hollywood mold and was the better aesthetic choice.
The ending however I felt was contrived as I had a hard time believing that Jerry would so easily fall into the trap of going to the boxing arena where indeed he is picked off by the mob's hired gun.
The acting here is consistently good with some good steamy chemistry between Holden and Smith. O'Brien also does well as he ends up taking down the mob despite having to deal with all the prior adversity that comes his way.
I would recommend The Turning Point if it's on TCM again but be forewarned there are parts to the narrative that are uneven.
Then what exactly is wrong with The Turning Point? Well the first quarter is kind of slow. Holden plays a cynical newspaperman Jerry McKIbbon on the trail of DA John Conroy's (Edmond O'Brien) cop father, Matt (Tom Tully) whom he believes is on take from mob boss Neil Eichelberger (Ed Begley). Jerry follows John's Dad around and does indeed discover that he's been a crooked cop for years. But all the determined newspaperman does is follow his suspect around from place to place-not much suspense here.
Jerry suggests that Matt play along with the mob and pilfer a police report from the police archives which Eichelberger fears may incriminate him. The mob gets wind that Matt is now talking to Jerry and arrange for him to be assassinated by a low level hoodlum Monty LaRue (Tony Barr) who is turn gunned down by Eichelberger's henchman at the scene of Matt's murder. So things finally do pick up at this juncture.
The story slows down again as DA John Conroy conducts hearings grilling Eichelberger who artfully dodges questions regarding his business history. The hearings mimic the nationally broadcast Kefauver Congressional hearings into mob activities. The only memorable thing about this scene is Carolyn Jones' acting debut as a mob moll (Jones of course became famous as Morticia in the Addams Family).
But the stakes once again increase exponentially when the mob torches the Arco Securities building, a company that contains business records that can incriminate them. It's an effective scene as innocent people are shown as burn victims on the street.
A subplot involves Conroy's assistant, Amanda Waycross (Alexis Smith) who falls for Jerry much to Conroy's chagrin.
Following the burning down of the Arco Securities building and the tremendous loss of life, Conroy becomes depressed and is on the verge of quitting but suddenly gets an unlikely break when Carmelina LaRue (Adele Longmire), wife of the slain assassin Monty, comes forward and offers to testify against Eichelberger's cronies.
The mob attempts to kill both Carmelina and Jerry (who can corroborate her testimony) but is only successful with the latter. I suppose the intentional lack of a happy ending here broke the Hollywood mold and was the better aesthetic choice.
The ending however I felt was contrived as I had a hard time believing that Jerry would so easily fall into the trap of going to the boxing arena where indeed he is picked off by the mob's hired gun.
The acting here is consistently good with some good steamy chemistry between Holden and Smith. O'Brien also does well as he ends up taking down the mob despite having to deal with all the prior adversity that comes his way.
I would recommend The Turning Point if it's on TCM again but be forewarned there are parts to the narrative that are uneven.