Inside Detroit

Soon to be released after a five year prison stretch, mob kingpin Gus Linden (Pat O'Brien) plots to seize control of the local auto workers union over which he formerly presided. When a bombing attempt he ordered at the local union hall fails to take out his intended target, the new hard nosed union president Blair Vickers (Dennis O'Keefe), Linden has to develop an alternate plan. Upon his arrival back in town Linden a sociopath and all around horrible human being, drops by his house just long enough to say hello and have a piece of cake with his family before he takes off to a party that he ordered for himself to celebrate his release. There he meets up with his ex-girlfriend (Tina Carver) who runs a "modeling agency" and his former criminal associates to launch a plan that will eliminate Vickers once and for all. Vickers, whose brother was killed in the bombing of the union hall, decides to play hardball himself and isn't above a few ruthless tactics of his own.

'Inside Detroit' is another of the 1950's expose' style semi-documentaries that sensationalized the soft white underbelly of urban crime popularized by scandal sheet tabloids of the era. The opening narration begins with authoritative commentary by John Cameron Swayze lauding Detroit as a symbol of virtue and United States economic might but unfortunately as with many other cities it has become a syndicate infested cesspool. Soon begins the plight of the common man to fight back against the entrenched criminal machine.

Seeing this was a Sam Katzman Production directed by Fred Sears, I was pleasantly surprised by the production quality. Katzman and Sears who teamed up for multiple features such as The Giant Claw and Calypso Heat Wave usually worked like every dollar was the last they would ever see. Here they use actual Detroit locations which adds weight to the texture of the film. A shout-out to Cinematographer Henry Freulich who from time to time seems to channel his inner John Alton with shots and angles reminiscent of another Dennis O'Keefe film, 'T-Men'.

A fun romp into another era and style of film making.