Tuesday's Overlooked Films: The Turning Point (1952)

This 1952 crime drama, base on a short story by Horace McCoy ( They Shoot Horses, Don't They?) is what you'd expect from a crime movie about the special prosecutor trying to break a midwestern city's crime syndicate. By now, the film noir theme feels like a familiar one to me. So, the film has to have something else going for it, and, fortunately, this film does. What makes it stand out is the sharp acting of a young William Holden as a dogged investigative reporter and Edmond O'Brien as the crusading special prosecutor. As I have said before, O'Brien leaves me hot or cold. This time I like his acting. Alexis Smith in a minor role plays the love interest. Ed Begley plays the ruthless crime kingpin that Holden and O'Brien are struggling to take down. Enjoyable fare.