Sophienoire — 2 years ago(December 15, 2023 12:50 PM)

This upper end B noir film, directed by Joseph Pevney, stars Scott Brady, Alexis Smith, Royal Dano, Angela Clarke, Edmon Ryan, Regis Toomey, Gerald Mohr and Richard Egan.
The story starts out in Los Angeles where a Police informant is badly wounded in a vicious knife attack. Before he bites it, the informant tells his Police Detective contact, Scott Brady, there is a large shipment of drugs coming to town. The shipment is arriving from New York. He also manages to whisper there is a crooked New York cop involved.
As this is going on in LA, back on the east coast, Police Detective Regis Toomey, the crooked cop, has had a change of heart. Toomey has a meeting with mobster, Gerald Mohr about the 10 large he took to look the other way. He tosses the cash back at Mohr and tells him he is taking him in. This does not go well for Toomey. A henchman of Mohr puts the kibosh on Toomey.
Now we meet Alexis Smith, Smith is a trainee with the NYPD following in her father's footsteps. She takes Toomey's murder hard and redoubles her efforts to make the force.
LA cop Brady is soon in New York to see if he can uncover anything about the drug shipment. Smith does not believe Brady that her father might have been a bent copper. She offers to help out Brady. Brady takes her up on the offer. He will send her in as an undercover type back in LA.
It is back to LA to fill in Smith on her new identity etc. They hook Smith up with an old time gangster's moll, Gladys George. George is pumped by Smith for every bit of info she can get. This will help establish Smith's criminal "bona fides" for her new identity. She is to play a buyer for a drug ring in Chicago.
Several weeks of studying are needed before Smith can be inserted into the local criminal crowd. Smith is put up in a downtown rooming house next door to Angela Clarke. Clarke is the former dolly of low level underworld type, Royal Dano. Clarke is a drunk always looking for a bottle. A few words in her ear from Smith, and a promise of some cash, soon does the trick.
Dano shows up at Clarke's apartment in a less than happy state. He is not amused that Clarke has set up the meeting with an out of town type. Clarke gets slapped around, then, shoved out the 3rd floor window. Dano beats the feet out and right into Miss Smith. She points to a back way out of the building.
Smith fills in Brady on the night's events. Brady thinks the case is far too dangerous to continue, but Smith still wants revenge for her father's murder. She tracks down Dano and convinces him to introduce her to someone higher up the drug food chain. A promise of 1000 bucks quickly has Dano on side.
Miss Smith is soon shown into the office of a doctor. The man, Edom Ryan, has a sideline selling heroin. Ryan actually works for the same mobster, Mohr, who killed Toomey in New York. Keeping an eye on Doc Ryan is, "mad as a hatter" gunsel, Harry Landers. Also on Mohr's payroll is Lynn Ainley.
Before Ryan agrees to any transaction, he needs to check out Smith's identification etc. Smith knows all the proper answers to the right questions, and is bumped up the line. She meets the boss, Mohr. A deal is quickly arranged for a substantial amount of product for an equally substantial pile of cash.
Now of course the flies start to roost in the ointment. Miss Smith runs into her former beau from New York, Richard Egan. He blows her cover in front of Dano. Dano, an enterprising bottom feeder if ever there was one, decides to blackmail Policewoman Smith. Five large or he turns her over to Mohr. He gives a time and place to Smith for the exchange.
Smith is swiftly on the horn to Brady about her ex, Egan, and swine, Dano. Brady arranges for Dano to be grabbed up. Egan is also grabbed at his hotel and the situation explained to him. Dano however sees the cops arrive at the meet and hotfoots it away.
Dano pays a visit to the Doctor, Edom Ryan. He explains that Smith is a Police plant and Ryan should inform Mohr. Ryan though has taken a shine to pretty Smith. He gives Dano a large brandy. Of course it is really a mickey finn. He then has Dano disposed of by one of Mohr's thugs. He intends to say nothing about what Dano told him.
Smith now shows to close the deal. Ryan, Smith and gunsel Landers head to the old empty rundown hotel for the buy. Brady and the cops follow. The sale goes sideways as Mohr hears from another source that Smith is a cop.
Guns are pulled and used. Brady and the Police rush the place and join in the lead exchange. Ryan and gunman, Landers are soon suffering from a low blood count. Smith and Mohr are upstairs doing a bit of cat and mouse. Smith gets the drop on Mohr but is stopped by Brady from killing the swine. It is a date with the rope for Mohr anyways.
*
In so many ways, this story about the undercover operation of a female police officer feels like a fantastic precursor for Police Woman, Cagney and Lacey, and even Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Yet, the gender of our main character is not the only ce