Vice Squad 1953
6.6 / 10
Vice Squad
A Los Angeles police captain (Edward G. Robinson) ties the case of a slain policeman to a bank robbery, all in a day.
A Los Angeles police captain (Edward G. Robinson) ties the case of a slain policeman to a bank robbery, all in a day.
Videos & Photos
All 0 Videos & 5 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Capt. 'Barnie' Barnaby
... Al Barkis
... Pete Monty
... Jack Hartrampf
... Lt. Bob Imlay
... Det. Lacey
User reviews
See All 1 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
Look sister … That was a cop they killed - and you gals know who pulled the trigger! Vice Squad (AKA: The Girl in Room 17) is directed by Arnold Laven and adapted to screenplay by Lawrence Roman from the novel "Harness Bull" written by Leslie T. White. It stars Edward G. Robinson, Paulette Goddard, K.T. Stevens, Porter Hall, Adam Williams, Lee Van Cleef, Edward Binns, Barry Kelley and Jay Adler. Music is by Herschel Burke Gilbert and cinematography by Joseph F. Biroc. Whichever title the marketing people throw at this MGM programmer does not in any way tell you exactly what sort of film is on offer. I mean, "Vice Squad" sounds devilishly tempting but this is merely one strand in a whole, likewise the suggestive "The Girl in Room 17" is exactly the same. Really - and it is too bland for MGM suits to have ever considered - it should have been called "A Day in the Life of a Los Angeles Police Captain", for that is exactly what this is, and damn great it is too. Robinson is Captain Barnaby, who while trying to focus on who is responsible for the killing of a cop, has to juggle several other incidents in the day whilst coming to believe that a planned bank robbery the same day could be linked to the cop's murder. What quickly transpires is that Barnaby is not merely a cop, throughout the day he also has to be a psychiatrist and a councillor. He will have to make deals - not all text book legal - and he will use tricks and tactics that would now make the prissy brigade shiver and shake - and yet to get the right results has to be the order of the day here. He even will, during the chaos of the day, be called into a TV show interview to exude the upstanding greatness of the police force. What a day! As police procedural "noirs" of the 50s go this one sits at the top end of the table. The editing (Arthur H. Nadel) is high quality as it stitches all the threads together without halting the flow of the story, the multitude of subplots seamlessly holding attention throughout. Within these sublots we find cynicism and dramatic verve, some choice suggestive and mocking dialogue, and even some censor baiting humour (hello underwear thief). Cast are superb within their respective roles, led by a steely in character Robinson, and even though Goddard (all swingy hips and suggestive postures as the "escort agency" boss) is underused (a crime given her scenes with Robinson are electric), this is a fine roll call of 40s/50s genre performers doing justice to the material to hand. This was at the beginning of what would be a limited big screen directorial career for Arnold Laven (he would become a prolific TV series director/producer), but he marshals this one splendidly. He's helped by having Biroc (Cry Danger) on photography duty, where Biroc brings some deft noir visuals to the play (see the cross shadows as Barnaby takes troubling phone calls). Nifty location work comes out of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Long Beach, and how nice to report that there is now a nice looking print of the pic out there to sample. Ultimately though we want a hot pot of crims, coppers, shysters and working dames to seal our deal, and here we get the all - and all in one day! 8/10
Genres:
Release Date:
Jul 31, 1953 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 27`
MMPA Rating:
NR
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Vice Squad
Look sister … That was a cop they killed - and you gals know who pulled the trigger! Vice Squad (AKA: The Girl in Room 17) is directed by Arnold Laven and adapted to screenplay by Lawrence Roman from the novel "Harness Bull" written by Leslie T. White. It stars Edward G. Robinson, Paulette Goddard, K.T. Stevens, Porter Hall, Adam Williams, Lee Van Cleef, Edward Binns, Barry Kelley and Jay Adler. Music is by Herschel Burke Gilbert and cinematography by Joseph F. Biroc. Whichever title the marketing people throw at this MGM programmer does not in any way tell you exactly what sort of film is on offer. I mean, "Vice Squad" sounds devilishly tempting but this is merely one strand in a whole, likewise the suggestive "The Girl in Room 17" is exactly the same. Really - and it is too bland for MGM suits to have ever considered - it should have been called "A Day in the Life of a Los Angeles Police Captain", for that is exactly what this is, and damn great it is too. Robinson is Captain Barnaby, who while trying to focus on who is responsible for the killing of a cop, has to juggle several other incidents in the day whilst coming to believe that a planned bank robbery the same day could be linked to the cop's murder. What quickly transpires is that Barnaby is not merely a cop, throughout the day he also has to be a psychiatrist and a councillor. He will have to make deals - not all text book legal - and he will use tricks and tactics that would now make the prissy brigade shiver and shake - and yet to get the right results has to be the order of the day here. He even will, during the chaos of the day, be called into a TV show interview to exude the upstanding greatness of the police force. What a day! As police procedural "noirs" of the 50s go this one sits at the top end of the table. The editing (Arthur H. Nadel) is high quality as it stitches all the threads together without halting the flow of the story, the multitude of subplots seamlessly holding attention throughout. Within these sublots we find cynicism and dramatic verve, some choice suggestive and mocking dialogue, and even some censor baiting humour (hello underwear thief). Cast are superb within their respective roles, led by a steely in character Robinson, and even though Goddard (all swingy hips and suggestive postures as the "escort agency" boss) is underused (a crime given her scenes with Robinson are electric), this is a fine roll call of 40s/50s genre performers doing justice to the material to hand. This was at the beginning of what would be a limited big screen directorial career for Arnold Laven (he would become a prolific TV series director/producer), but he marshals this one splendidly. He's helped by having Biroc (Cry Danger) on photography duty, where Biroc brings some deft noir visuals to the play (see the cross shadows as Barnaby takes troubling phone calls). Nifty location work comes out of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Long Beach, and how nice to report that there is now a nice looking print of the pic out there to sample. Ultimately though we want a hot pot of crims, coppers, shysters and working dames to seal our deal, and here we get the all - and all in one day! 8/10
Cast & Crew of
Vice Squad
Directors & Credit Writers
Cast
... Capt. 'Barnie' Barnaby
... Al Barkis
... Pete Monty
... Jack Hartrampf
... Lt. Bob Imlay
... Det. Lacey
... Marty Kusalich
... Mona Ross
... Dwight Foreman
... Ginny
... Frankie Pierce
... Carol Lawson
... Vickie Webb
... Police Lt. Ed Chisolm
... Cop (uncredited)
... Fred (uncredited)
... Mona Ross' Secretary (uncredited)
... Officer Kellogg (uncredited)
... Miss Easton (uncredited)
... Mr. Jenner (uncredited)
Produced By
Videos & Photos of
Vice Squad
Photos ( 5 )
Related Movies To
Vice Squad
Ballerina (2025)
0 /10
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Eve Macarro begins her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
Run Time: 2hr 5` . MMPA: R . Release: 04 Jun 2025
Director: Matej Kricner , Len Wiseman , Chad Stahelski
Producer: Erica Lee , Basil Iwanyk , Keanu Reeves
Stars: Ana de Armas , Ian McShane , Anjelica Huston , Norman Reedus , Keanu Reeves , Lance Reddick
First Shift (2024)
0 /10
NYPD veteran Mike and rookie Angela tackle a high-stakes day on New York's toughest streets, diving headfirst into a vortex of danger and action. Their adrenaline-fueled pursuits and unexpected threats unfold as they navigate perilous encounters. Amidst the chaos, intense challenges forge unbreakable bonds.
Run Time: 1hr 29` . MMPA: . Release: 30 Aug 2024
Director: Phillip Rush , Uwe Boll , Béla Baptiste
Producer: Anthony Argento , Ari Taub , Uwe Boll
Stars: Kristen Renton , Gino Anthony Pesi , Garry Pastore , James McMenamin , Willie C. Carpenter , Michael Emery
xXx (2002)
5.8 /10
Xander Cage is your standard adrenaline junkie with no fear and a lousy attitude. When the US Government "recruits" him to go on a mission, he's not exactly thrilled. His mission: to gather information on an organization that may just be planning the destruction of the world, led by the nihilistic Yorgi.
Run Time: 2hr 4` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 09 Aug 2002
Director: Jules Stewart , Rob Cohen , M. James Arnett
Producer: Lisa Imhoff , Debra James , Sande Alessi
Stars: Vin Diesel , Asia Argento , Samuel L. Jackson , Leila Arcieri , Marton Csokas , Eve
STRAW (2025)
0 /10
What will be her last straw? A devastatingly bad day pushes a hardworking single mother to the breaking point — and into a shocking act of desperation.
Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: R . Release: 05 Jun 2025
Director: Matt Hendren , Roger Berard , Tyler Perry
Producer: Nadia Brown , Angi Bones , Kim Taylor-Coleman
Stars: Taraji P. Henson , Sherri Shepherd , Teyana Taylor , Sinbad , Rockmond Dunbar , Ashley Versher
A Working Man (2025)
0 /10
Levon Cade left behind a decorated military career in the black ops to live a simple life working construction. But when his boss's daughter, who is like family to him, is taken by human traffickers, his search to bring her home uncovers a world of corruption far greater than he ever could have imagined.
Run Time: 1hr 56` . MMPA: R . Release: 26 Mar 2025
Director: Emily Richardson , Kelly Maracin Krieg , David Ayer
Producer: John Friedberg , David Ayer , Alexis Garcia
Stars: Jason Statham , David Harbour , Michael Peña , Jason Flemyng , Arianna Rivas , Noemi Gonzalez
The Accountant² (2025)
0 /10
When an old acquaintance is murdered, Wolff is compelled to solve the case. Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother, Brax, to help. In partnership with Marybeth Medina, they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.
Run Time: 2hr 13` . MMPA: R . Release: 23 Apr 2025
Director: Fernando Chien , Gavin O'Connor , Alina Gatti
Producer: Jamie Patricof , Gavin O'Connor , Scott LaStaiti
Stars: Ben Affleck , Jon Bernthal , J.K. Simmons , Cynthia Addai-Robinson , Daniella Pineda , Allison Robertson
Deep Cover (2025)
0 /10
Kat is an improv comedy teacher beginning to question if she’s missed her shot at success. When an undercover cop offers her the role of a lifetime, she recruits two of her students to infiltrate London’s gangland by impersonating dangerous criminals.
Run Time: 1hr 39` . MMPA: R . Release: 12 Jun 2025
Director: Tom Kingsley , Kelly Maracin Krieg
Producer: Alex Johnson , Colin Trevorrow , Walter F. Parkes
Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard , Orlando Bloom , Sean Bean , Paddy Considine , Ian McShane , Nick Mohammed
Real Gangsters (2013)
7.2 /10
Real Gangsters tells the story of the Lo Giacamo family, one of the most successful crime syndicates in New York City. Run by cousins Vincent Lo Giacamo and Jack Lo Giacamo, Real Gangsters shows how these two men maintain control of their dangerous extended family and volatile business ventures by very different means.
Run Time: 1hr 28` . MMPA: . Release: 01 Jun 2013
Director: Frank D'Angelo
Producer:
Stars: Robert Loggia , John Savage , Steven Bauer , Margot Kidder , Nick Mancuso , Michael Paré
The Unholy Trinity (2025)
0 /10
Set against the turbulent backdrop of 1870s Montana, in the moments before the execution of Isaac Broadway, he gives his estranged son, Henry, an impossible task: murder the man who framed him for a crime he didn’t commit. Intent on fulfilling his promise, Henry travels to the remote town of Trinity, where an unexpected turn of events traps him in town and leaves him caught between Gabriel Dove, the town’s upstanding new sheriff, and a mysterious figure named St. Christopher.
Run Time: 1hr 35` . MMPA: R . Release: 13 Jun 2025
Director: Richard Gray
Producer: Colin Floom , Kellie Lessard Brooks , Jeanne Allgood
Stars: Brandon Lessard , Pierce Brosnan , Samuel L. Jackson , Q'orianka Kilcher , Tim Daly , Veronica Ferres
Confess, Fletch (2022)
6.5 /10
The roguishly charming and endlessly troublesome Fletch becomes the prime suspect in a murder case while searching for a stolen art collection. The only way to prove his innocence? Find out which of the long list of suspects is the culprit - from the eccentric art dealer and a missing playboy to a crazy neighbor and Fletch’s Italian girlfriend. Crime, in fact, has never been this disorganized.
Run Time: 1hr 39` . MMPA: R . Release: 16 Sep 2022
Director: Tim LaDue , Matthew Vose Campbell , Greg Mottola
Producer: Jon Hamm , Ian Davis , Matthew Vose Campbell
Stars: Jon Hamm , Lorenza Izzo , Kyle MacLachlan , Roy Wood Jr. , Ayden Mayeri , Marcia Gay Harden
The Hard Hit (2023)
7.2 /10
An Interpol agent hunting the head of a global crime syndicate tracks his target to Las Vegas, but when the criminal organization kills his wife and daughter, he goes above the law to get his revenge.
Run Time: 1hr 16` . MMPA: NR . Release: 20 Oct 2023
Director: Darien Smith , Omie Blue
Producer: Darien Smith , Jamie Ohlsen , Brian Ronan Mulroy
Stars: Jamie Ohlsen , Trae Ireland , Malachi Durant , Richard T. Jones , Markice Moore , Jerry G. Angelo
10th & Wolf (2006)
6.3 /10
A former street thug returns to his Philadelphia home after a stint in the military. Back on his home turf, he once again finds himself tangling with the mob boss who was instrumental in his going off to be a soldier.
Run Time: 1hr 47` . MMPA: R . Release: 19 Feb 2006
Director: Bobby Moresco
Producer: Jeffrey W. Tott , Suzanne DeLaurentiis , Leo Rossi
Stars: James Marsden , Giovanni Ribisi , Brad Renfro , Piper Perabo , Dennis Hopper , Brian Dennehy