VICE RAID (aka: PLEASURE GIRL)
(director: Edward L. Cahn; screenwriter: Charles Ellis; cinematographer: Stan Cortez; editor: Grant Whytock; music: Paul Sawtell/Bert Shefter; cast: Mamie Van Doren (Carol Hudson), Richard Coogan (Sgt. Whitey Brandon), Brad Dexter (Vince Malone), Barry Atwater (Phil Evans), Frank Gerstle (Capt. Brennan), Carol Nugent (Louise Hudson), Joseph Sullivan (Ben Dunton), Shep Sanders (Mugsy); Runtime: 71; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Robert Kent; MGM “Limited Edition Collection”; 1960)
“Bland and uninspiring, that is unless you keep eyeballing the curvaceous platinum blonde beauty Mamie Van Doren.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Edward L. Cahn (“Guns, Girls and Gangsters”/”Law and Order”/”Voodoo Woman”) lazily directs this uninteresting sleazy low-budget B-film crime drama, which looks like a film noir thanks to the slick black-and-white photography of legendary cinematographer Stanley Cortez. Writer Charles Ellis keeps it bland and uninspiring, that is unless you keep eyeballing the curvaceous platinum blonde beauty Mamie Van Doren.
In NYC, vice squad partners Sgt. Whitey Brandon (Richard Coogan) and the corrupt Sgt. Ben Dunton (Joseph Sullivan), on the payroll of mob leader Vince Malone (Brad Dexter), have different job goals. The soft vice squad head Capt. William Brennan (Frank Gerstle) doesn’t understand why his men can’t get the goods on the racketeer Malone to break up his prostitution ring (like who would ever think the mob bought police protection!). Meanwhile Malone is frustrated he has bought himself enough police protection, but can’t bribe the pesty gung-ho Whitey. When Malone learns through Ben that Whitey is investigating his bogus model agencies as a front for prostitution, he decides to frame the honest cop with the Motor City hooker Carol Hudson (Mamie Van Doren). It works and after the trial of Carol, the Internal Affairs unit fires Whitey for asking the model for a payoff to avoid being arrested. The false story was sworn to by Ben when he took the stand at the trial.
Even when off the force, tough-guy Whitey goes solo after Malone’s syndicate and then surprisingly gets help from Carol after her innocent kid sister Louise (Carol Nugent), visiting for a few weeks, is viciously raped by Malone’s oily henchman, Phil Evans (Barry Atwater), after rejected by Carol.
Everything is forgettable and, as expected, ends on a happy pat note.
REVIEWED ON 6/23/2013 GRADE: C+