The Miami Story (1954)
In post-World War II America, a rise in gangster activity prompts the formation of an investigative committee by the U.S. Senate, forcing many criminals to flee to the safety of the tourist-filled and ineffectually policed Miami. When two Cuban gangsters are gunned down upon arrival at Miami's airport by gangster boss Tony Brill's (Luther Adler) right-hand man, Ted Delacorte (John Baer), and police chief Martin Belman (Damian O'Flynn) is unable to secure an indictment, journalist Charles Earnshaw (Tom Greenway) summons several prominent Miami businessmen for assistance. The men are dubious about stopping Brill's ruthless criminal machine, until attorney Frank Alton (Dan Riss) suggests a plan.
Twelve years earlier, Alton defended a gangster, Mick Flagg (Barry Sullivan), against a murder charge and proved him innocent. Flagg went straight after the trial and into hiding. Alton suggests Mick's past would allow him to get inside Brill's organization and the group agrees to locate Mick.
Mick initially declines the group's request, believing it too dangerous, until Alton reveals that Brill was responsible for framing Mick for murder. Mick decides to set himself up as a rival crime boss returning to America from Cuba, asks to be assigned Cuban police as his "gang," and has a former member of Brill's mob sprung from jail to glean inside information about Brill's organization.
Holly Abbott (Beverly Garland) is linked with the two murdered Cuban victims, and armed. Holly confronts Mick in his hotel room, and reveals she was in Cuba looking for her older sister Gwen.
Unknown to Holly and Mick, Gwen is Brill's girl friend. Suspicious that Holly may be a plant sent by Brill, Mick takes her to Brill's casino, the Biscayne Club. Spotting Mick and Holly at the card table, Brill summons him and has Holly watched. Mick warns Brill of his intention to move in on his activities, but the gangster scoffs. Later, Mick moves Holly from her hotel and places her under the protection of Cuban Lt. Martinez (Ray Kellogg).
The next day, under Brill's orders, Gwen visits Holly, and learns of Gwen's involvement with Brill. Chief Belman and the others request that they close the Biscayne Club under any pretense. Holly and Martinez are severely beaten as a threat to Mick.
That evening, the Biscayne club is raided and closed down. Mick informs Delacorte of his plan to do away with Brill and offers him the chance to run Miami if he agrees to kill Brill. Mick calls Brill, who reveals that Gil will be released when the Biscayne is reopened and Mick has returned to Cuba. Mick informs Belman and they arrange to have the Biscayne set up with secretly placed television cameras. Holly asks Gwen to the hospital, where she pleads with her to reveal Gil's whereabouts. When Gwen refuses, Mick turns her over to the police for running a prostitution ring.
That evening the Biscayne reopens. The television cameras record Delacorte's confession that he murdered the Cubans at Brill's request, and Brill's admission of several crimes. When Delacorte at last shoots Brill, however, he discovers that his gun which was given to him by Mick, is filled with blanks. Brill and Delacorte escape in a speed boat, but are pursued by Mick and the police. They soon realize that Brill is heading for his yacht and arrive there first. Brill immediately surrenders, and Delacorte attempts to escape but is ultimately captured by Mick. Gil is discovered safe, and he and Mick return to their former life, along with Holly, who completes their family.
A 1954 American black & white docu noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears, produced by Sam Katzman, written by Robert E. Kent, cinematography by Henry Freulich, starring Barry Sullivan, Luther Adler, John Baer, Adele Jergens, and Beverly Garland.
Distributed by Columbia Pictures, this gangster B-Movie pins everything on broad patriotism – it’s your duty as a citizen to stomp on crime, and where there’s will, there’s a solution. It wants to project the greatness of the middle class, inspire others to action to clamp down on post-WWII organized crime, and dabbles in a quasi-verité ambience at times, including with a real life PSA introduction by United States Florida Senator George Smathers, informing the world that organized crime is a thing of the past in Miami, driven out of the state.
Director Sears knew how to craft a stock crime story so that it never slowed long enough to give an audience a chance to question it. Sears, producer Katzman, and writer Kent re-teamed two years later for the similarly-themed "Miami Exposé" (1956).
Katzman was a master of exploiting trends. His methods were cheap and quick. After producing a flurry of westerns in the ‘40s, Katzman jumped into sci-fi, and onward with teen hot rod spectacles before his death in the early ‘70s. His only goal was putting butts in the seats.
This enjoyably pulpy low-budget crime meller with a good cast and fast paced plot holds up well for today's audience.