The Vice Squad

...ha cha cha cha. So sang Kid Creole and the Coconuts and this must have inspired the writers to embark on a 'stoolie' story. The outcome is an attack on the corrupt police in the Vice Squad. After the dramatic killing of a policeman by Ambassador's wife, Juliette Compton at the film's beginning, Paul Lukas (Stephen) is left to take the blame and so is blackmailed into becoming a police informer. His role becomes one to set up girls to be prosecuted on vagrancy charges, ie, prostitution. However, once kindly Judith Wood (Madeline) is targeted, he has second thoughts about his new profession.

The film is ok, made more interesting by the fact that this is pretty well what actually went on. It has a good social history value. The film also depicts idiot policemen getting their come-uppance. This happens at the beginning of the film when the rozza books Lukas and Compton for 'necking', even though they weren't, after shouting out "Vice Squad" at them. Who does he think he is? Well, Compton sorts him out nicely. Even if it is a bit of a shock.

The film loses its way a bit with Lukas in the lead as he gets s bit mopey and you sometimes can't understand him because of his thick accent. I'd watch it again, though.