The Undercover Man

A offbeat film noir from 1949 starring Glenn Ford & Nina Foch. Ford is a treasury agent hot on the heels of gathering information to convict a criminal through unorthodox means (he's building a case for tax evasion). Using dogged tactics to track down the bookmakers who keep the convicts' tabs (& confiscating their ledgers in the process), Ford's men, which include James Whitmore (in his screen debut), are a tight, professional lot but when the main con gets wind of Ford's activities, the usual goons are sent out to put pressure on the powers that be to lay off (even threatening Ford's wife, Foch, in the process). If only Ford can find one guy to testify & finally get the ball rolling in the right direction which proves easier said than done. That becomes the driving force of this story as Ford's tenacity is taken to the breaking point as his search becomes more desperate & dire. Running under 90 minutes, this film plays like an offshoot of the Charles Martin Smith character from The Untouchables (the books guy who figures out Capone can be got for fixing his books) which even though there aren't any gunfights to speak of, the tension is palpable & distinct. Co-starring Leo Penn (father of Sean, Michael & Chris) in a small role.

I'm wondering if there could be anything more boring than an IRS agent. In "The Undercover Man" from 1949, Glenn Ford plays an IRS agent (I doubt any of them are that good-looking) on a case with his cronies, one played by James Whitmore in his film debut. The film is directed by Joseph Lewis, who directed some very impressive noirs. This film has noirish elements.

Ford is Frank Warren, who is on the trail of someone called "The Big Fellow" as he attempts to get him on a tax evasion charge. If you haven't guessed, this is based on the Al Capone story. The agents walk around the Italian area of Chicago looking for someone who will talk. However, everyone the agents approach to testify or give evidence ends up dead.

These films tend to be pretty dry. This one is enlivened somewhat by Nina Foch as Warren's long-suffering wife, who has had to get used to her husband being away for long periods of time, and by some good scenes. One of the bookkeepers for the Big Fellow, Salvatore Rocco, played by Anthony Caruso, is gunned down in front of his daughter (Joan Lazar). When Warren goes to his funeral, he is called a murderer. Warren is tempted to give up and retire, but it's Rocco's mother who convinces him to keep fighting.

Barry Kelley plays the syndicate lawyer, who is sure no one can touch his client. A total slimeball, he does an excellent job in the role. Ford is right for an IRS agent - serious with no sense of humor.

There is another little guy in the mob that the IRS agents want, but he and his wife take off. The roles are played by Leo Penn and Patricia Barry. Barry I only recognized by voice. And even if you didn't know anything about Leo Penn, you'd know he was Sean's father just by looking at him.

Treasury Department agent Frank Warren (Glenn Ford) is looking to take down notorious mob leader Big Fellow.

It's a straight forward crime noir based on the Al Capone investigation and trial. I started off thinking that Ford is playing against type as a villain. That would have been a fun curveball but it quickly reveals itself. As a take on the Capone case, this has many similarities to other such crime dramas. It's generally fine to good although I don't like the little vacation with the wife. It's like the movie takes a vacation from itself. I get the emotional punch it's supposed to pack but it could have done that and more by threatening the wife directly. The tone is off during that section. This has some good parts but it doesn't always hit hard enough. The jury bit is great but of course, that gets done a lot. It would be nice for the danger to feel more intense. I never get the sense that Glenn Ford is ever in fear except for the wife threat.

Director Joseph H. Lewis brings his trademark stylishness to what is, ostensibly, a straightforward crime drama. Glenn Ford plays Warren, a Treasury Department agent who uses his knowledge of book-keeping to take a novel approach to take down the mob.

Assisted by Pappas (James Whitmore; in his film debut) and Wolfe (James Weinberg) and supported by supportive but strong wife (Nina Foch), Warren has to weave his way, methodically, to his ultimate prize - "The Big Fellow" (think Al Capone). Of course, the road to The Big Fellow is paved through low life street thugs (including Anthony Caruso as Rocco) and O'Rourke (Barry Kelley) - the crooked lawyer for "The Syndicate." O'Rourke relishes be able to rub his ill-gotten wealth in the lawman's face.

What lifts UNDERCOVER MAN is Lewis' street level view of New York City. You can practically taste the melting pot as Burnett Guffey's camera prowls through the crowded streets and into the shadowy corridors of the tenements they live in. George Duning's stark score adds to the tension. The acting is fine throughout, even if some of the ethnic touches in the screenplay get laid on a bit thick. We only hear the word 'Mafia' uttered in relation to original Sicilian roots. Here, it's always just the amorphous "Syndicate".

UNDERCOVER MAN is a B crime picture with some Noirish elements, but, it's a strong example of what good filmmaking and acting can do to take it up a notch.

Glenn Ford gives a believable performance in this fast paced film with an all too short role for the underrated Nina Foch. Great direction from Joseph H. Lewis.