crime wave be a slick little b thriller that have be rediscover recently . direct by andre de toth and it a neat little film noire that have become a classic of sort . it be film in 1952 but not release until 1954 and then come out on the bottom half of a double bill . it run a scant 73 minute but contain all of the dark shadow and special lighting and plenty of night scene common in film of this genre . it be film entirely in 1952 los angelis except for a few process rear projection in car shot . three criminal and doc penny ( ted de corsia ) and ben hastings ( charles bronson aka buchinsky ) and gat morgan ( nedrick young ) be on a crime wave and rob gas station and small business . the film open at a gas station where gu snider ( dub taylor ) be the night clerk . morgan slugs snider but a passing cop suspect trouble and stop . morgan shoot the cop but get shot himself . hastings make sure of the cop . penner give morgan some money and tell him to go to the apartment of steve lacey ( gene nelson ) a former in mate acquaintance to await dr. hessler ( jay novello ) and a de frock physician who will help him . lacey and his wife ellen ( phyllis kirk ) want no part of this for fear that steve will be draw back into a life of crime . just before dr. hessler arrive morgan dy . meanwhile and back at the scene of the crime and police lt. sims ( sterling hayden ) begin his investigation . he round up all of the usual suspect in the hope of learn where the criminal have go . he narrow it down to lacey apartment . he go to lacey apartment and begin to badger steve and ellen believing that once a crook always a crook . later and penner and hastings turn up at the apartment and threaten ellen with harm unless steve play along with their plan to rob a bank . they then go to penner hideout where sully ( mack chandler ) and the psycho johnny haslett ( timothy carey ) await them . they finalize their plan and plan to leave ellen behind with haslett a insurance that steve will do his part . they go to the bank where sully cut the power and . sterling hayden be excellent a the seedy determine cop . with his rumpled suit and uneven tie and tooth pick and impose 65 frame and he make an intimidating figure . gene nelson and who be a song and dance man and impress in a rare dramatic role . although there no femme fatale to speak of and phyllis kirk ellen come a across a a wife in control of her husband . the rest of the cast be make up of establish and recognizable character actor . except for bronson and most have be around for year and make excellent foil for the lead player . and watch for iris adrian and fritz feld be question at police headquarters and hank worden a lacey bos . it great to see warner bros. bring back these lose little classic . this film and nine other film be include in film noire volume 4 on dvd .