The Turning Point

Moviecut—The Turning Point

source: The Turning Point

That's in the opening scenes! So O'Brien 's gonna 'get woke' to the world. I don't think its worth yr time but there is a theological reason to see, even enjoy.

John Conroy (Edmund O'Brien) is a Special Prosecutor looking into the activities of the criminal Eichelberger syndicate. The setting is a midwestern city, never named, perhaps because they didn't want to smear the name of Chicago once again. Jerry McKibbon (William Holden) is a local journalist who grew up with John, but who is very cynical and thinks John is just too naive for the task. Jerry gets suspicious of Matt Conroy, John's dad and a policeman, and starts following him. He finds that Conroy is meeting with Eichelberger and his men, and is probably the leak in the prosecutor's office and on the take. Meanwhile, John is suspecting that Jerry might be that leak, and yet Jerry does not have the heart to tell John the truth about his dad, whom John lionizes. Complications ensue. The plot is fine, though it really doesn't go anyplace that surprises. If you are expecting some neat twists and turns, they never really appear. But that dialogue! Yikes! It's like the writing style of Ayn Rand got spliced together with that of Damon Runyan. You've got ordinary people talking like gangsters and the respectable higher class people range from having what sounds like normal conversation at times to dialogue that sounds like it was written for a Soviet play, with a bunch of ham fisted melodramatic dialogue thrown in for good measure. It really is an odd combination. And you haven't lived until you've heard Russell Johnson - The Professor of Gilligan's Island fame - talking like he was raised in Brooklyn. The individual scenes are like a guided tour of urban noir settings - the fights, a police line-up, a rather dingy diner, a bowling alley, and a pool hall just to mention a few. And the cinematography does not disappoint. Just don't think too hard when it comes to individual decisions made, in particular those by Holden's character. At times it seems like his actions make no sense other than, without him doing or suggesting something rather stupid, the plot could not progress any further.

If you like your noir realistic, then this film is for you. The twist ending will also provide a surprise for some, although it is generally a Hollywood formula that when two good guys are interested in the same girl, one of them usually gets knocked off. William Holden, Edmund O'Brien, Neville Brand (TV Untouchables), and Carolyn Jones all give outstanding performances. A reporter and cop love the same woman and the mob is after both men. Great dialogue; especially the line where the top hood says (paraphrasing) "your college degree didnt make you better or smarter than the rest of us in the real world".

From 1952 Paramount, The Turning Point is a crime drama starring William Holden, Alexis Smith, Edmond O'Brien, and Ed Begley. O'Brien is John Conroy an attorney who has returned to his home town to lead a commission dedicated to wiping out corruption in their city, somewhere in the midwest. Holden is Jerry McKibbon, his childhood friend who is now a sharp and somewhat cynical reporter. He spots McKibbon's idealism right away and thinks he might be headed for a big reality check. Alexis Smith plays Amanda, a socialite who is John's girlfriend and secretary. Some of this is telegraphed early. First off, how long does anyone think Amanda will stay Ed Begley's girlfriend once she sees William Holden? Then John happily tells his police detective father that he is hiring him as chief investigator for the commission. His father (Tom Tully) doesn't want the job. Now why do we suppose that is? Ed Begley is the head mobster, Neil Eichelberger, a crumb who doesn't care whom he has to kill or blow up to get his way. One of his henchman is Roy Ackerman (Danny Dayton). They're both foul. Even with some predictability, this is a well-acted, tight story directed by William Dieterle. The end takes place at a boxing match and is exciting. Watch for Neville Brand as an out of town hit man at the end of the film. For trivia buffs, there are some uncredited people who rose above being uncredited: Carolyn Jones in her first film; '50s starlet Rachel Ames, who joined the cast of General Hospital in 1964, a year after its debut. She still occasionally makes an appearance, and she looks fantastic. Also Whit Bissell and Robert Rockwell (Mr. Boynton on Our Miss Brooks). Good movie.

It's not easy to make 1952 Los Angeles look very interesting. A panoramic view shows mostly smog. But "The Turning Point" does its best and the location shooting is one of its most admirable features. Prominent use is made of the two-block long funicular railway that runs up from "Pond Street", meaning Hill and Olive Streets in L.A. The incline is lined on both sides with inexpensive clapboard housing that suggests "working class", and some scenes are shot in the doorways and apartments. It's all gone now, railway included, to make way for some bland and pitiless "redevelopment" in 1968. Everything in Los Angeles gives way to redevelopment when the property becomes valuable enough. Stores proudly announce, "Serving The Public Since 2012!" "Chinatown" gave us a picture postcard view of Los Angeles in 1937 and made the place look limitlessly livable. At any rate, cynical reporter William Holden and idealistic anti-crime crusader Edmund O'Brien both grew up in the same neighborhood of Central City or whatever Los Angeles is called here. (So did Ted de Corsia, a thug as usual, but not without principles for a change.) O'Brien is anxious to shut down the crooked gangster who runs the city, Ed Begley. I don't want to give away the entire plot but I guess I can say that Alexis Smith is the girl friend with the striking eyes, especially for a Canadian, who is O'Brien's girl friend but finds herself falling for the hard-bitten reporter. She doesn't have much else to do and is chiefly there to add some romantic drama to the story and to demonstrate that both Holden and O'Brien are heterosexual. Overall, it's rather routine but there are some interesting twists (the corruption reaches into O'Brien's own family) and some nicely done scenes. Aside from the hiding, shooting, and general mishigas on the funicular railway, the scene in which O'Brien rushes to the hospital after his friend Holden has been shot is understated. In a movie that was as corrupt as Central City, we'd expect O'Brien to dash into the hospital's reception room, only to be stopped by a doctor in white. "How -- how is he?", O'Brien would stutter. "I'm afraid we were too late," the doc replies sadly but philosophically. I won't describe how this familiar scene is handled here but it's better than you might think. Another memorable incident is the arrest of Ed Begley, who plays a much more delicate slime ball here than he did in "Twelve Angry Men". He pitches a few sliders here. He's sitting at a table playing cards with his gang under a single light bulb in what looks like a basement. Police sirens wail. The goons knock over their chairs as they run away, but Begley sits still, staring at his cards. A policeman's hand holding a pistol slowly enters the frame from the right. Begley slams down his hand, gets to his feet in a dignified way, looks at the cop, finishes off his drink, and exits towards the police. The scene isn't masterful, but William Dieterle has lifted it out of the ordinary.

THE TURNING POINT is a crime drama based on Horace McCoy's novel Storm in the City. Crusading district attorney John Conroy(Edmond O'Brien)is tabbed to crack down on a powerful crime syndicate that is believed to have control of many of the city's leading citizens and officials. Conroy wants his father Matt(Tom Tully), a veteran cop,to be his lead investigator. Friend and hard nosed newspaper man, Jerry McKibbon(William Holden)has doubts John is the right choice for the assignment and during his own investigation discovers that Matt Conroy has been running around with local mobsters. Neil Eichelberger(Ed Begley)is believed to be the syndicate's kingpin and it will be a tall order to prove such. This film is directed by William Dieterle and has a supporting cast featuring: Alexis Smith, Don Porter, Ted de Corsia, Ray Teal and Neville Brand.

THE TURNING POINT is a typical film noir-styled crime thriller in which a couple of crusading guys attempt to clean up the city's criminal element but find themselves bogged down instead in corruption and ruthless slayings. William Holden is on fine form as the reporter with the bit between his teeth while Edmond O'Brien is even better as the prosecutor determined to bring down a kingpin. Surprisingly, this is a far from exciting little picture, too much bogged down in lengthy courtroom scenes and lacking suspense, particularly early in the picture. It dies pick up later on with Neville Brand perfectly cast as an assassin, but overall it's quite average.

THE TURNING POINT – 1952 I've been looking for this one for quite some time. I managed to dig up a watchable print and the wait was well worth it. The film is headlined by William Holden, Edmond O'Brien, Ed Begley and Alexis Smith. It features a crackling good screenplay by Warren Duff, taken from the book by Horace McCoy. A government commission comes to town to look into mob activities. The main focus of the investigation is local mob boss, Ed Begley. In charge of the commission is Edmond O'Brien. His aide is Alexis Smith. William Holden plays the big city newsman who thinks the commission is really a waste of time and money. He is also a long-time friend of O'Brien. O'Brien dives in trying to get the goods on mobster Begley and his main henchmen, Ted de Corsia and Danny Dayton. Someone keeps tipping off the mob to what O'Brien and the Police are up to. O'Brien's chief investigator happens to be his father, Police Detective, Tom Tully. The problem here is that Tully is also on Begley's payroll. Newspaperman Holden knows about Tully being on the take and confronts him on the matter. Holden gives him time to switch teams, or he will need to tell O'Brien about what his father really is. Tully decides to do the right thing and inform on the mob. The mob quickly figures this out and sets up a hit on Tully. They have a low level thug, Tony Barr ambush Tully and kill him. The mob then bumps off Barr to tie off any loose ends. This does not sit well with Holden who now throws in with O'Brien to help. He writes a series of attack articles highlighting the mob types' criminal activity. Needless to say the mob is not in the least amused. They call in an out of town hit-man, Neville Brand, to deal with Holden. There is a well-staged shoot out at a local boxing arena with Holden and Brand both getting the big adiós. By now witnesses have started to pop up against the mob. The whole house of cards comes crashing down with Begley and his bunch going for a long holiday on the State's dime. The entire cast and crew shine in this excellent production. One time Oscar nominated director, William Dieterle does good work on this one. He keeps a firm hand on notorious scene stealer's like de Corsia and O'Brien, not letting them go too far over the top. His other film noir include, DARK CITY, ROPE OF SAND and THE ACCUSED. Three time nominated, and one time Oscar winner, Lionel Lindon, handles the cinematography duties. His film work includes, THE BLUE DAHLIA, ALIAS NICK BEAL, QUICKSAND, THE SUN SETS AT DAWN, HELL'S ISLAND, THE BIG CAPER and the SCARLET HOUR. Look close and you will see Russell Johnson and Carolyn Jones in early unbilled roles. The screenplay was by noir veteran, Warren Duff. He did the story or screenplays for, THE FALLEN SPARROW, CHICAGO DEADLINE, A DANGEROUS PROFESSION, APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER and MAKE HASTE TO LIVE. This film features some of the best use of Los Angeles' Bunker Hill area I've seen in any production. I really love seeing these long gone areas of the City of Angels.