Vice Squad [The Girl in Room 17] ** (1953, Edward G Robinson, Paulette Goddard, K T Stevens, Porter Hall, Joan Vohs) – Classic Movie Review 11,270

Director Arnold Laven’s efficient and gripping 1953 documentary-style black and white film noir police procedural cop thriller Vice Squad [The Girl in Room 17] is a neat example of the genre then in vogue, and it is greatly helped by an intense, holding turn from the reliable Edward G Robinson as LAPD captain of detectives ‘Barnie’ Barnaby.

Robinson stars as Police Captain Barnaby who faces an action-packed day, with the main focus on a cop killing by mobsters. Undertaker Jack Hartrampf (Porter Hall) has seen the killing but he is not telling who dunit because he is married and he was seeing Vickie Webb (Joan Vohs) on the side.

It is a shame that co-star Paulette Goddard has too little to do as Mona Ross, the boss of an escort service who leads Edward G to the killers, though she is still strikingly good in what amounts to a flashy support role.

The screenplay by Lawrence Roman is based on Leslie T White’s novel Harness Bull.

Also in the cast are K T Stevens, Porter Hall, Adam Williams, Lee Van Cleef, Mary Ellen Kay, Joan Vohs, Edward Binns, Barry Kelley, Jay Adler, Lewis Martin, Harlan Warde and Dan Riss.

Remembering Paulette Goddard, born Pauline Marion Goddard Levy (June 3,1910 – April 23,1990).

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,270

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