CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

blanche-2 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.

gordonl56 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.

jpdoherty Paramount's THE TURNING POINT is unfortunately a forgotten movie. A reasonably good crime thriller the film has suffered probably because of its unavailability in any format. It cannot be found even on VHS and its TV screenings are few and far between. Why this should be is anybody's guess for it is nicely written by Warren Duff and has a sterling cast in William Holden, Edmond O'Brien, Alexis smith and Ed Begley. Produced for the studio in 1952 by Irving Asher it comes from a story "Storm In The City" by Horace McCoy. Crisply photographed in black and white by Lionel Linden it was given a nice noirish style by director William Dieterle. Like Robert Wise's "The Captive City", made the same year, the picture is heavily influenced by the Kefauver Crime Hearings in the U.S. senate in 1950 and 1951 set up to investigate organized crime and its cross border activities.Newly appointed crime commissioner John Conroy (Edmond O'Brien) is determined to crack down on the crooked syndicate that is holding the city to ransom with its extortion racket and other illegal enterprises. With the help of his police detective father Matt Conroy (an excellent Tom Tully) he intends to eliminate the hoodlum element controlled by syndicate boss the ruthless Eichelberger (Ed Begley). But to his surprise he finds his father is reluctant to get involved. Investigative reporter and John Conroy's boyhood friend Jerry McKibbon (William Holden) is suspicious at Matt's reticence in helping out his son and follows him. He is shocked to discover he does business and has dealings with the syndicate. He is now undecided on just how to tell his friend that his father is no more than a crooked cop. To further complicate matters he begins having an affair with John's secretary and girlfriend the attractive Amanda Waycross (Alexis Smith). The picture comes to a nail-biting finish when an out of town hit man (Neville Brand) comes gunning for McKibbon (an exciting sequence at a boxing match) so as to prevent him from reporting anymore about the activities of the mob in his newspaper.The acting is splendid from the entire cast. William Holden in the wake of his brilliant performances in the unforgettable "Sunset Boulevard" and his fine railroad cop in the excellent "Union Station" gives his usual well polished performance this time as a hard bitten newspaper reporter. Excellent too is Edmond O'Brien as the commissioner. O'Brien was an actor who was never known to give a bad performance and doesn't disappoint here. Supplying the romance is the attractive Alexis Smith an actress who for years was buried in nothing roles at Warner Brothers here comes out of her shell to give a nice portrayal of a woman torn between two men. The following year she would steal the acting honours from all around her in RKO's neat little thriller "Split Second".There is no original music in the picture which is something of a disappointment. All that is heard are bits and pieces culled from unused music of Victor Young and Miklos Rozsa and conducted and supervised by Irvin Talbot. However the music score not withstanding the picture doesn't suffer because of it and it remains a good solid crime thriller. Now where is Olive Films to give us the DVD?

RanchoTuVu A nicely assembled rather complex story about small time corruption in an anonymous midwestern city that effectively balances its mix of plot elements into a plausible and interesting whole. Edmond O'Brien plays an idealistic lawyer who heads an investigation that leads him into his own family. William Holden plays an investigative reporter and childhood pal of O'Brien's, a likely and believable role for him, a born cynic on screen if there ever was one, who not only gets to the center of the corruption plague but also attracts the attentions of Alexis Smith, O'Brien's girlfriend and secretary. Directed by William Dieterle, the film should be pulled apart by its competing angles, but isn't, holding together nicely while it fits in the increasingly deadly corruption headed by an always convincing Ed Begley, and showing a sympathetic and at times pathetic O'Brien whose life seems to unravel around him as the film reaches its various points, leading to a tight and exciting conclusion with Neville Brand playing a out of town killer in a crowded boxing arena.