The Undercover Man

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.