''Between Midnight and Dawn'' is a 1950 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Mark Stevens, Edmond O'Brien and Gale Storm..

Plot

Childhood friends Rocky Barnes (Stevens) and Dan Purvis (O'Brien) are

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

prowl car cops on night duty. Barnes is easygoing while Purvis is a cynic who views all lawbreakers as scum. Both men are attracted to radio communicator Kate Mallory (Storm) but she is reluctant to get involved with policemen, her cop father having been killed in the line of duty. One night Rocky and Dan arrest murderous racketeer Ritchie Garris (Buka) but he escapes and swears vengeance. In a thrill-packed climax, Garris makes a desperate escape using a little kid as a shield. After Garris' girlfriend (Robbins) is killed stepping in front of his gun, Purvis shoots Garris.

Cast

* Mark Stevens as Rocky Barnes * Edmond O'Brien as Daniel Purvis * Gale Storm as Katherine Mallory * Donald Buka as Ritchie Garris * Gale Robbins as Terry Romaine * Anthony Ross as Lt. Masterson * Roland Winters as Leo Cusick * Tito Vuolo as Romano * Grazia Narciso as Mrs. Romano *

Madge Blake Madge Blake (née Cummings; May 31, 1899 – February 19, 1969) was an American character actress best remembered for her role as Larry Mondello's mother, Margaret Mondello, on the CBS/ ABC sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'', as Flora MacMichael on ...

as Mrs. Mallory *

Lora Lee Michel Lora Lee Michel (born Virginia Joy Willeford, September 13, 1940) is an American former child actress. She appeared in several feature films during the Golden Age of Hollywood in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1950, she was the focus of a cus ...

as Kathy

References

External links

* * * * 1950 films 1950 crime films American crime films American black-and-white films Film noir Columbia Pictures films Films scored by George Duning Films set in Los Angeles Films directed by Gordon Douglas 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{1950s-crime-film-stub