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The Big Heat (1953)

Director(s) Fritz Lang
Producer(s) Robert Arthur
Top Genres Crime, Drama, Film Adaptation, Film Noir, Mystery, Thriller/Suspense
Top Topics Book-Based, Detectives
More Films Directed by Fritz Lang More Films Produced by Robert Arthur More Films from 1953 More Films from the 1950s Top Classic Movies of the 1950s Top Book-Based Films

The Big Heat Overview:

The Big Heat (1953) was a Crime - Drama Film directed by Fritz Lang and produced by Robert Arthur.

SYNOPSIS

Lang's classic film noir - and one of the darkest, most violent. When a bomb takes the life of detective Ford's wife, he determines to smash the gang responsible, enlisting the crime boss's moll (Grahame) along the way. Marvin's boiling-coffee-flinging scene still chills, mostly for the cold, serpentine menace in his eyes.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

The Big Heat was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2011.

The Big Heat BlogHub Articles:

The Big Heat (1953)

on May 25, 2016 From Journeys in Classic Film

The different breeds of noir can end up creating a dark morass of shadows and fog, with little variety in-between that it’s remarkable that some noirs were able to stand out from the pack at all. Director Fritz Lang was a film noir maestro by the time The Big Heat was released – having ... Read full article

The Big Heat (1953) – Updated

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jul 2, 2015 From 4 Star Films

The Big Heat is not a noir where the darkness comes from the shadowy visuals, but from within its characters themselves. In fact, some of these individuals are so subtle in their corruption that it easily gets overshadowed. Homicide cop Dave Bannion is, rather ironically, the straight-arrow trying t... Read full article

Review: The Big Heat (1953)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jul 2, 2015 From 4 Star Films

The Big Heat is not a noir where the darkness comes from the shadowy visuals, but from within its characters themselves. In fact, some of these individuals are so subtle in their corruption that it easily gets overshadowed. Homicide cop Dave Bannion is, rather ironically, the straight-arrow trying t... Read full article

Review: The Big Heat (1953)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jul 2, 2015 From 4 Star Films

The Big Heat is not a noir where the darkness comes from the shadowy visuals, but from within its characters themselves. In fact, some of these individuals are so subtle in their corruption that it easily gets overshadowed. Homicide cop Dave Bannion is, rather ironically, the straight-arrow trying t... Read full article

Noirvember Day Three: Gloria Brings The Big Heat

By shadowsandsatin on Nov 3, 2014 From Shadows and Satin

Perhaps the definitive film noir bad girl, Gloria Grahame was once described as “sexy in a strange way. Like a woman who’s begging you to wallop her in the mouth, ‘cause she’d just love it.” With her expressive eyes and sulky countenance, she possessed an on-screen presence that almost alw... Read full article

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The Big Heat Quotes:

Debby Marsh: We're sisters under the mink.
Debby Marsh: [to Stone] You made better time than they make in the Olympics.
Debby Marsh: Well, you're about as romantic as a pair of handcuffs.
Mike Lagana: [to Bannion] This is my home and I don't like dirt checkd into it.
Vince Stone: Hey, that's nice perfume.
Debby Marsh: Something new. It attracts mosquitoes and repels men.
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The Big Heat Facts
The fictional city where the story takes place is named Kenport.
Bannion's wife Katie is played by Jocelyn Brando, older sister of Marlon.
Columbia wanted to borrow Marilyn Monroe from 20th Century Fox to play the role of Debby Marsh, but Fox's asking price was too high. Gloria Grahame was cast instead.
Actor Rex Reason was originally cast in this movie to portray Tierney or Detective Burke, but his agent was negotiating for him to play a bigger role in it, possibly that of Lee Marvin's villain, but since there was no agreement reached, Reason did not appear in the movie, even though some 1950s era books and magazines sources give him credit for this movie.
When Lee Marvin first sees Glenn Ford face to face, the music in the background is "Put the Blame on Mame," a reference to Ford's performance in Gilda.
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