BRODERICK CRAWFORD, NEVILLE BRAND & RICHARD KILEY 'THE MOB'

Year: 1951 Cast: Broderick Crawford, Ernest Borgnine, John Marley, Neville Brand, Richard Kiley  Rating: ***1/2

In 1955, Charles Bronson played a cellmate to Broderick Crawford in BIG HOUSE USA — and only four-years earlier, Bronson (known as Charles Buchinsky), had a quick yet important part in the Waterfront film noir THE MOB...

Where Crawford's an undercover cop (after the opening theme later used for THE BIG HEAT) seeking the leader/boss of a crime-syndicate screwing around the workers by choosing only their own...  and Bronson's the one guy complaining during his single scene where they're calling out rigged names for work (overseen by future GODFATHER horse-head victim John Marley), while Crawford and his newfound working-class buddy Richard Kiley look on...

Broderick Crawford in THE MOB

After which THE MOB takes place mostly at night, sometimes in shadowy alleyways but mostly within economical studio interiors aping motel rooms or taverns... while random baddies from gun-wielding goon Neville Brand to bigger gun-wielding goon Ernest Borgnine put Crawford through the ringer, including an attempting wrong-man murder rap...

And like any noir there's a good girl in Crawford's nurse fiance, and a seemingly bad girl in a setup/date he has the hots for, and vice versa... but only because he's pretending to be single...

Broderick Crawford and Richard Kiley in THE MOB

And while the future HIGHWAY PATROL icon definitely looks the part of a tough guy, he's simply too old and fat for sexy women to instantly adore or for his undercover ruse to seem legitimate... instead resembling one of the veteran police chiefs who sent him on the mission in the first place...

Overall, because of his size, age and teflon countenance, no matter what happens, Crawford never seems in any real danger — taking the thriller out of what's more a rushed yet entertaining b-crime time-filler... with a pretty neat twist on who's actually running THE MOB.

Charles Bronson and Broderick Crawford in THE MOB with Richard Kiley

Future The Godfather horse-head mogul John Marley in THE MOB

John Marley in THE MOB

John Marley in THE MOB with Broderick Crawford

John Marley in THE MOB with Broderick Crawford

 "I need to go underground... you know, like gophers and communists." Broderick Crawford, The Mob

Neville Brand in THE MOB with Broderick Crawford

Neville Brand in THE MOB with Broderick Crawford (same shot later in On the Waterfront)

John Marley in THE MOB

Ernest Borgnine in THE MOB

Ernest Borgnine and Neville Brand in THE MOB with Broderick Crawford

Ernest Borgnine and Neville Brand in THE MOB

Broderick Crawford in THE MOB

Neville Brand in THE MOB

Richard Kiley in THE MOB

Lynn Baggett in THE MOB

Broderick Crawford and Richard Kiley in THE MOB

Broderick Crawford and Lynn Baggett in THE MOB

Erneest Borgnine in THE MOB

Emile Meyer and bartender Matt Crowley in THE MOB

Ralph Dumke in THE MOB

Betty Buehler in THE MOB

Titles for THE MOB

Broderick Crawford for THE MOB