Big Jim McLain
Big Jim McLain | |
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Black and white | |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $2.6 million (US rentals)[1] |
Big Jim McLain is a 1952 American
This was the first film in which Wayne played a contemporary law enforcement officer, instead of an
Plot
The
Investigators Jim McLain (Wayne) and Mal Baxter (Arness) are sent to Hawaii to track Party activities, with hopes of gaining enough hard evidence against members there to earn convictions. They become interested in everything from insurance fraud to the sabotage of a U.S. naval vessel and plans to have local unions go on strike to prevent the loading and unloading of ships on the Honolulu docks.
After receiving useful information from reporter Phil Briggs (Vernon "Red" McQueen), the agents begin searching for Willie Nomaka, a former party treasurer, who is being treated by psychiatrist Dr. Gelster (Gayne Whitman). The doctor's secretary, Nancy Vallon (Nancy Olson), is helpful, as well. McLain asks her on a date and a romance develops.
Nomaka disappears...ostensibly being treated for an (induced) nervous breakdown by Gelster.
Nomaka's landlady, the man-hungry Madge (Veda Ann Borg), assists in the investigation while flirting with McLain. Nomaka's ex-wife (Madame Soo Yong) is willing, but unable to help McLain. Nomaka is eventually found under another name in a sanitorium, heavily drugged and unable to speak. Party leader Sturak (Alan Napier) gives orders to Dr. Gelster to get rid of him, but before Gelster can McLain rescues Nomaka and takes him to safety. Still, he proves of no value to their investigation. Meanwhile, two of the communists kidnap Baxter, and Gelster accidentally kills him by giving him an injection of
In spite of the trauma to McLain this causes, his campaign to wed the also enamored Nancy is undaunted.
Sturak orders the members of the communist cell to attend a meeting. He orders Gelster to confess his party membership to the authorities and identify several nonessential members of the "cell" so the government will believe that the cell has been destroyed and the others can continue their work. Those fingered, including Gelster, are unenthusiastic at being arrested and sacrificing themselves to the Party. The meeting is interrupted by McLain, who seeks out Gelster and punches him for killing Baxter. Vastly outnumbered, McLain is losing the brawl that follows, but the police arrive and place the communists under arrest. The men responsible for Baxter's death are convicted of murder, but ultimately McLain and Nancy see the others plead the Fifth Amendment and go free.
Cast
- John Wayne as Jim McLain
- James Arness as Mal Baxter
- Nancy Olson as Nancy Vallon
- Alan Napier as Sturak
- Vernon "Red" McQueen as Phil Briggs
- Gayne Whitman as Dr. Gelster
- Veda Ann Borg as Madge
- Robert Keys as Edwin White
- Sarah Padden as Mrs. Lexiter
See also
References
- ^ 'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', Variety, January 7, 1953
External links
- Big Jim McLain at IMDb
- Big Jim McLain at AllMovie
- Big Jim McLain at the TCM Movie Database
- Big Jim McLain at the American Film Institute Catalog