''Big Jim McLain'' is a 1952 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

political thriller A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle; high stakes and suspense are the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. Th ...

film starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

and James Arness as

HUAC The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty an ...

investigators hunting down

communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

in the postwar Hawaii organized-labor scene.

Edward Ludwig Edward Irving Ludwig (October 7, 1899 – August 20, 1982) was a Russian-born American film director and writer. He directed nearly 100 films between 1921 and 1963 (some under the names Edward I. Luddy and Charles Fuhr). Edward Ludwig was bo ...

directed. This was the first film in which Wayne played a contemporary law enforcement officer, instead of an

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

lawman. Near the end of his career, in the mid-1970s, he took on two more such roles, ('' Brannigan'' and ''

McQ ''McQ'' is a 1974 American Panavision neo-noir crime action film directed by John Sturges and starring John Wayne. It costars Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, and Al Lettieri, and features Colleen Dewhurst, Clu Gulager, David Huddleston, Julian Chri ...

''), each time playing an urban cop.

Plot

The

House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 19 ...

(HUAC) fails to convict many American Communists who use the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination. HUAC investigators Jim McLain (Wayne) and Mal Baxter (Arness) are sent to Hawaii to track Party activities and gather evidence toward convictions. Their trail leads to insurance fraud, sabotage. and the infiltration of labor unions on the Honolulu docks to foul up the loading and unloading of ships. After receiving information from a local investigative reporter (Vernon "Red" McQueen), the two agents search for Willie Nomaka, a former Party treasurer, who is currently under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Gelster (Gayne Whitman). His secretary, Nancy Vallon (Nancy Olson), proves particularly helpful and McLain asks her on a date. A romance develops. But Willie Nomaka disappears, ostensibly being treated for an (induced) nervous breakdown. 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), an ex-Communist, provides McLain with some helpful background information. Nomaka is eventually found under an alias at a Honolulu sanitorium, heavily drugged and unable to speak. Party leader Sturak (Alan Napier) orders Dr. Gelster to dispose of him, but McLain rescues Nomaka and sweeps him away to safety. Unfortunately, his knowledge proves of little value. Meanwhile, two thug Communists kidnap Baxter, but Gelster accidentally causes the agent's death while injecting him with sodium pentothal truth serum. As a result of the loss of his partner, McLain resolves to see his task through to the end. In the meantime, Sturak orders the members of his Party cell to attend a meeting. There, he orders Gelster to confess his party membership to local authorities and identify several nonessential Reds. This way, investigators will believe that the cell has been destroyed. However, this will free other cells to continue their work. Those fingered, including Gelster, are reluctant to sacrifice themselves for the Party. The meeting is interrupted by McLain, who punches Gelster hard for killing Baxter. Vastly outnumbered, though, McLain loses the brawl that follows. But the police arrive and place the insurrectionists under arrest. Those responsible for Baxter's death are convicted of murder. Yet ultimately McLain and Nancy see other Communists plead the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination during further HUAC interrogations. Seemingly, McLain is back where he started.

Cast

as Jim McLain * James Arness as Mal Baxter *

Nancy Olson Nancy Ann Olson (born July 14, 1928) is an American retired actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Sunset Boulevard (film), Sunset Boulevard'' (1950). She co-starred with William Holden in ...

as Nancy Vallon *

Alan Napier Alan William Napier-Clavering (7 January 1903 – 8 August 1988), better known as Alan Napier, was an English actor. After a decade in West End theatre, he had a long film career in Britain and later on in Hollywood. Napier is best remembered f ...

as Sturak * Vernon "Red" McQueen as Phil Briggs * Gayne Whitman as Dr. Gelster *

Veda Ann Borg Veda Ann Borg (January 11, 1915 – August 16, 1973) was an American film and television actress. Early years Borg was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Gottfried Borg, a Swedish immigrant, and Minna Noble. She became a model in 1936 before ...

as Madge * Robert Keys as Edwin White * Sarah Padden as Mrs. Lexiter

Reception

Polly Cochran of ''The Indianapolis Star'' called this movie a "hodgepodge of good ideas and poor execution" and complained about a weak plot.https://www.newspapers.com/image/105427173/?match=2&terms=%22Big%20Jim%20McClain%22 "Patriotic Film Has Wayne Tracking Down Communists" The Indianapolis Star, September 5, 1952, p. 14.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Big Jim Mclain 1952 films 1950s spy films Film noir 1950s English-language films Films directed by Edward Ludwig Films set in Hawaii Films shot in Hawaii American political thriller films American spy films Cold War films American anti-communist propaganda films Cold War spy films Warner Bros. films Batjac Productions films Films produced by John Wayne Communism in fiction Films scored by Emil Newman Films scored by Paul Dunlap American black-and-white films Films set in Honolulu Films shot in Honolulu 1950s American films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links