Jerome Cowan was usually a supporting character actor who ended up playing the lead role here in Crime by Night as NYC detective Sam Campbell. The plot has him paired with a secretary, Robbie Vance (Jane Wyman) and when the two appear together throughout the film, they represent the comic relief. Cowan was somewhat amusing as the detective investigating a murder but when he's called upon to show his romantic prowess kissing the femme fatale Ann Marlow (Faye Emerson), all bets are off (in other words, his big smooch with Emerson is simply embarrassing!).
Campbell is hired by Larry Borden (Stuart Crawford), an ex-concert pianist who got his hand chopped off by his father-in-law Harvey Carr but refused to press charges, enabling him to maintain custody of his son. Now a suspect in Carr's murder, Borden not only fears that he'll be convicted on circumstantial evidence but lose custody of his son to his ex-wife Irene (Eleanor Parker).
There are a number of red herrings here including a handyman turning up dead. Campbell interacts mainly with Sheriff Ambers (Cy Kendall) who unsuccessfully attempts to remain one step ahead of Campbell in the investigation. Eventually Red Herring #2, singer Paul Goff (Charles Lang) enters the mix along with his agent Marlow and when Goff turns up hanged in the jail cell (where Borden is also incarcerated), it doesn't take long before Campbell concludes the culprit is Marlow who turns out to be a wartime spy stealing secrets from a chemical plant formerly owned by Carr.
It's a pretty standard "B" picture featuring "okay" performances except for Wyman who's saddled with a way too goofy part. Emerson shines as the sinister spy and Cowan moves the proceedings along nicely except for the aforementioned unfortunate romantic detour with Emerson.
Campbell is hired by Larry Borden (Stuart Crawford), an ex-concert pianist who got his hand chopped off by his father-in-law Harvey Carr but refused to press charges, enabling him to maintain custody of his son. Now a suspect in Carr's murder, Borden not only fears that he'll be convicted on circumstantial evidence but lose custody of his son to his ex-wife Irene (Eleanor Parker).
There are a number of red herrings here including a handyman turning up dead. Campbell interacts mainly with Sheriff Ambers (Cy Kendall) who unsuccessfully attempts to remain one step ahead of Campbell in the investigation. Eventually Red Herring #2, singer Paul Goff (Charles Lang) enters the mix along with his agent Marlow and when Goff turns up hanged in the jail cell (where Borden is also incarcerated), it doesn't take long before Campbell concludes the culprit is Marlow who turns out to be a wartime spy stealing secrets from a chemical plant formerly owned by Carr.
It's a pretty standard "B" picture featuring "okay" performances except for Wyman who's saddled with a way too goofy part. Emerson shines as the sinister spy and Cowan moves the proceedings along nicely except for the aforementioned unfortunate romantic detour with Emerson.