Synopsis
Van Johnson cracks heads and cases in this hardboiled crime thriller costarring Gloria DeHaven and Arlene Dahl, directed by Roy Rowland (The Girl Hunters) and written by Oscar -winner* Charles Schnee (They Live by Night). Assigned to investigate the murder of a plainclothes detective outside a bookie joint, homicide lieutenant Mike Conovan (Johnson) must also prove the cop was not on the take after $1,000 is found in his pocket. Following a slim set of clues, Conovan is beaten, shot and double-crossed as he sets out to catch a killer and clear the detective's name. A departure from M-G-M's usual glamor and glitz, Scene of the Crime was part of production head Dore Schary's effort to provide post-war audiences with grittier, more realistic entertainment. The film succeeded on all counts, returning a handsome profit to the studio and earning an Edgar nomination from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Motion Picture. * Writing (Screenplay): The Bad and the Beautiful, 1952