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The Lineup (1958)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
12/24
12/24:
For The Lineup, a spin-off from a popular TV series during the 50's, Eli Wallach plays the
worst operator ever in film noir history.
In fact, the title of the movie should be changed to The Worst Operator. If I were him, I
would stop dressing like somebody from the Outfit in Chicago. Otherwise, he stands out too much as if
there are people to kill.
At first, I thought it was me but ultimately decided "no." The plot makes no sense. Okay, why not get their
own mules instead of relying on unsuspecting people?!? It'll cut down most of the problems down the road. Eli
Wallach's character is sure dumb. Talk about leaving behind a trail for the cops to follow easily. Then again, he's
supposed to be psychopathic. Because of the heroin hidden in Asian artifacts, I wonder if the story was the basis of
Wait Until Dark.
Although not as good as The Naked City, The Lineup is a competent
film noir picture. Don Siegel was a good director back then, and he would revisit San Francisco for an even
better picture: Dirty Harry. It's also interesting because of the
Bullitt-esque car chase through the city. By the way, that was a 1957 Plymouth
Belvedere with a V8 engine.
Of course, so many locales are captured on screen for the much-needed character of San Francisco such as Steinhart
Aquarium, Sutro Baths (which was later turned into Ice Skate at Sutro's), Mark Hopkins Hotel, War Memorial Opera
House, Cliff House, Whittier Mansion, Coit Tower, Pier 41, the Embarcadero area including the YMCA as a stand-in
for Seaman's Club, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Some of them are no longer there today.
All in all, The Lineup may seem a run-of-the-mill black-and-white picture, but it's worth
watching to soak in what San Francisco used to look like in the 50's.