The Sellout (1952) Good Ol' Boy Noir

Directed by Gerald Mayer (Dial 1119 (1950)) who pretty much segued into television soon afterward. The film was written by Charles Palmer (screenplay),from a story by  Matthew Rapf. The cinematography was by Paul Vogel (Lady in the Lake (1946), High Wall (1947), Black Hand (1950), Dial 1119 (1950), and one of the last studio noirs The Money Trap (1965)). The music was by David Buttolph.

Other than Walter Pidgeon (Forbidden Planet (1956)) as Haven D. Allridge The Sellout stars a cornucopia of Noir veterans, John Hodiak (three Classic Noir) as Chick Johnson, Audrey Totter (eight Classic Film Noir) as Cleo Bethel, Paula Raymond (three Classic Noir) as Peggy Stauton, Thomas Gomez (five Classic Noir) as Kellwin C. Burke, Cameron Mitchell (House of Bamboo (1955)) as Randy Stauton, Karl Malden (six Classic Noir) as Captain Buck Maxwell, Everett Sloane  (six Classic Noir) as Nelson S. Tarsson , Jonathan Cott (three Classic Noir) as Ned Grayton
Frank Cady (seven Classic Noir) as Bennie Amboy, Hugh Sanders (seven Classic Noir) as Judge Neeler, Griff Barnett (two Classic Noir) as Attorney General Morrisson, , Whit Bissell (Nine Classic Noir) as Wilfred Jackson, Roy Engel (eight Classic Noir) as Sam F. Slaper, with Burt Mustin as Elk M. Ludens.

 Haven D. Allridge  (Walter Pidgeon)

Kellwin C. Burke (Thomas Gomez)

Cleo Bethel (Audrey Totter)  in her sexiest role.

Chick Johnson (John Hodiak)

Captain Buck Maxwell (Carl Malden) and Walter Pigeon

Judge Neeler (Hugh Sanders) 

Lawyer  Nelson S. Tarsson (Everett Sloane)

Bennie Amboy (Frank Cady)

While all these Noir Stars provide an abondanza of cinematic memory, the story pretty much flat-lines. It's a wide load that needed sideboards. It spreads way too far out among the various characters without really zeroing in on anything. It's main saving grace is Audrey Totter, she provides the eye-candy in what in my opinion is her sexiest roll as Cleo Bethel, an ivory tickling, road house canary. Too bad she doesn't appear until a third of the picture is over and then again is absent for the last third.

The county line bridge

Sheriff Burke's campaign sign

The story is about the expose of a county political machine run by a corrupt Sheriff, Kellwin C. Bruce (Gomez), and Judge Neeler (Sanders). The man caught in the "speed-and-anything-else-they-can- throw-at-you," trap, is big city Newspaper editor Haven D. Allridge (Pidgeon). He arrested and fined the contents of his wallet.

it's the cops

Railroaded into Burke's county slammer

When Allridge gets out he starts a blistering campaign against the county machine. That is until he suddenly skips town. Looks like a sellout.

Everett Sloan plays the sleazy prosecutor Nelson S. Tarsson. John Hodiak plays the state prosecutor from the capitol down to investigate the county along with undercover city cop Captain Buck Maxwell on special duty (Carl Malden).

Noirsville

first meet between Chick and Cleo

county courtroom

The film feels like it was turned out on autopilot, part expose, part message film, it's at least got some good visuals and is worth checking out for Totter and Gomez who convincingly plays the corrupt sheriff. 6/10.