The Big Heat

Homicide detective Sergeant Dave Bannion, of the Kenport Police Department, is called on to investigate the suicide of a fellow officer, Tom Duncan. Duncan leaves behind a letter addressed to the district attorney. His wife, Bertha, finds the envelope and locks it away in her safe deposit box. She tells Bannion that her husband was depressed because he was in ill health. The mistress of the late cop, Lucy Chapman, contradicts Mrs. Duncan, telling Bannion that Tom Duncan had not been in ill health, and had no reason to kill himself, but had recently agreed to a divorce with his wife. The next day, Lieutenant Ted Wilks is under pressure from "upstairs" to close the case, and orders Bannion to drop his investigation. Lucy is found strangled to death, her body covered with cigarette burns. Bannion receives threatening calls at his home. He confronts Mike Lagana, a mob boss who runs the city, and discovers that people are too scared to stand up to the crime syndicate. When Bannion ignores warnings to desist, his car is rigged with dynamite. The car bomb kills his wife, Katie. Accusing his superiors of corruption, Bannion insults corrupt Police Commissioner Higgins, accusing him of obeying the orders of Lagana. Higgins puts Bannion on immediate suspension and orders him to turn in his badge. Determined to find those responsible for his wife's murder, Bannion continues to investigate. He hopes to discover a lead at a nightclub called "The Retreat". When Lagana's second-in-command, Vince Stone, punishes a woman there, burning her with a cigar butt, Bannion stands up to him and his thugs. This impresses Stone's girlfriend, Debby Marsh. The two hit it off and take a cab to the hotel where he is now living. When Debby accidentally reminds Bannion about his late wife, he tells her to leave. Debby reluctantly returns to Stone's penthouse. He accuses her of talking to Bannion about his activities and throws a pot of boiling coffee in her face. Higgins, who had been playing poker with Stone and his group there, takes her to a hospital. Debby returns to Bannion at his hotel, the left side of her face badly burned and covered in bandages. For protection, he puts her in a hotel room close to his. Debby identifies the man who arranged the planting of the car bomb as Larry Gordon, one of Stone's associates. She also tells him where Gordon is staying. Bannion forces Gordon to admit to the car-bombing, and to reveal that Duncan's widow is blackmailing Stone and Lagana with incriminating documents. Bannion does not kill Gordon, but promises to spread the word that he talked. Afterward, Gordon is killed by Stone's men. Bannion then confronts Mrs. Duncan, accusing her of betraying Lucy and protecting Lagana and Stone. With his hands at her throat, Bannion tells Mrs. Duncan that if she is killed, the evidence she has against Lagana will be revealed. Before Bannion can follow through on his threats, cops sent by Lagana arrive, and he is forced to leave. Bannion goes to deal with Stone when Lieutenant Wilks arrives, now prepared to take a stand against the mob and his corrupt boss. Debby goes to Mrs. Duncan and starts talking about their respective associations with gangsters. When Mrs. Duncan attempts to phone Stone for help, Debby shoots her dead. Bannion tails Stone, who returns to his penthouse where Debby is waiting for him. She throws boiling coffee in his face in an act of revenge. In retaliation, Stone shoots her. After a short gun battle, Bannion captures Stone. As Debby dies on the floor, she confesses to shooting Mrs. Duncan. Stone is arrested for murder and officer Duncan's damning evidence in the note he left behind for the D.A. is made public. Lagana and Higgins are indicted, and Bannion is reinstated to his job as a homicide detective.

Plot from The Big HeatCC BY-SA 4.0