I really liked this movie and found it to be frustratingly close to a minor classic. It had several shocking and well-directed scenes, including the murder of the likeable detective and the sudden take over of the mob organization by the lead character. It had the punch of a Warner Bros. crime picture and could, and should, have been a contender, but it's that damn ending. It was such a cheap robbery of the filmgoer, it's unbelievable that such devices were still being utilized so late in cinema history. It was a major misstep and leaves a strange aftertaste on the entire project.