Private Hell 36

(Don Siegel, US 1954, 76 min., 16mm)

The Tarnished Badge. Written by and starring Ida Lupino, for her independent company the Filmmakers, and featuring direction by genre masters Don Siegel and Sam Peckinpah, this may be the darkest of the Bad Cop cycle. Steve Cochran and Howard Duff (Lupino’s husband at the time) play partners tracking down stolen cash after a robbery attempt goes bad. The trail leads them to Lilli, a torch singer who becomes their primary witness and Cal’s love interest. When the money is found, Cochran is tempted to take it and run away with Lilli, but Duff is cracking under the pressure of what he knows, leading to a volatile confrontation.