I believe these type of gritty police films started around ten years earlier with "Naked City." There is a lot of nice neo-realism. For example, a gang leader calls a police captain "Daddy" and he snaps, "Call me "daddy" again, and you'll be spitting teeth." However, there are also some really exploitative elements. For example, deaf-mute Teddy (Ellen Parker) stands around for about five minutes dressed only in a towel, while the bad guy threatens to kill/rape her.
Robert Loggia is quite likable as the detective who becomes more and more frustrated when he can't quite solve his crime. Ellen Parker does a wonderful job playing his deaf-mute girlfriend. She had a very short acting career doing a few television shows in 1958 and two movies in which she played the fiancé of Robert Loggia in both. It is too bad she disappeared after that. Anybody know what happened to her?
This is a fun little movie, much closer to the street-smart New York "Naked City" television series of the time than the hyper-straight Los Angeles "Dragnet." The film is about as lurid as mainstream films got in 1958.
Check out the great posters. Google "Cop Hater" and search "images." Shirley Ballad looks great in both her leopard skin bathing suit and negligee.
Robert Loggia is quite likable as the detective who becomes more and more frustrated when he can't quite solve his crime. Ellen Parker does a wonderful job playing his deaf-mute girlfriend. She had a very short acting career doing a few television shows in 1958 and two movies in which she played the fiancé of Robert Loggia in both. It is too bad she disappeared after that. Anybody know what happened to her?
This is a fun little movie, much closer to the street-smart New York "Naked City" television series of the time than the hyper-straight Los Angeles "Dragnet." The film is about as lurid as mainstream films got in 1958.
Check out the great posters. Google "Cop Hater" and search "images." Shirley Ballad looks great in both her leopard skin bathing suit and negligee.