The Finger Man (1955)

Synopsis
Director Harold D. Schuster, heretofore more at home with "outdoor" fare, does a nice job with the film noir trappings of Finger Man. Frank Lovejoy plays the title character, a career criminal named Casey Martin. In exchange for immunity from prosecution, Martin agrees to help the Feds net a larger fish--namely, big-time mobster Dutch Becker (Forrest Tucker). Torn between the two men is good-time girl Gladys Baker (Peggie Castle). The moment she casts her lot with Martin, Gladys seals both her doom and Becker's. Finger Man is stolen hands-down by the saturnine Timothy Carey as Becker's wacko triggerman (reportedly, Carey was nearly punched out by Frank Lovejoy when the latter caught on he was being upstaged). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide