The Enforcer

The Enforcer (aka Murder, Inc. in the United Kingdom) is a 1951 American film noir co-directed by Bretaigne Windust and an uncredited Raoul Walsh, who shot most of the film's suspenseful moments, including the ending. The production, largely a police procedural, stars Humphrey Bogart and is based on the Murder, Inc. trials. The supporting cast features Zero Mostel and Everett Sloane. Plot Under heavy police protection, gangster Joe Rico arrives late at night at the courthouse to testify against crime boss Albert Mendoza. There have already been several attempts on Rico's life but lead prosecutor Martin Ferguson reminds him that he himself faces plenty of charges unless he cooperates. After yet another attempt on his life, Rico gives his bodyguards the slip but falls to his death from the ledge outside the eighth floor window. Without Rico’s evidence, Mendoza will walk away free. However, Ferguson believes that something else has come up in the investigation that might make the case, so he and police captain Nelson decide to go through the evidence again. Much of this is told in flashbacks. The case began when small-time gangster James "Duke" Malloy burst into a police station and claimed to have killed his girlfriend under pressure from others. The police find only an empty grave and Malloy later commits suicide in his cell. Ferguson is brought in on the case and a check on Malloy’s associates leads the investigators to "Big Babe" Lazick. When Lazick refuses to talk, Ferguson threatens to jail his wife and put his son into foster care. Lazick then confesses that he is operating under the orders of Joe Rico, who gets requests to commit murders over the telephone. The killers carry out murders for profit, the idea being that they are hired at the request of someone else. The killer will have no motive for committing the crime and thus will not be suspected by the police, while the client with the motive will have a perfect alibi. Only Rico knows who the top boss is.