Kid Glove Killer

Fred Zinnemann’s debut feature, Kid Glove Killer, is a prime example of the period’s transition from lighthearted mysteries a la The Thin Man to the rough, gritty world of wartime noir, combining elements of both into a highly satisfying police procedural. Van Heflin shines as forensic detective Gordon McKay, who, along with his admiring assistant Jane Mitchell (Marsha Hunt), is assigned to investigate the back-to-back murders of the district attorney and reformist mayor (a genuinely shocking moment staged just after he kisses his wife goodbye). The underrated Lee Bowman plays McKay confidante and corrupt attorney Gerald Latimer, whose ties to local mob boss Matty (John Litel) place him dangerously close to the murders and get him personally invested in McKay’s investigation. Loyalties are strained, romances are delayed, and noir will only get darker from here.