Big Combo, The (1955)

This violent, dark film tells of tormented Police Lt. Leonard Diamond (Cornel Wilde), who is on a personal crusade to bring down sadistic gangster Mr. Brown (Richard Conte). He’s also dangerously obsessed with Brown’s girlfriend (Jean Wallace), his captive lover.

Why is Detective Diamond so involved with Brown’s girlfriend? Well… she’s pretty Jean Wallace.. but I think that’s about all she’s got going for her. Let’s face it. She’s a gun moll and kind of a ditz. Not to pick a pretty good film noir apart too much. It is the genre.

It sort of reminds me of what Dr. Laura said “If you help a damsel in distress, you end up with a distressed damsel”