Force of Evil 1949

Joe Morse, a young and savvy Wall Street lawyer, harbors a desire to amass wealth quickly and effortlessly. His ambition leads him to become involved in a dangerous get-rich-quick scheme alongside his client, Ben Tucker, a powerful figure in the numbers racket industry. The scheme revolves around a clever plan set to unfold on July 4, a day when the increasingly popular number 776 is expected to be drawn. Tucker’s team orchestrates a plan that involves fixing the outcome of the draw so that everyone who bet on that number wins. This event would force small, independent policy banks into financial ruin, creating chaos and paving the way for Tucker to absorb these smaller operations into his larger, more lucrative criminal enterprise, eventually transforming it into a legitimate business.

Tucker warns Joe to keep quiet about the scheme from Leo, Joe’s older brother, who runs a small policy bank. However, Joe, feeling a sense of loyalty and indebtedness to Leo, tries to persuade him to shut down his bank before July 4 to avoid disaster. Despite Joe’s efforts, Leo refuses to close his operation, as his loyal customers depend on his bank for their daily betting activities, exemplifying his steadfast commitment to his community. Joe resorts to drastic measures by arranging a police raid on Leo’s bank, hoping to scare him into quitting the business altogether. During the raid, Doris Lowry, played by Beatrice Pearson, who had recently left Leo’s staff but was still present, is detained along with the others, despite Joe’s attraction to her.

Leo is released after the police intervention and, true to his word, plans to retire once the chaos subsides. However, the inevitable happens: the 776 combination comes up on July 4, and the run on the banks begins. Leo’s bank is forced into bankruptcy, exactly as Tucker anticipated, and he pushes Leo to let Tucker take control of his operation. Leo agrees, with the added benefit of making substantial money from participating in a larger, more organized racket. This puts Leo in a more dangerous and criminal environment, especially as Tucker’s gangsters, including Ficco, become more controlling and threaten his safety.

Meanwhile, Fred Bauer, played by Howland Chamberlain, Leo’s cautious accountant, becomes increasingly fearful of Tucker’s violent entourage. In a bid to protect himself and stop the criminal activity, Bauer turns informer, providing intelligence to city authorities about the illegal operations. His fears are exploited when Ficco approaches him with plans to take over the racket by eliminating opposition, ultimately leading to Leo being set up for a hit.

After Leo suffers a fatal heart attack during a police raid, Bauer unknowingly becomes a pawn in Ficco’s scheme to eliminate his rivals. Tragically, Bauer is mistaken for Joe and killed by Ficco’s men. Upon discovering his brother’s death, Joe is filled with anger and confronts Tucker, finding him unaware of Leo’s demise. The tension escalates as Ficco, seeking to establish himself as the new muscle in Tucker’s operation, makes a deal. A fistfight ensues between Joe and Ficco, culminating in a tense and chaotic shootout in the dark. During the chaos, Ficco mistakenly kills Tucker, believing him to be Joe, and Joe kills Ficco in self-defense.

In the aftermath, Joe is arrested and chooses to cooperate with the authorities, deciding to expose the criminal network behind the numbers racket. His cooperation aims to dismantle the corrupt industry that has ensnared so many lives in its web of crime and deception. The film closes on this note of grim realism, illustrating the high costs of illegal pursuits and the complex moral choices faced by those involved.