A talky disappointment, HOMICIDE is decently reasonably well-acted, but there's not much more to say about it. The detective lead, Robert Douglas is quite good. However he lacks on-screen appeal. It may have been better to cast Warren Douglas (no relation) who plays the unfortunate victim, in that role. We do see Helen Westcott--an underrated Warners player, Robert Alda, and the always colorful Esther Howard as a flop-house owner. The interaction between Howard and Douglas are among the best things in the picture. Also pretty good are the flirtation scenes with Douglas and Westcott, while a desert fight between Douglas and Alda is a highlight. So it's not a total letdown. But it certainly isn't a Film Noir by any stretch of anyone's imagination, just because it's a crime drama in b&w from 1949.
