Our pic for today takes another look at Crime Wave (aka The City is Dark) (1954), directed by Andre De Toth. Timothy first made audiences exclaim “Who is that guy?” (especially since he wasn’t credited) with his scene-stealing portrayal of giggling hophead Johnny Haslett. Here Johnny is menacing unfortunate Ellen Lacey (Phyllis Kirk).

“I played a heavy again in a picture called Crime Wave, with Sterling Hayden and Phyllis Kirk, and in one scene I was holding Phyllis prisoner in a dingy waterfront room,” Tim once said. “There was low key lighting and the boom was down low. I affected a twitch like a narcotics addict, I turned on a low, sensual, half-crazy laugh, gritted my teeth and dug my hands into her shoulders – just like the creep I was portraying would have done in real life. But Phyllis wasn’t impressed with my realism. She found me too convincing. She broke and got hysterical. I had to go apologize to her, although I don’t know what I was apologizing for.”