This is a crackerjack little noir that actually got better as it went along. It begins with a chesty stripper with blonde hair down to her butt running down the street being chased by a gunman. I thought, "OK. I know what kind of movie this is going to be. Pure B movie with cheesy dialog." Well, it actually develops into an excellent character study about two cops - best friends - one white and one Asian. They both fall in love with the same women while investigating the crime. Along the way they meet up with a boozy middle-aged female artist that's always around to give handy advice and the required colorful commentary. The black-and-white photography is not as artistic as the films noir from the 40's but the night shots of Chinatown in San Fran looked exotic. Recommended.
Review of The Crimson Kimono
