Which actor played Detective Dave Bannion in The Big Heat?

Glenn Ford played Detective Sergeant Dave Bannion in The Big Heat.

Released in 1953, Fritz Lang’s film follows Bannion as he investigates the suspicious suicide of a fellow police officer and confronts the crime syndicate controlling the fictional city of Kenport. Ford’s performance gives the detective a forceful, increasingly isolated presence as the case becomes personal.

The film was adapted from William P. McGivern’s serialized fiction and novel, with a screenplay by Sydney Boehm. Columbia Pictures considered several established stars for Bannion, including Paul Muni, George Raft, and Edward G. Robinson, before Ford took the role. The supporting cast includes Gloria Grahame as Debby Marsh and Lee Marvin as Vince Stone.

A common mix-up is confusing Ford’s Bannion with other hard-boiled detectives played by Robert Ryan, Richard Widmark, or Dana Andrews. The Big Heat was selected for the National Film Registry in 2011, and its depiction of corruption and violence remains central to its reputation as a classic film noir.