The Phenix City Story

One things that I have noticed during my endless watching of film noir, there are a lot of film noir movies that are based on long-form stories from magazine or newspapers, like Call Northside 777 (starring Jimmy Stewart as a upstanding journalist), Boomerang! (starring Dana Andrews as a upstanding DA, and the movie I just finished: The Phenix City Story.  The movie opens with about 15 minutes of interview footage about what drove the change in Phenix City.  Which makes it a interesting blend of documentary and fictionalized account of what happened.  In this case, corruption runs deep in the city (via gambling and prostitution), and a lawyer, Albert, and his son John, (just returned from Germany) decide to clean up the city by the Albert running for Attorney General of Alabama.  After his election, but before he is sworn in, Albert is killed and John and the people of Phenix City appeal to the state to send help to clean up the town (by declaring martial law).  I have to say, it is always jarring to hear to what is now offensive language flowing freely (since this is Alabama in the 50s, the n-word got used at least once).  And this movie glosses over that fact that the John Patterson was a segregationist and ran on that platform when he later ran for Governor (he had the support of the KKK in running in a primary against George "segregation forever" Wallace, so again Alabama in the 50s).  However, there are parts of this movie that are obviously heavily influenced by the recent (at the time) outcomes of World War II.  Several times, characters reference to having fought for freedom, that the opression in the city is in America not a dictatorship across the sea, and evil is allowed in the world because good men do nothing.  And this movie is basically a nearly 2 hour-long PSA about the importance of voting and the power of the ballot over the power of the mob.  That the ends don't justify the means and the good must act with honor to remain good (again glossing over real life, John is reminded of this by an African American man). Which in itself raises an interesting question, does one have to sink to same level as his or her enemy to prevail?