Props to Sam Fuller for not whimping out - a white girl chasing after an Asian lead is rare enough in 2013 but in 1959 it must have seemed like a movie from Mars. It gives this piece some novelty which to be honest is lacking in the actual story - cops investigating the death of a stripper.
James Shigeta shows charisma and talent as the lead, a former Nisei who lives with his fellow detective Glenn Corbett - I mean they share an apartment an everything and have a heavy bromance. This is interrupted when they meet sketch artist Victoria Shaw (an Aussie model who moved to Hollywood in the mid 50s); she starts flirting with Corbett but falls for Shigeta. Corbett is actually okay with it but Shigeta battles with his own racism - which starts off interesting, but after a while tends to rob the piece of drama because it robs Corbett of a genuine dramatic function (i.e. he's not the antagonist - it's Shigeta's sense of worth). And also the murder plot seems to be overlooked.
Still, some memorable moments and like all Fuller films full of interesting touches.
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