Crime Wave (1954)

In Los Angeles, ex-con Steve Lacey, out of San Quentin for two years, is trying to eke out a life on the straight and narrow, which includes since having gotten married, his wife Ellen who is well aware of his criminal past but knows that if left alone and given the opportunity that they can live a crime-free life. While O'Keefe, Steve's parole officer, sees in Steve a model parolee and truly believes that he wants to lead a straight life especially as he has rebuffed any other San Quentin ex-cons when they've tried to contact him, LAPD Detective Sims conversely believes that once bad, always bad. They will see who is correct when 'Doc' Penny, Ben Hastings and Gat Morgan escape from San Quentin and have committed a string of petty crimes en route to Los Angeles, the latest, a gas station robbery, which led to them fatally shooting a LAPD motorcycle officer. Steve is caught between a rock and a hard place when the three escapees do contact him, they ultimately revealing their grand plan to him in needing his cooperation in a crime, they threatening to harm Ellen if he doesn't cooperate.