Thursday, September 14, 2006

Movie review - Corman #19 - "Machine Gun Kelly" (1958) **1/2

Roger Corman is best known for his sci fi and horror films but he turned out a fair few gangster films as well. This was important in helping raise Corman's reputation early in career - it is a decent story of Kelly, who in real life wasn't much of a gangster but had a cool name and was an interesting character (he was nagged into it by his wife); he also helped coin the term "G man". Kelly in this film similarly kowtows to his wife - but then he gets his back up a slaps her around (a few too many times). 

The opening bank robbery scene uses little dialogue, indicating Corman's growing confidence. Most of the film involves Kelly kidnapping a girl (something that happened in real life, only in that case it was of a businessman) 

There are shoot 'em ups but the film is most memorable for the characters and acting - Charles Bronson as the insecure Kelly, Susan Cabot as his imposing wife, and various odd bods in support (the police characters are bland as usual.) the ending is surprisingly flat - you expect someone to go out in a blaze of glory but it doesn't happen.

The DVD features an audio interview with Sam Arkoff which doesn't include anything you won't know after reading his autobiography, but it still fun. It cuts out halfway through a sentence for some reason.

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