Roger Corman’s career stepped up another level with Machine Gun Kelly, the success of which prompted him to make this second gangster story. It isn’t as good, as even Corman admitted. It lacks the true story origin of Kelly, and also the emotional resonance of the Kelly’s marriage. Instead it’s a rise-and-fall of a ficticious gangster, played by Steve Cochran, he of the reputation for being well hung and the interesting real life death. Problem is, it isn’t a particularly interesting rise and fall.
Some bright moments: Cochran ducks out of his welcome home party to shoot someone; Cochrane and a mate visit a nightclub where Lili St Cyr does a strip tease; a decent final shoot out. But there aren’t any interesting characters; Cochran was effective as a dashing second lead in things like White Heat but doesn’t have enough of a personality to make an unoriginal role interesting, and the female lead is particularly bland. Yvette Vickers has a small role; it’s a shame it wasn’t bigger.
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