The Hoodlum (1951)

Director:

Max Nosseck

Writers:

Sam Neuman (screenplay)
Sam Neuman (story)

Release Date:

5 July 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Plot:

Paroled sociopath career criminal Vincent Lubeck betrays his family's trust when he masterminds a complex armored car robbery.

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Robbery | Beautiful Woman | Public Domain | Murder

Cast

Lawrence Tierney	...	Vincent Lubeck
Allene Roberts	...	Rosa
Marjorie Riordan	...	Eileen
Lisa Golm	...	Mrs. Lubeck
Edward Tierney	...	Johnny Lubeck
Stuart Randall	...	Police Lt. Burdick
Angela Stevens	...	Christie Lang (as Ann Zika)
John De Simone	...	Marty Connell
Tom Hubbard	...	Police Sgt. Schmidt
Eddie Foster	...	Mickey Sessions
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Breckenridge
Richard Barron	...	Eddie Bright
Rudy Rama	...	Harry Hill

MPAA:

Rated PG for violence and thematic elements. (2005 re-issue)

Runtime:

61 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:(Banned) | USA:PG (2005 re-release)

Company:

Jack Schwarz Productions

Trivia:

Restored from the original camera negatives at UCLA Film & Television Archive in 2008 and premiered at the 2009 UCLA Festival of Film Preservation.

Quotes:

Prison Warden Stevens: The only extenuating circumstance is that Vincent Lubeck hasn't committed murder... yet!

Brisk, entertaining b-film with another terrific tough-guy performance from Lawrence Tierney

"The Hoodlum" is a brisk, entertaining b-film with another terrific tough-guy performance from Lawrence Tierney. Whenever on camera, Tierney is compulsively watchable (and makes up for the poor acting he is surrounded by) and has an incredibly intimidating screen presence. Its a shame he wasn't given a fully developed character to work with and that he was never able to become a big star due to his self-destructive personal life (his characters mirrored his real life actions often). Tierney is slightly over-the-top but believable as the title "hoodlum". The rest of the supporting cast is mediocre, especially Tierney's real-life brother Edward Tierney (was Scott Brady unavailable?). Their woodenness is overshadowed by Lawrence Tierney completely and this is one of his best roles.

The film itself is unconvincing and ludicrous, but quickly paced enough at its compact running time of 61 minutes. Viewers don't search for credibility in their b-films, they look for some cheap lurid thrills and a quick pace. The ultimate crime films such as this can commit is being boring. "The Hoodlum" is certainly never boring. Its nothing new or fresh, but the story is present with much force. Its good rainy day entertainment and worth watching if only for Tierney. Hes great in almost everything he does. (6/10)