Machine-Gun Kelly (1958)

Director:

Roger Corman

Writer:

R. Wright Campbell (writer)

Release Date:

May 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Crime | History

Tagline:

Without His Gun He Was Naked Yellow!

Plot:

Machine-Gun Kelly, the famous bank robber, seldom without his Thompson machine gun. The story opens...

Plot Keywords:

Bank | Tommy Gun | Cult Favorite | Beautiful Woman | Depression

Cast

Charles Bronson	...	George R. 'Machine Gun' Kelly
Susan Cabot	...	Florence 'Flo' Becker
Morey Amsterdam	...	Michael Fandango
Richard Devon	...	Apple
Jack Lambert	...	Howard
Frank DeKova	...	Harry
Connie Gilchrist	...	'Ma' Becker
Wally Campo	...	Maize
Barboura Morris	...	Lynn Grayson
Lori Martin	...	Sherryl Vito (as Dawn Menzer)
George Archambeault	...	Frank
Robert Griffin	...	Mr. Andrew Vito
Michael Fox	...	Detective Clinton
Larry Thor	...	Detective Drummond
Shirley Falls	...	Martha

Also Known As:

Machine Gun Kelly (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

80 min | Argentina:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 (nf) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

The movie was shot in only eight days, before post production started.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994)

Better than the average early Corman effort

Many people have a certain degree of affection for Roger Corman's schlock classics, "Little Shop of Horrors," and "Bucket of Blood." "Machine Gun Kelly" was slightly earlier than those two, and it has a more conventional genre structure. It appears that Corman was attempting to make a more coherent movie than his usual churn it out in two days pictures. This is certainly not a very good movie, but a certain amount of care is taken to make it convincing. None of us would think of Charles Bronson as a great actor, but he was a step up from Corman's usual stock company. Supporting roles are well cast, especially Morey Amsterdam as "Fandango," Connie Gilchrest as Flo's mother, and Frank DeKova as the tall tale spouting but cowardly gas station owner. Of course there are Corman regulars in the cast, such as Barboura Morris, Wally Campo, and one time Universal starlet, Susan Cabot (who overacts as usual). Despite a weak ending the movie is a generally fun. The silent opening robbery sequence is well staged. No doubt veteran cameraman Floyd Crosby ("High Noon," "Oklahoma," and uncredited co-DP on "From Here to Eternity") deserves much of the credit for this and the decent night photography. But this is not a movie to be taken too seriously. My favorite bit is when Flo and Kelly go to hide out at Flo's mother's bordello. One of the working girls asks Flo's mother if Flo is, "The new girl." "Watch you mouth," Flo's mom replies, "this is my daughter!" Working girl: "Yeah, ain't we all."