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John Saxon plays tough Puerto Rican kid from the Barrio District of New York who gets out of jail with the hope of going straight, only to fall right back in with the criminal element. He marries Cuban firebrand Linda Cristal to legally keep her in the country, but has a rocky reunion with his father, who loves his son despite his shame. Predictable, tolerable melodrama combining familial elements with standard underworld crime scenario. These hoods seem a might tame compared to the mobsters we would see on the screen just a few years later. Saxon, of Italian descent in real-life, is exceptionally handsome, though he can't get a grip on the proper voice to use--and his character is schizophrenically written anyway: cool and unruffled one minute, judo-chopping the enemy the next. Saxon always seems to be loitering (thoughtfully) in alleyways and hallways, yet the sets are too clean and unconvincing, as is the violence. A few of the relationships are bracing, particularly that between Saxon and hard-working father Joseph Calleia (who is excellent). Based on Irving Shulman's novel, the production may have benefited from the new permissiveness of the early 1960s, though there are good scenes, amusingly 'arty' camera set-ups, and solid supporting work, particularly from Calleia and Cristal. ** from ****
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