The Bonnie Parker Story (1958)

In the 1930s, amoral blonde tommy-gun girl Bonnie Parker cut a swath of bodies across the South-West. Starting out on gas stations and bars with side-kick Guy Darrow she graduated to bank ... See full summary »

Director:

William Witney

Writer:

Stanley Shpetner (as Stan Shpetner)

Stars:

Dorothy Provine, Jack Hogan, Richard Bakalyan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dorothy Provine	...	Bonnie Parker
Jack Hogan	...	Guy Darrow
Richard Bakalyan	...	Duke Jefferson
Joe Turkel	...	Chuck Darrow
William Stevens	...	Paul Baxter
Ken Lynch	...	Cook
Douglas Kennedy	...	Tom Steel
Patricia Huston	...	Chuck's Girl (as Patt Houston)
Joël Colin	...	Bobby (as Joel Colin)
Jeff Morris	...	Marvin
James Beck	...	Alvin (as Jim Beck)
Carolyn Hughes	...	Contact Girl
Madeline Foy	...	Mary - Ranger's Secretary
Sydney Lassick	...	Scout Master (as Sid Lassick)

Storyline

In the 1930s, amoral blonde tommy-gun girl Bonnie Parker cut a swath of bodies across the South-West. Starting out on gas stations and bars with side-kick Guy Darrow she graduated to bank hold-ups with Darrow's brother and, after bloodily springing him, her jailed husband. But there was never any doubt who was in charge.

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Plot Keywords:

bonnie parker | female protagonist | lingerie slip | gangster | character name in title | 

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Taglines:

She Lived Like A Woman, And Killed Like An Animal!

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Film-Noir

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 May 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bonnie Parker Story: The Female Monster:

Company Credits

Production Co:

Albany Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Released on double-bill with "Machine Gun Kelly"

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Quotes

Bonnie Parker: I didn't lose my nerve; I know right where I left it.

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Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXI (2010)

User Reviews

Should be a cult-movie

"The Bonnie Parker story" has the potential to be a cult movie. It is evident that a sad lack of bucks is the main cause of the faults of the film. No other reason, save some bizarre artistic choice, could justify the 1950s clothes and looks of the actors, within a 1930s story. And no bank-shot is shown all along the movie, another unwelcome by-product of a meagre budget.

In spite of its B-movie doom, "The Bonnie Parker story" has remarkable merits. The photography is accurate and evocative. The action scenes are realistic and very well filmed, the narration has a quick and smooth pace. The script oozes toughness and cynical wisecracking. In my opinion, a first rate job by the writer.

And then... that girl! That bomb of a wildcat-girl! Dorothy Provine is sensational, and not just for her stunningly gorgeous looks. Her aggressive, dynamic acting is unforgettable. She draws Bonnie's utterly amoral character, paired with an almost crazy courage, with a great force not lacking of subtlety. Huge fun to see her on the screen, especially when she ruthlessly ill-use and humiliate the male characters. An interesting, although undeveloped, side of Bonnie's psychology: she has an exclusive passion for command, while she seems not to give a damn for love. Well, let me give some credit to the little money used to make the movie. With a higher budget, probably they would have hired a more famous actress than Dorothy. What an enormous loss we escaped!

Dorothy Provine alone is largely enough to recommend "The Bonnie Parker story", but it's fair to take note of several other good sides of the movie.