Machine-Gun Kelly (1958)

The criminal exploits of Public Enemy number 1, George 'Machine-Gun' Kelly, during the 1930s.

Director:

Roger Corman

Writer:

R. Wright Campbell (screenplay)

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Susan Cabot, Morey Amsterdam

Cast

Cast overview:
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 (as Frank De Kova)
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

Storyline

Machine-Gun Kelly, the famous bank robber, seldom without his Thompson machine gun. The story opens with great jazzy music and a murder shown in shadows. His moll is the driving force behind his exploits. He has an exaggerated fear of death and death symbols. The sight of a coffin makes him freeze during a bank job, causing his lieutenant to lose his arm. Finally, the gang kidnaps a little girl along with her nurse and hold them for ransom.

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Plot Keywords:

chicago illinois | depression | gangster | based on true story | 1930s | 

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Taglines:

Without His Gun He Was Naked Yellow!

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Genres:

Action | Biography | Crime | Film-Noir

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Machine Gun Kelly

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

El Monte Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only time Roger Corman and Charles Bronson worked together.

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Goofs

While loosely--VERY loosely--based on the real "Machine Gun Kelly" (real name George Kelly), there are many incidents in this film that simply never happened. For one thing, the only time Kelly ever fired his machine gun was on on a firing range, and he certainly never killed or even shot at anyone, contrary to what is shown in this film. Also, the Kelly gang didn't kidnap a millionaire's little girl, as shown in this film; they kidnapped the millionaire himself, a wealthy brewer named Charles Urschel, and this is what eventually led to Kelly's capture and imprisonment. Also, he wasn't captured in a shootout with lawmen, as shown here; police and FBI agents in Memphis, TN, surprised him in the stairwell of a boarding house and he fell to his knees and screamed "Don't shoot, G-men!", thereby coining the name that FBI agents have been known by since then--an incident that is completely left out of this film.

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Quotes

Florence 'Flo' Becker: You like beautiful things Howard?
Howard: More than anything else in the world.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits: THE TITLE CHARACTER UPON WHICH THIS STORY IS BASED IS TRUE. The other characters, all events and firms, depicted are fictional. Any similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

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Connections

Referenced in Screwballs (1983)

User Reviews

Fantasy About 'Pop-Gun' Kelly

'Machine-Gun Kelly' is pretty fine film-noir directed by no other than great sleaze fest master Roger Corman with Charles Bronson in his first leading role and Susan Cabot as his on-screen partner in crime. The film is loosely based on real life criminal George 'Machine-Gun' Kelly (in real life Kelly never killed anyone for example). Even the note in the opening credits gives us a warning - "The title character upon which this story is based is true. The other characters, all events and firms, depicted are fictional. Any similarities to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental." The film opens with up-beat jazz music and then the viewer is thrown into bank job in progress, and all of the sudden - the cheeriness of the opening titles is gone. From there on Corman manages to keep the steadily serious tone throughout the film, and cheese level is close to the minimum. Bronson does fantastic job as fictionalized 'yellow' gangster Kelly who is nothing without his gun. The phony tough guy image and his real fears are well balanced with such subtlety that the character never sidetracks or seem forced. Bronson's chemistry with Susan Cabot (who is just wonderful as deceiving and tough-talking Flo) is wonderfully natural. They could be real partners in crime. Although done with small budget (and it shows in some more action packed scenes) the film is much higher in quality than usual AIP productions from that period. At least half the credit for good looks of this film definitely goes to Floyd D. Crosby's beautiful cinematography.

'Machine-Gun Kelly' upon its release brought director Roger Corman his first serious critical praise.