Samuel Fuller was a man ahead of his time. making such films as pickup on south street, naked kiss, Shock Corridor, and this film. fuller works were tough as hell for there time. They also had a wonderful oddness about them. He seemed to take a simple clichéd story and make something wonderful and strange out of them.
Underworld USA is a story of revenge. Tolly Devlin A 14 year old boy witness his father beaten to death by four men. Tolly voles revenge. Fast forward 20 years later. Tolly is doing a five year bit and finds one of the men who did his dad In. the man is old and dying. But tolly git's the names from the dieing man of the other three thugs who killed his father . What ensues for the rest of the film is a interesting and creative story of revenge.
As always in Fuller work the woman play a important part. Beatrice Kay's plays sandy. She is a mother figure to Tolly. She is not able to have children so she Surrounds her self with baby dolls. The scenes with her and the dolls are great. They are bizarre and eerie but also heart breaking at the same time. Beatrice Kay plays sandy the ex hooker who falls for Tolly after he comes to her rescue.Cliff Robertson plays Tolly and gives a great performance.
Underworld USA is one of Fuller more underrated films. It was made after his classic pickup on south street and before his great later work of naked kiss and shock corridor. But while not as good as those films underworld USA is a great piece of noir and a most for any Fuller fan.
