Portland Exposé (1957)

A tavern owner in Portland, Oregon gets involved in a struggle for power between two gangs attempting to control the unions. When his young daughter is attacked by one of the gangsters, he ... See full summary »

Director:

Harold D. Schuster (as Harold Schuster)

Writer:

Jack DeWitt (original screenplay)

Stars:

Edward Binns, Carolyn Craig, Virginia Gregg

Cast

Cast overview:
Edward Binns	...	George Madison
Carolyn Craig	...	Ruth Madison
Virginia Gregg	...	Clara Madison
Russ Conway	...	Phil Jackman
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Garnell (as Larry Dobkin)
Frank Gorshin	...	Joe
Joseph Marr	...	Larry (as Joe Marr)
Rusty Lane	...	Tom Carmody
Richard Bellis	...	Jimmy Madison (as Dickie Bellis)
Lea Penman	...	Annie Stoneway
Jeanne Carmen	...	Iris

Storyline

A tavern owner in Portland, Oregon gets involved in a struggle for power between two gangs attempting to control the unions. When his young daughter is attacked by one of the gangsters, he joins the faction fighting against the syndicate and gets important evidence via a tape recorder. He is discovered and he and his daughter are threatened but honest union men, come to his aid.

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Plot Keywords:

portland oregon | murder | brother sister relationship | father son relationship | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

Not since 'PHENIX CITY STORY" has any film hit so hard...Now, SEE a vicious empire of VICE and CORRUPTION blasted before your eyes! The year's biggest film scoop!

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 August 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Terror in Portland City

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lindsley Parsons Picture Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Nudging the bumpers in a Pinball Crime Thriller

Based on a "True Story" the opening scene features a panoramic view of Portland as the narration extols the beauty, culture and incredible atmosphere of the city as a wonderful place to raise a family. Sounds like Paradise but...it seems the town has been overran by murderous rival crime syndicates vying for control of the lucrative pinball vending business.

Filmed in a semi-documentary style, Portland Expose reveals the sordid, corrupt side of the City of Roses. The movie follows the plight of local barkeeper George Madison (Edward Binns) as he becomes entangled with the criminal underworld after he agrees to have a pinball machine placed in his tavern. Soon the syndicate forces him to place even more machines and his formerly quiet pub becomes a hangout for the 'wrong crowd'. Regretting his decision Madison decides to fight back after his daughter (Carolyn Craig) is attacked in the parking lot by a syndicate thug (Frank Gorshin). With the cooperation of local officials Madison decides to go undercover to gather evidence to expose the rackets.

The movie draws inspiration from the detective exploitation magazines of the era that promised behind the scenes sordid details. The stories were usually presented in a lascivious manner to maximize sensationalism as they followed the crime investigation through the eyes of the investigators. Tame by today's standards, the film pushed the boundaries into the acceptable content of the time. Though it's a fairly typical 1950's matinee programmer, Portland Exposé weaves a pretty fair noirish tale. Gritty and not highly stylized, it features ensemble cast composed of prolific career character actors (Binns, Virginia Gregg, Russ Conway, Lawrence Dobkin, Frank Gorshin, Rusty Lane, Joe Flynn) who manage to make the movie better than might be expected. All in all a watchable B crime flick.