The Hoodlum (1951 film)
| The Hoodlum | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Max Nosseck |
| Produced by | Maurice Kosloff |
| Written by |
Sam Neuman Nat Tanchuck |
| Starring |
Lawrence Tierney Allene Roberts Marjorie Riordan |
| Music by | Darrell Calker |
| Cinematography | Clark Ramsey |
| Edited by | Jack Killifer |
Production company |
Jack Schwarz Productions |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 61 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Hoodlum is a 1951 crime drama film noir directed by Max Nosseck starring Lawrence Tierney, Allene Roberts, Marjorie Riordan and Lisa Golm.[1]
Plot
Vincent Lubeck (Lawrence Tierney) is a career criminal who has recently been released from prison. He would not have gotten out had it not been for the pleas of his elderly mother. He gets a job working at his brother's gas station. Bored and jealous of his brother, he steals his brother's girlfriend, impregnates her and refuses to get married. This causes the girl to commit suicide.
Vincent Lubeck becomes very interested in the armored car that makes regular stops at the bank across the street, and he plans a heist with some of his criminal buddies. He flirts with a secretary who works at the bank, knowing that she will provide useful information.
With the money in hand, the conspirators start to turn on Lubeck.
His criminal activities are despised by his family, and they will no longer help him. He is on his own. Eventually his own brother will stand up to him.
The manhunt is on... will he escape, return to prison, or get killed?
Cast
- Lawrence Tierney as Vincent Lubeck
- Allene Roberts as Rosa
- Marjorie Riordan as Eileen
- Lisa Golm as Mrs. Lubeck
- Edward Tierney as Johnny Lubeck
- Stuart Randall as Police Lt. Burdick
- Angela Stevens as Christie Lang
- John De Simone as Marty Connell
- Tom Hubbard as Police Sgt. Schmidt
- Eddie Foster as Mickey Sessions
- O.Z. Whitehead as Mr. Breckenridge
- Richard Barron as Eddie Bright
- Rudy Rama as Harry Hill
Reception
Critical response
Film critic Dennis Schwartz generally liked the film due to the work of actor Lawrence Tierney, writing, "The Hoodlum is a gangster film which passes for film noir because of the protagonist's dark nature, lack of loyalty and violent anti-social behavior ... The cheaply made film tells an old story and adds nothing fresh, but it was presented with force. Aside from Lawrence Tierney's finely tuned, menacing performance, the acting was sub par. It was Tierney's performance that kept the film alive in the tradition of the old-fashioned gangsters like those portrayed by Cagney and Robinson."[2]
See also
References
- ↑ The Hoodlum at the TCM Movie Database.
- ↑ Schwartz, Dennis. Ozus' World Movie Reviews. film review, April 15, 2005. Accessed: July 16, 2013.
External links
- The Hoodlum at the American Film Institute Catalog
- The Hoodlum at the Internet Movie Database
- The Hoodlum at AllMovie
- The Hoodlum at the TCM Movie Database
- The Hoodlum is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- The Hoodlum at Film Noir of the Week by author and professor Wheeler Winston Dixon
- The Hoodlum information site and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images)
- The Hoodlum complete film on YouTube (public domain)