Todeszelle 2455

Lurid account of Caryl Chessman's criminal career at a time when his book was big on newstands. One thing for sure—there's no attempt in the film to glamorize or soft-peddle what appears to be a thoroughly nasty personality. Rarely, in fact, has any movie of the period made its leading man so dislikable. Campbell is quite good as the cocky young punk who goes from thievery to penny-ante stick-ups to ripping off organized crime to lover's lane rapist.

The movie itself is so uncompromisingly grim as to be off-putting. There's no effort at relieving the cheap criminality with character development or snatches of humor. The screenplay does have more fast car chases and shenanigans than a NASCAR rally, while some are darn near hair-raising. Look early on for a young Kathryn Grant and before she started up the Hollywood ladder. All in all, the movie's little more than a cheap exploitation flick with few redeeming features outside of being fast-paced.

(In passing-- Chessman's appeals luck finally ran out in May, 1960, but not before attracting support from a number of celebrities ,e.g. Steve Allen, impressed by Chessman's literary talents. Then too as incorrigible as he was, he hadn't killed anyone. Nonetheless, I don't recall much public concern when he finally got a whiff of San Quentin's lethal fumes.)

This film is a about a guy named Whit Whittier, (William Campbell) who is really playing the role of Caryl Chessman who wrote this book and is a person who has a long wrap sheet full of crime and eventually winds up on Death Row in San Quentin Prison, California. Whit grew up in a nice family in California and had a good home and a great mom and dad who loved him very much. However, Whit had his own ideas and decided to steal and got caught in almost everything he did and spent a great deal of time behind bars. As soon as Whit was released from prison he would join up with another bunch of crooks and face another jail sentence. He had a blonde sweetheart named Doll, (Marion Carr) who loved him and was faithful to him whenever he needed her help and love. There was a crime being committed by a man who was called the Lovers Lane Vandit who would creep up and attack young women who were with their boyfriends on a date and rape them. After awhile people began to suspect Whit Whittier as the man committing these crimes and he was then arrested and sent to prison. This is a true to life story about a man called Caryl Chessman who was killed on death row in 1960.

Brutal, fast moving crime thriller from deeply underrated director Fred F. Sears, who cranked out numerous westerns, crime thrillers, science fiction, comedy, horror, and musical features for producer Sam Katzman in the 1950s. This film isn't available on DVD or VHS, and more's the pity; it's easily better than most of the Don Siegel, Andre de Toth, or Budd Boetticher crime films of that era. Why Sears has never gotten the respect he deserves is easy to understand; he also directed junk, like THE GIANT CLAW. But his best known films, including ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK and EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS with superb effects by Ray Harryhausen are remarkable accomplishments, and Sears is long overdue for a career retro.

Simply told, unsentimental tale inspired by the book, and real-life story, of Caryl Chessman. Having seen his father unable to cope with poverty, he grows up into a sneering punk, defiant of all authority. The incorrigible boy soon becomes a career criminal, spending time in and out of prison. Then he is accused of a series of "red light" sex crimes, and earns the death penalty for two of them. He then spends his time on death row reading up on the law, and trying to put off the inevitable with his various appeals.

This is a good B level treatment of this story which benefits from not really trying to make Whit Whittier (as he is named in the movie) sympathetic. Rather, it doesn't shy away from the utter ruthlessness and brazenness of his crimes. The point of the story is, did he in fact commit these sex crimes of which he was accused? And did he not have a right to exhaust every legal avenue available to him?

Actor William Campbell, a veteran of both A and B features, does well in this starring vehicle, displaying some charisma and screen presence. His real life younger brother R. Wright Campbell (who, in the subsequent years, embarked upon a successful career as a screenwriter) plays Whit as a younger man. The cast is quite good, overall: Marian Carr, the luscious Kathryn Grant, Harvey Stephens, Vince Edwards, Bart Braverman, Paul Dubov, Buck Kartalian, and others.

The short running time (77 minutes) gives evidence to storytelling (screenplay by Jack DeWitt, direction by Fred F. Sears) that is efficient and to the point. There are some good action scenes, and the atmosphere is potent.

Chessmans' tale was ongoing at the time of the movies' release, although his luck would finally run out several years later. Alan Alda later played the character in a 1977 TV movie, 'Kill Me if You Can'.

Seven out of 10.

I finished the book today and the movie is an extremely accurate adaptation of it. Caryl Chessman was a career criminal caught up in a world of hatred. He admitted to many crimes, even those he was never charged with. Witness id's are notoriously inaccurate and the initial description of the suspect was 5-5 to 5-9 and 150-170 pounds and Chessman was six feet and 195 pounds. The rapist was also said to have a foreign accent and have a scar on his face. He very well may have been executed as the wrong man. The film noir style is typical of a 1955 release. At under 90 minutes, it moves quickly with no wasted moments. The lead actor looks nothing like Chessman but he is believable as the self assured inmate and writer. I recommend reading the riveting book before watching the movie. It is a film worth seeing.